In this third week of Women's History Month, we are looking at social history books that will help you better understand her life.
Title: Making Marriage: Husbands, Wives and the American State in Dakota and Ojibwe Country
Author: Catherine J. Denial
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Synopsis: "From 1820 to 1845, when the first significant numbers of Americans arrived in the region now called Minnesota, they carried very specific ideas about the roles men and women should play in marriage. However, the Dakota, Ojibwe, and mixed-race communities resisted this new version of marriage, forcing many Americans to compromise their own beliefs so that they could put down roots."
Why You Need This Book: It's possible you don't need THIS book. Maybe you have no Minnesota ancestors. BUT you do need to understand marriage in the time and place your ancestor lived. Don't make the mistake of thinking "I'm married, I know what it's like and what's required to get married." Times change, attitudes change, records change, requirements change, laws change.
"The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there." (LP Hartley)
Yes, they do, read about your ancestor's time and place so you understand how marriage impacted their lives and what records exist.
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