The nineteenth century in the US was a critical period of time that involved a variety of incidents. Incidents that affect the development of the country dramatically. For instance, Louisiana Purchase, 1812 War, Jacksonian Era of Good Feelings, The Mexican War, The American Debate over Slavery, Civil War, Industrial Revolution and Progressive Movement. Thus, these incidents have a significant impact on the consent and the aspects related to it, such as age of consent and rape. We will focus on the Civil War period, specifically, how rape, race were connected to consent and how they differ in antebellum and postbellum period.
According to Diane Sommerville “The legal definition of rape throughout antebellum America turned on the use of force and the lack of consent.” (43). This shows us that rape was either through coercion or lacking of consent, however, rape in nineteenth century depends …show more content…
For example “In number of cases in which white females alleged rape or attempted rape, judges assumed that no white women would willingly consent to have sex with a black man. Following this legal logic, all acts of sex between a black man and white women would be classified as non consensual and therefore as rape.” (Sommerville 216). Before the Civil war there was less pressure on the white women, especially poor white women, to have a relationship with a man of color, however, it will pay the price that it will be stigmatized and considered as deviate by the society. By the end of this century, racism increases drastically “But by the turn of the century race lines had been drawn more emphatically and clearly within the context of segregation.” (Sommerville 216). Overall, consent, rape and the age of consent in the nineteenth century in US were fundamentally affected by race and wars particularly the Civil War, and most of these different aspects of consent were not unified between
According to Diane Sommerville “The legal definition of rape throughout antebellum America turned on the use of force and the lack of consent.” (43). This shows us that rape was either through coercion or lacking of consent, however, rape in nineteenth century depends …show more content…
For example “In number of cases in which white females alleged rape or attempted rape, judges assumed that no white women would willingly consent to have sex with a black man. Following this legal logic, all acts of sex between a black man and white women would be classified as non consensual and therefore as rape.” (Sommerville 216). Before the Civil war there was less pressure on the white women, especially poor white women, to have a relationship with a man of color, however, it will pay the price that it will be stigmatized and considered as deviate by the society. By the end of this century, racism increases drastically “But by the turn of the century race lines had been drawn more emphatically and clearly within the context of segregation.” (Sommerville 216). Overall, consent, rape and the age of consent in the nineteenth century in US were fundamentally affected by race and wars particularly the Civil War, and most of these different aspects of consent were not unified between