Bound in Wedlock: Slave and Free Black Marriage in the Nineteenth Century

by Tera W. Hunter

2018 Mary Nickliss Prize in U.S. Women's and/or Gender History, Organization of American Historians
A Vibe "5 Books on Slavery that Kanye West Needs to Read" Selection
A Huffington Post "Seven Notable New Books on Slavery" Selection

Americans have long viewed marriage between a white man and a white woman as a sacred union. But marriages between African Americans have seldom been treated with the same reverence. This discriminatory legacy traces back to centuries of slavery, when the overwhelming majority of black married couples were bound in servitude as well as wedlock. Though their unions were not legally recognized, slaves commonly married, fully aware that their marital bonds would be sustained or nullified according to the whims of white masters.

Bound in Wedlock is the first comprehensive history of African American marriage in the nineteenth century. Uncovering the experiences of African American spouses in plantation records, legal and court documents, and pension files, Tera W. Hunter reveals the myriad ways couples adopted, adapted, revised, and rejected white Christian ideas of marriage. Setting their own standards for conjugal relationships, enslaved husbands and wives were creative and, of necessity, practical in starting and supporting families under conditions of uncertainty and cruelty.

After emancipation, white racism continued to menace black marriages. Laws passed during Reconstruction, ostensibly to secure the civil rights of newly freed African American citizens, were often coercive and repressive. Informal antebellum traditions of marriage were criminalized, and the new legal regime became a convenient tool for plantation owners to discipline agricultural workers. Recognition of the right of African Americans to enter into wedlock on terms equal to whites would remain a struggle into the Jim Crow era, and its legacy would resonate well into the twentieth century.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Race, Politics, School, African American

404 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Tera W. Hunter is Edwards Professor of American History and Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. Bound in Wedlock won the inaugural Stone Brook Award from the Museum of African American History in addition to four other book awards. Hunter's previous books was To 'Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women's Lives and Labors after the Civil War.

Reviews

[Sasha (bahareads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bound in Wedlock is by far one of my favourite reads for this semester. Tera Hunter does a great job at shedding light on the world of Black marriage in the 19th century. From free black to enslaved marriages Hunter does tenacious research and it shows. I love how she lets the readers know it started off as a personal project, stemming from her own family tree. As a historian why not let your audience know that this topic is personal to you. (She talks about how when she traces her family tree back, many of her enslaved family members were raped by their masters or forced into unwanted marriages). Hunter points out that black people were faulted for not conforming to the white norms for marriage, yet many black marriages would have been perceived as civil unions or official marriages if the couple had been white. Exploring how marriage was used to force enslaved people to conform to their masters' will, by marrying unwanted partners or by being separated from those who they did want. Tera Hunter has opened my eyes to another aspect of slavery, showing how deep control goes with enslaved lives. The fabric of African American families being destroyed, even after the American civil war shows how deep the effects of slavery still go.

What stuck out to me with this topic is how black marriage was both recognized and ignored when it was convenient for the white authorities. Historian Michael Tadman writes "To have believed that the black family was really anything like as important as the white family would have meant permanent moral crisis for whites," and while I'm not writing on the historical thought of the black family as a whole it is important to point out that according to slave literature and slave traders maternal feelings for children faded as the children grew older, and familial separation was not as felt by the enslaved family unit.

(I have other thoughts but my notes aren't accessible at the moment.)

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exhaustive history of marriage in slavery and among free blacks. It is incredibly well written and full of information. I enjoyed that there were pictures as well, which is always an added bonus in history texts. I did find myself skimming at times, but overall it was interesting and I learned a lot.

[Jeremy Canipe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tera Hunter's book is a comprehensive study of African-American marriage in the slavery and freedom in nineteenth-century America, in slavery and in the limited freedom available before and after the end of legal slavery in the Civil War. Dr. Hunter's study is deeply researched and well written, giving close attention to the complex relationship between the legal system and private lives lived on the ground.

The clear end notes also provide excellent guidance to other historians' writings on this topic and related matters and an excellent guide to primary sources. Very well done, a haunting picture of the ways in which racism has hemmed in the lives of African Americans.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunter provides a close look at the myriad of ways 19th century African-Americans in the US engaged in formal and informal sexual and/or romantic relationships, with an emphasis on how being denied legal rights to marriage belied the whole enterprise. She is at her most compelling pointing out how the legal system of slavery was mutually exclusive with Anglo-American understanding of civil marriage as well as the Christian sacrament of marriage. Yet, blacks were often faulted for not conforming to these norms. Hunter also speaks to that, for most blacks, free and enslaved, most wanted the freedom to enter into a monogamous relationship protected by the law. I do wish Hunter had spent more time discussing the rise the of that phenomenon (which was different than the polygamy practiced by most West African tribes) in the interaction between master and enslaved. And while Hunter touches on this issue, I think there is more to be explored in the irony that the freedom to be married legally also deprived women (black and white) of their legal freedom, at least until the Married Women's Property Acts and other legislation. Still, this is an important, well-researched book on a topic that is often shrouded in myth and used to prop up certain versions of history.

[Sophie Garthoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A challenging but rewarding read. Challenging in terms of both very intense subject matter and dense historical information. Still, Hunter wrote a historical book that is not painful to read. Hunter presents the facts of the history she tells through legislative and official source analysis in tandem with individual anecdotes and histories. She is able to take a definitive position in the writing without sacrificing credibility and coming across as biased. She presents specific historical narratives seamlessly and is able to present facts and interpretations of these facts in a straightforward manner that doesn’t postulate but isn’t dull. Truly a worthwhile read, I feel lucky it was assigned to me.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, educational read. Allows one who is not a historian to truly understand what America did to destroy the fabric + structure of African Americans' lives + families, which destruction continues to this day albeit it's in displayed many different forms, sowing confusion. Historians will really enjoy this book; non-historians will be forced to take their blinders off and learn a thing or two. Highly recommend reading this book. And, if you get the opportunity, like I did, go hear Tera W. Hunter speak about her book.

[Ai Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this--at first, I wasn't sure there was much here that was new, but the later chapters especially I think extend to think about marriage not just as part of accessing citizenship for Black people but also as a mechanism to control them, and that to me was new and really interesting. There are definitely portions of this that would be really great for use in undergraduate classes, and it's very well-researched and well-written!

[Debra Foster Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the positives of Emancipation was African American access to legal marriage or was it. In this book, historian Tera Hunter demonstrates that like share cropping, legal marriage was used to control African Americans after slavery ended and that those efforts had begun during slavery in the North with laws which only impacted black men and women. Spoiler - the "Bound" in Wedlock is significant. An excellent read.

[Poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book and Hunter’s ability to demonstrate the complexities of marriage in the nineteenth century. Enjoyed discussing this book with my grad book club and would recommend for all. An extensive and thoroughly researched glimpse into some of the difficulties and joys of marriage

[Emily Purcell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in the economics of slavery or the history of marriage and it's importance in U.S. Law this is an essential book.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enlightening.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historian Tera W. Hunter traces black marriages in nineteenth century America to demonstrate how the very concept of marriage changes meaning depending on its social context (and allowance by white governing bodies). In examining both freed and enslaved marriages, Hunter outlines the tension between state, legal, and property rights and how the conception of citizenship is intertwined with property and martial laws.