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Polygamy: An Early American History
A groundbreaking examination of polygamy showing that monogamy was not the only form marriage took in early America
Today we tend to think of polygamy as an unnatural marital arrangement characteristic of fringe sects or uncivilized peoples. Historian Sarah Pearsall shows us that polygamy’s surprising history encompasses numerous colonies, indigenous communities, and segments of the American nation. Polygamy—as well as the fight against it—illuminates many touchstones of American history: the Pueblo Revolt and other uprisings against the Spanish; Catholic missions in New France; New England settlements and King Philip’s War; the entrenchment of African slavery in the Chesapeake; the Atlantic Enlightenment; the American Revolution; missions and settlement in the West; and the rise of Mormonism.
Pearsall expertly opens up broader questions about monogamy’s emergence as the only marital option, tracing the impact of colonial events on property, theology, feminism, imperialism, and the regulation of sexuality. She shows that heterosexual monogamy was never the only model of marriage in North America.
Today we tend to think of polygamy as an unnatural marital arrangement characteristic of fringe sects or uncivilized peoples. Historian Sarah Pearsall shows us that polygamy’s surprising history encompasses numerous colonies, indigenous communities, and segments of the American nation. Polygamy—as well as the fight against it—illuminates many touchstones of American history: the Pueblo Revolt and other uprisings against the Spanish; Catholic missions in New France; New England settlements and King Philip’s War; the entrenchment of African slavery in the Chesapeake; the Atlantic Enlightenment; the American Revolution; missions and settlement in the West; and the rise of Mormonism.
Pearsall expertly opens up broader questions about monogamy’s emergence as the only marital option, tracing the impact of colonial events on property, theology, feminism, imperialism, and the regulation of sexuality. She shows that heterosexual monogamy was never the only model of marriage in North America.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published August 20, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 28, 2024
An excellent overview of American polygamy that doesn't focus on Mormonism – so basically indigenous polygamy in contact with Spanish, French, and English colonizers, but also polygamy among enslaved African Americans. And then of course the final chapter does deal with Mormon polygamy, as you would expect. Anyway, the writing is fantastic, scholarly but accessible and also a little whimsical, which is a surprisingly refreshing change from the usual academic works I read. And as for the scholarship itself, it's top-notch, very impressive that Pearsall has managed to synthesize so many sources from so many different contexts and languages. No notes!
April 27, 2020
Polygamy has a thrilling premise, but a rather lacklustre delivery. Written by Sarah M. S. Pearsall who has, in her own words ‘has no personal investment in polygamy.’ Rather her ‘interests are purely historical’, and consequently her writing suffers. After a jovial, if extensive, introduction, we are led into the world of dull academic prose. It’s not a quick descent, but it happens nonetheless, and I found myself becoming disengaged from the text.
Pearsall broaches interesting ideas, such as polygamy being maintained as a means of revolt and solidarity, allowing communities to be knitted together despite increasing distance and rapidly reductions in population. Yet, I never felt that an idea had been fully explored before she had moved onto the next.
Some of the notes were more interesting than the text itself and should have been included within the main body. Others are complete paragraphs and a minefield of further references which are challenging to follow.
*I received a free copy of this via NetGalley for review*
Pearsall broaches interesting ideas, such as polygamy being maintained as a means of revolt and solidarity, allowing communities to be knitted together despite increasing distance and rapidly reductions in population. Yet, I never felt that an idea had been fully explored before she had moved onto the next.
Some of the notes were more interesting than the text itself and should have been included within the main body. Others are complete paragraphs and a minefield of further references which are challenging to follow.
*I received a free copy of this via NetGalley for review*
September 26, 2019
Polygamy: An Early American History from Sarah M. S. Pearsall is a fascinating look at the history of polygamy in North America. This is an honest look at the hows and the whys of the practice without the moralizing that often comes with discussions of the topic. this is no more "pro-polygamy" than a researched book on the hows and whys of cannibalism is a "pro-cannibalism" book. Just because one doesn't insist on moralizing does not mean one is pro-anything, it means they expressed the facts and tried to explain why those actions were considered a good idea by those who practiced them. Anyway...
This is not too academic in writing style but definitely falls on that side of the spectrum. This is a history and since it is a history that has largely been overlooked Pearsall makes a point of being very clear and concise, which means an approach that approaches the academic tone many find off-putting. I will say that if you were hoping to be entertained as well as informed, this will probably still be worth your time but there will be sections that might seem dry to you.
The notes are a wonderful source for further reading and research. With many sources contemporaneous to the time, some resources may be difficult to find easily, but for anyone thinking of doing academic research they should be accessible enough.
While this is fascinating simply as history, I also found it interesting in light of the often touted, even though repeatedly disproved, "traditional marriage" argument. No doubt these people will claim this is "fake research" just as they spew "fake news" at every new treasonous event. But I digress.
I recommend this for anyone interested in social history as well as those simply interested in the history of specific practices or ideas. Not sure this really will be any more interesting to polygamists practicing today since the vast majority of the rationales of the past don't truly apply today. They may still find it interesting but not as any kind of support.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
This is not too academic in writing style but definitely falls on that side of the spectrum. This is a history and since it is a history that has largely been overlooked Pearsall makes a point of being very clear and concise, which means an approach that approaches the academic tone many find off-putting. I will say that if you were hoping to be entertained as well as informed, this will probably still be worth your time but there will be sections that might seem dry to you.
The notes are a wonderful source for further reading and research. With many sources contemporaneous to the time, some resources may be difficult to find easily, but for anyone thinking of doing academic research they should be accessible enough.
While this is fascinating simply as history, I also found it interesting in light of the often touted, even though repeatedly disproved, "traditional marriage" argument. No doubt these people will claim this is "fake research" just as they spew "fake news" at every new treasonous event. But I digress.
I recommend this for anyone interested in social history as well as those simply interested in the history of specific practices or ideas. Not sure this really will be any more interesting to polygamists practicing today since the vast majority of the rationales of the past don't truly apply today. They may still find it interesting but not as any kind of support.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
July 24, 2019
Beginning with the Spanish Franciscan priests attempting to baptize Native Americans, Polygamy: An Early American History tours polygamist practices in the New World.
Not just interested in the what, the author looks into the underlying reasons for the popularity of multi-wife families. In the 1600s, wars cut down many Native men forcing a maiden to become a second wife if she wanted children of her own. As animal skins were becoming a valuable trading tool, more woman were needed to process the larger kills. In ultra-religious Puritan settlements, men asked why polygamy was fine for Abraham and other Old Testament men but not for them.
While it reads like the textbook it probably is destined to be, there is a wealth of information to be gleaned from Polygamy: An Early American History. The use of contemporaneous sources, including some shockingly blunt talk about sex acts, is intriguing. It is definitely written from a pro-polygamy point of view. If the subject sounds interesting or you are a polygamist, give it a try. 4 stars!
Thanks to Yale University Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Not just interested in the what, the author looks into the underlying reasons for the popularity of multi-wife families. In the 1600s, wars cut down many Native men forcing a maiden to become a second wife if she wanted children of her own. As animal skins were becoming a valuable trading tool, more woman were needed to process the larger kills. In ultra-religious Puritan settlements, men asked why polygamy was fine for Abraham and other Old Testament men but not for them.
While it reads like the textbook it probably is destined to be, there is a wealth of information to be gleaned from Polygamy: An Early American History. The use of contemporaneous sources, including some shockingly blunt talk about sex acts, is intriguing. It is definitely written from a pro-polygamy point of view. If the subject sounds interesting or you are a polygamist, give it a try. 4 stars!
Thanks to Yale University Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 4, 2021
I'm logging other books for school so figured I'd include this one.
Interesting subject matter but I found that the author often took multiple pages to say what a paragraph would have accomplished. I learned a lot but I also had to parse the information out from a smattering of names and stories that only served to distract one from the other and vaguely support the point of the chapter.
Interesting subject matter but I found that the author often took multiple pages to say what a paragraph would have accomplished. I learned a lot but I also had to parse the information out from a smattering of names and stories that only served to distract one from the other and vaguely support the point of the chapter.
January 26, 2023
American Indians, West African slaves, and Mormons, that's it. Unfortunately, there is really not that much to talk about regarding this history, hence the book goes off on some tangents. The author does a very good job and is thorough, but weaves the history through the lives of characters instead of a overarching history.
October 29, 2019
An excellent revue of the background of polygamy in North America amongst Native Americans, Africans, European advocates, Asian cultures, and the Latter Day Saints. Primarily from a feminist perspective.
April 10, 2022
Not as interesting a book as I hoped it would be. I finally only read the last chapter concerning polygamy practiced by the Mormons in the 1800's. One reference on page 268 that Joseph Smith was lynched in 1844 (he was shot), makes me question the thoroughness of her research.
April 10, 2022
Learned some things about polygamy that I never knew. If you're really into studying polygamy, this is the book for you.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews