The Development of Marriage essays

The Development of Marriage essays The Development of Marriage The institution of marriage has grown and developed into many acceptable facets. In Merriam Websters online dictionary, the word marriage has two definitions. Definition one is the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. The second definition is the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage . Over the years of evolvement of the United States, attitudes toward the institution of marriage have changed toward a trend of greater acceptance of non-traditional types. In Colonial America, marriage was thought of as an arranged contract between a prospective husband and a wifes father. In other words, the wife was bought from her father. During 1610, the first anti-sodomy law was passed prohibiting homosexual behavior between men. The US Supreme Court in 1878 ruled against the Mormon concept of complex marriage on the basis that marriage is a civil contract regulated by law. The 20th century sexual revolution yet again changed the ideology of marriage even further. In 1967, a Supreme Court decision in the case of Loving vs. Virginia it ruled the prohibiting interracial marriage is unconstitutional. In 2003 in the Supreme Court, case of Lawrence vs. Gardner struck down the Texas State law banning consensual sex between homosexuals a violation of individuals right to privacy. The practice and Ideology of marriage has changed over the course of development of America. The volatile issue of same sex marriages is now the front runner in the current course of change. Will it be accepted? Only time will tell. ...