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Nancy Cott, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000)
MARRIAGE is an institution in which every American has a personal connection. Whether the experience has been as participant or observer, traditional or unconventional, positive or negative, this personal connection informs one's understanding of the institution. Meaning appears to be largely created through these private experiences; but as Nancy Cott's research illustrates, marriage is not just private, it is a public institution with important implications for American society. In Public Vows: A History and the Nation, Cott carefully mines the familiar sources of some of the greatest events in American history to unearth fresh information about the role of marriage as a public institution.
Public Vows is roughly organized along a chronological framework, with Cott methodically analyzing public policy, law, and political rhetoric throughout the eras to understand the role that marriage played in the public realm. This analysis ambitiously works through the history of the American nation highlighting events and trends such as the War of Independence, the building of the nation, the Civil War, immigration, technological advances, the Great Depression, World War II, and various social changes over the last half of the 20th century. The author skillfully weaves the historical narrative together with the issues such as race, gender, and religion to reveal the complex relationship between marriage and public order. The findings reveal that marriage is inextricably intertwined with American citizenship. Cott argues that the marital contract was structured to define who belonged to the nation and to lend legitimacy to the ruling order. The contract, which included consensual life-long monogamy, was culturally rooted in Christian influence and English common law. Cott argues that marriage could be used as a tool to keep those...