Stability in the Face of Great Distress
Stability in the Face of Great Distress
This chapter addresses the impact of emancipation on white marriages in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia during the first eight years following the Civil War, arguing that black emancipation’s effect on white border gender roles was muted by the region’s hybrid culture and antebellum experiences. More specifically, postbellum Kentuckians’ and West Virginians’ rhetoric and motivations for separation remained consistent with their antebellum cases, reflecting a continued desire for mutuality and individualism in their relationships, while Virginians decried the breakdown of racial mastery, connected it with potential disruptions to their hierarchical households, and demanded obedience and loyalty from both former slaves and spouses.
Keywords: Emancipation, Divorce, Reconstruction, Law, Marriage, South, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia
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