1. Sexuality in Early Modern Europe and America

2. History of Sexuality How do we understand what people did and thought about sex? How do we find evidence of “private” behavior? How do we understand the relation between “rules” and behavior?

3. What is sex for? Procreation? Pleasure? Connection with the “spiritual”? Analogy –Do people eat to live or live to eat?

4. Sources and Methods Law and Prosecutions of illicit behavior –In early modern era, one-third to two-thirds of criminal prosecutions up to the mid-eighteenth century were for sexual crimes! Pornography Art “News” Diaries and memoirs

5. Art

7. Art?

8. Colonial Political Pornography

9. Diaries and “Secret” Diaries British Diarists: –Samuel Pepys –James Boswell Colonial American Diarists: –Michael Wigglesworth –William Byrd II

10. Samuel Pepys, 1633-1703

11. James Boswell, 1740-1795

12. William Byrd II

13. Context for Issues of Sexuality Western European Marriage Pattern: –“Late” marriage –“Long generations” –Relatively low fertility Double Standard is a given How does a society control sexual behavior when marriage is delayed after sexual maturity? Who sets the rules?

14. The Framework and Who Decides Prudery and Repression Permissiveness and Promiscuity Authorities –The Church –Parents, Patriarch –The Law –Science and Medicine

15. What Makes Sexual Repression Effective? For Men…. –Sexually transmitted disease –Fear of God’s wrath –Fear of having to support a wife & child –Fear of retribution from woman’s family –Interference with life For Women… –Sexual transmitted disease –Fear of God’s wrath –Fear of not marrying or marrying badly –Fear of loss of dowry and birth family –Interference with life

16. Samuel Pepys, 1633-1703

17. Sexual Life of Samuel Pepys 17th Century English government official (Naval Administrator and Member of Parliament) He kept a diary, 1660-1669 Married Elizabeth (aged 15) at age 23 (1655). She was ill much of the time and died childless at 29. Pursued extramarital affairs with 50 women from 1660-69, documented in his diary. After death of his wife, had a mistress, Mary Skinner for 30+ years. Examples.Examples

18. Characteristics of Pepys’ Affairs Concern about venereal disease Fear of impregnating his partner Concern about interfering with his career Keeping his affairs from his wife…

19. James Boswell, 1740-1795

20. Boswell’s Life Lawyer, diarist, and writer, born in Edinburgh, Scotland Best know for his Biography of Dr. Samuel Johnson, Life of Samuel Johnson Frequent European traveler and bon vivant of 18 th century Britain

21. James Boswell and Sex Born 1740, married Margaret in 1769. Before marriage: 3 dozen affairs, 3 mistresses (2 illegitimate children), encounters with 60 prostitutes, 10 outbreaks of gonorrhea After marriage: continued liaisons, 7 outbreaks of gonorrhea, though not infecting his wife

22. Correcting Misconceptions…. The Puritans were NOT “puritanical.” The Puritans were concerned with organizing sexual activity within marriage: “redemptive sex.”

23. Bundling

24. Illegitimacy Rate in England

25. Loosening Stigma of Premarital Pregnancy

26. Sexual Indiscretions.. Fornication leading to pregnancy could be corrected with a marriage Sexual infractions across class or color lines had to be policed. –Sexually adventurous women ran the risk of burdening the society with a “bastard.” –Sexually adventurous women could blur the lines of color, and hence the labor system.

27. Art

28. Art?

29. Art

30. Changes in Common Understanding Premodern notions of women’s sexuality –Women are voracious sexual beings –Women are the cause of “man’s” fall in Genesis –A woman cannot conceive unless she reaches orgasm Nineteenth Century change: –For the middles classes, women are the “passionless” sex. –Women are responsible for protecting the sexual mores of the society

31. Michael Wigglesworth Puritan minister, 1631-1705 Expressed love for boys in his “secret” diary.

32. William Byrd II

33. William Byrd II, 1674-1744 1674—Born in Virginia. 1676--Sent to England for safekeeping during Bacon's Rebellion. 1681--Sent to England to attend Felsted School. 1690-1696--Left school; engaged in merchant apprenticeship in Netherlands; enters London Middle Temple for law training; inducted into the Royal Society of London for the Improving of Natural Knowledge; agent for the Virginia House of Burgesses. 1704-1706--Upon the death of his father, returned to Virginia and married Lucy Parke. 1709--Taking his father's place on the Virginia Council of State, unsuccessfully sought governorships of Virginia and Maryland; began Secret Diary.Secret Diary 1716--Wife Lucy joined him in London, where she died of smallpox. 1719-1721--Returned to Virginia; wrote and published anonymously A Discourse Concerning the Plague.A Discourse Concerning the Plague 1722-24: Remarried.