MARRIAGE AND THE NOTION OF CONSENT IN EARLY AMERICAN LAW

Abstract

Marriage and family relations have been in the focus of law since the beginnings of American legal history. Many legal historians underline that during the colonial period the family played very important role and therefore the growth of stable families was generally a top priority for early colonial governments. This was one of the ways to help the development of colony and the creation of stable society. Besides, differences in origin and evolution of colonies influenced the shape of law and that is why many institutions were not uniformly regulated. Therefore the research on the development of law in British colonies in North America deserves