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Originally Posted by dreams
There was mention in that second reference that the Western US and frontier areas continued to marry at younger ages just like the early Colonial East coast did. So, I am thinking this was the age of 15 to a few years older, not counting some of the even younger Morman marriages at that time.
Plus, even though women may not be married by their 30's and are "spinsters", most did eventually marry when first wives died in childbirth and those husbands remarried to have a "woman" take care of them, their children, and homes.
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Man, I missed a good conversation last night. And this is correct. I learned this at about age 11 when reading Little House on the Prarie. My mom had a "discussion" with me about the times and stuff. If you reached 20 you were a old maid. Considering that life expectancy was on average 40-50 years, I guess it was reasonable.
Many old historicals have the hero in his 30's and she is 17 to 20. Only a few I read had her any younger. I feel that was the publishers doing, even though if it is accurate they would be 15 to 18, they felt that they did not want to portray that. Hell, even those clinch covers never showed it right. The heroine was 18 and on the cover she looked 30!
The popular book Skye O'Mally was married at 16. This was set in the Tudor era of England. She went through quite alot of husbands.
Now, after the civil war there was a big man shortage. It is hard to believe that we lost more men in the civil war that all our other wars combined. Women got older because there were fewer men. We also have the influx of immigrants into America starting soon after. Then the industrial phase started and we started to change our views on things.