1 янв 1800 г. - Coverture

Описание:

Have you ever wondered why a woman takes her husband's name after marriage or why it's always "Mr. and Mrs. *insert Husband's name here*"?

This tradition comes from Medieval Europe in which an old legal practice completely erased a woman's identity. This is called "coverture". Under English Common Law, coverture was the concept that made women legally subordinate to their husbands. Married women ("femme covert") were given less power than a single women ("femme sole") since a married woman's legal identity was nonexistent. Femme coverts were not able to own property, own or control her body, make decisions for her children against her husband's wishes, sign legal documents, keep her own salary, or get any education against her husband's wishes.

While coverture laws are no longer practiced today, we still see its effects, such as a woman taking her husband's name after marriage.