Marcia Zug's guest appearances

Marcia Zug

Ben Franklin's World

Virginia Historical Society Podcasts

Rick Atkinson

John Marshall

Alan Taylor

John Ferling

Patrick Breen

James Madison

Alexander Hamilton

Douglas Brinkley

Lisa Brooks

Joseph Smith

Paul Revere

Benjamin Rush

Woodrow Wilson

John Ryan

Robert E. Lee

OwlTail

On March 2, Marcia Zug delivered a Banner Lecture entitled “Lonely Colonist Seeks Wife: Rediscovering the History of America’s First Mail-Order Brides.” Today, mail-order brides are usually assumed to be desperate and exploited women. However, the history of the Jamestown mail-order brides casts doubt on this belief. Life in the early American colonies was difficult, but one of the biggest threats was actually the absence of marriageable women. As a result, marital immigration was seen as crucial to the Virginia colony’s success. Potential female immigrants were wooed with numerous financial and legal incentives and these benefits made mail-order marriage an attractive option for some seventeenth century women. Interestingly, modern mail-order marriages may not be so different. Four centuries later, many things have changed, but mail-order marriages continue to offer women the possibility of a better future. Marcia Zug is an associate professor of law at the University of South Carolina. She is the author of Buying a Bride: An Engaging History of Mail-Order Marriage.

Lonely Colonist Seeks Wife by Marcia Zug

How do you build colonies without women? Most of the colonial adventurers from England and France who set out for Jamestown, New France, and colonial Louisiana were men. But how do you build and sustain societies and spread European culture—in essence, fulfill the promises of a colonial program—without women? You can’t. Which is why Marcia Zug, a Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina Law School and author of Buying a Bride: An Engaging History of Mail Order Matches, joins us to explore one of the solutions that England and France used to build their North American colonies: mail order bride programs. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/120   Sponsor Links  Cornell University Press Brian Rouleau, With Sails Whitening Every Sea    Complementary Episodes  Episode 036: Abby Swingen, Competing Visions of Empire Episode 049: Malcolm Gaskill, How the English Became American Episode 064: Brett Rushforth, Native American Slavery in New France Episode 079: James Horn, What is a Historical Source? (Colonial Jamestown) Episode 108: Ann Little, The Many Captivities of Esther Wheelwright    Helpful Show Links  Help Support Ben Franklin's World Crowdfunding Campaign Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App  *Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.

How do you build colonies without women? Most of the colonial adventurers from England and France who set out for Jamestown, New France, and colonial Louisiana were men. But how do you build and sustain societies and spread European culture—in essence, fulfill the promises of a colonial program—without women? You can’t. Which is why <a href="http://law.sc.edu/faculty/zug/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marcia Zug</a>, a Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina Law School and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0814771815/?tag=benfranklinsworld-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buying a Bride: An Engaging History of Mail Order Matches</a>, joins us to explore one of the solutions that England and France used to build their North American colonies: mail order bride programs. Show Notes: <a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/120" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/120</a> Sponsor Links <ul> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/cornell" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cornell University Press</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/cornell" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brian Rouleau, With Sails Whitening Every Sea</a></li> </ul> Complementary Episodes <ul> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/036" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 036: Abby Swingen, Competing Visions of Empire</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/049" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 049: Malcolm Gaskill, How the English Became American</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/064" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 064: Brett Rushforth, Native American Slavery in New France</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/079" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 079: James Horn, What is a Historical Source? (Colonial Jamestown)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/108" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 108: Ann Little, The Many Captivities of Esther Wheelwright</a></li> </ul> Helpful Show Links <ul> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/movement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Help Support Ben Franklin's World Crowdfunding Campaign</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BenFranklinsWorld/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/benfranklinsworld/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Join the Ben Franklin's World Community</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/gazette" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/ios" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ben Franklin's World iOS App</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/android" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ben Franklin's World Android App</a></li> </ul> *Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.

120 Marcia Zug, A History of Mail Order Brides in Early America