Extremely Rare Handbill on Married Women’s New Rights to Own Property and Financial Control, 1870
"Married Women, Their New Rights." 1870. Whittington Life Assurance Company. At the time that this description is being written, no copies are recorded in American institutions. OCLC search results are at best an estimate and can vary over time. 4 ¾ x 2 ¾ in. Excellent condition. This handbill was produced shortly after the 1870 Married Women’s Property Act was passed, which allowed women to keep their own wages, inherit small sums of money and property. The handbill, distributed by a life insurance company, informs women on the different insurance policies that they are now able to buy with their new rights.
Before 1870, any money made by a woman either through a wage, from investment, by gift, or through inheritance automatically became the property of her husband once she was married. Thus, the identity of the wife became legally absorbed into that of her husband, effectively making them one person under the law.[3] Once a woman became married she had no claim to her property as her husband had full control and could do whatever suited him regarding the property: “Thus, a woman, on marrying, relinquished her personal property—moveable property such as money, stocks, furniture, and livestock--- to her husband’s ownership; by law he was permitted to dispose of it at will at any time in the marriage and could even will it away at death”. The above finally changed these laws to give women Rights to Own Property.
Item #16240
Price: $220.00
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