What was the ‘Age of Consent’ in European and American history, prior to the 20th century?
In this article, I shall bring forth evidences which demonstrate that the ‘Age of consent’ was indeed, very young, even by today’s standards. I will provide academic sources which show that girls were allowed to be married at the age of 10 years old and sometimes times, as young as 7 years old, legally. It was norm just over 100 years ago to see girls being married off at very young ages. In most cultures, the marriage would have been consummated at the onset of puberty.
1. Professor of history Margaret Wade Labarge
“It needs to be remembered that many Medieval widows were not old, Important heiresses wereoften married between the ages of 5 and 10 and might find themselves widowed while still in their teens.”[1]
2. Professor Richard Wortley and Professor Stephen Smallbone, both of whom state that prior to the 1900s girls married very young,.......
https://discover-the-truth.com/2013/...0%2C4889165133