| Review | Journal of Social History, 40.4

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| Review | Journal of Social History, 40.4 | The History Cooperative

REVIEWS

The Sedgwicks in Love: Courtship, Engagement, and Marriage in the Early Republic. By Timothy Kenslea (Hanover: University Press of New England/ Northeastern University Press, 2006. xi plus 269 pp.).
Among its many treasures, the Massachusetts Historical Society holds 176 boxes, 21 volumes, and 18 microfilm reels of Sedgwick family manuscripts. Although historians have used them to examine single individuals such as Federalist politician Theodore Sedgwick or novelist Catharine Sedgwick, few have made full use of this remarkable collection. Timothy Kenslea's sensitive and thoughtful study of The Sedgwicks in Love demonstrates that intergenerational family history illuminates unexpected facets of male-female relationships.	1
The courtships and marriages of Theodore Sedgwick and of his seven children span the American Revolution and the early republic, with Theodore first marrying in 1767/68, his children being born between 1775 and 1791, and all except Catharine marrying by their thirties. In some ways, Kenslea's findings are unsurprising, as arranged marriages gave way to individual choice: Sedgwick arranged his eldest daughters' marriages in 1797 and 1801, while his sons enjoyed love matches within a decade. But Kenslea's focus on the family adds a new dimension: male influence in arranging young women's marriages apparently extended beyond fathers to brothers. Professing "so much pride and pleasure in contemplating her worth, that I want the world to know what a sister I possess" (45), Theodore II insisted Frances marry Ebenezer Watson, whom she did not love. When Watson turned out to be physically abusive, Frances's brothers again played a significant role by using their influence on her husband's business as a way to control him and offering their homes as a refuge.	. . .

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