What is Up with Mail Order Brides?

While people have been sending messages back and forth to arrange marriages sight-unseen throughout history, the slightly more modern concept of mail-order brides is generally considered to have originated during the days of the American Frontier- a region that, for a time, was decidedly lacking in members of the female persuasion. At the same time, the east coast of the U.S. had something of a surplus of single ladies, especially following the Civil War. Thus, farmers, miners and ranchers frustrated with the lack of women they didn't have to pay, but could rather woo with their abilities with a spittoon and then start a family with, instead eventually took to placing ads in newspapers across the country looking for love. Single ladies on the other side, often motivated by getting out of their present situation and finding a devoted man, in turn likewise took to placing ads for prospective husbands. Much like online dating today when matches were found, the pair would invariably exchange saucy letters and at a certain point even photographs to see if they were suited for one another. Also like today, this form of match making came with a huge social stigma with it generally considered that the men were just out to get sex and exploit women, while the women were out for financial gain of some sort, or in more modern times just out for a green card. However, with exceptions, the reality for the most part seems to indicate that, then as now, the majority's motives were not nearly so sinister or selfish. As law professor and author of... This is an abridged, quickie, version of a video on our channel TodayIFoundOut which you can check out and subscribe to here:    / @todayifoundout