Racial Discrimination in 18th Century American Society

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18th Century American Newspapers: Racial Discrimination of Rape in American Society In a society built around marriage, status and success, the regulation of sexual conduct was crucial to the development of social order. In early America, men were very protective of their wives and daughters, often limiting access to their women, as defense against unwanted sexual encounters. But men were also expected to be sexually aggressive toward women where intercourse could involve violence without the consideration of it being rape. Newspapers, in the 18th century, served not only as a medium that kept the public well informed and in track of such cases, but served also as a vehicle for social gossip and entertainment generally for the upper class. Since, the primary community that newspapers served were white Americans, in a time when slavery just began to develop and flourish, hierarchies were established and recognized in detail, as legal decisions were discoursed, entertainment discussed, and social dogmas introduced. In a time period built around societal identity, newspapers such as the Pennsylvania Gazette served as a driving force that proved the racial segregation and social divide within the community through the complicated differentiation of judicial rulings of rape cases among the elite white offenders compared to African American or slave offenders. In early America, most individuals accepted the notion that normal sexual relations between a man and a woman involved force, however the notion also existed that men were sexually aggressive individuals. By nature, it was the woman’s responsibility to remain chaste and virtuous as the male population dominated communal ruling. Although rape was understood as a societal issue, nevertheless, especially among the elite white upper class, it was a tricky crime to accuse. By societal means, a woman could not be
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