"Early Colonial Courtship Rituals"

Colonial Courtship Courtship in the colonies was a strictly supervised tradition based only upon proper appearances and what the colonists knew from their (or their relatives') previous lives in England. Although not highly regarded because of the tremendous lustful temptations involved, many colonists viewed it as a necessary evil that would produce marriages that would eventually bring the ever-desired "healthy family" situations (i.e. many children) that supposedly gave character to the colonies, especially in …

…the night. (This ritual was later abolished by Puritan ministers who had noticed a growing increase in births by newly married couples.) In the Southern colonies, courtship was allowed to focus more on the romantic aspects of marriage. Couples would often court through written correspondence, such as love letters, and through casually chaperoned rendezvous like balls and parties. (Later on, the debutante movement was a key factor in the slow evolution of Southern courtship rituals.)