The Idea of "Free Love" in Victorian America

When people hear the term “free love” they probably think back to the 1960s, at least that's what I first thought of. However, the concept of free love was discussed long before the era of hippies. According to Rodger Streitmatter's Voices of Revolution, the The idea of free love, meaning that people should be able to marry and divorce as they see fit, was desired in the Victorian age in American. During this time. sexual reform press outlets were created to expose the problems of marriage.  Victoria Woodhull, Ezra and Angela Heywood, and Moses Harman were leaders of sexual reform media outlets.

Those involved found marriage revolved around the idea that a husband was supposed to support and protect his wife. However, the reality of many marriages was that husbands were more abusive of their wives than protective. One of the most important points of the sexual reform press was that abuse within a marriage needed to end. It was common within marriages that women were either forced into sex with their husband or would fall into "coerced consent," meaning they felt it was there responsibility as a wife and therefore consented. The idea of sexual assault within a marriage is something that to this day is rarely talked about. Sexual assault in general is a sensitive subject that can be overlooked in today’s media. The fact that these sexual reform outlets were trying to show the public this problem and gain more legal protection for women, who were victims of this, was extremely progressive at the time. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell how successful these media outlets were.

Although, they may not have gained the widespread acceptance they were hoping for, the topic was still exposed to the public. These outlets allowed for discussions about the idea of free love and the state of divorce laws. This must of have been the start of how common divorce has become in today's society. Also, while the issue of sexual assault is no where near solved, over time there has been an increase in awareness among the general public. 

Other messages from the sexual reform press may have been too radical to be understood and accepted at the time. The goal of abolishing the institution of marriage and promoting promiscuity were probably too extreme be accepted. In my opinion the sexual reform press should have focused on eliminating the abuse of power occurring within marriages instead of trying to get rid of marriage all together. Perhaps, more women would be willing to support the ideas of the sexual reform press if they saw their mission as a way to improve their lives not as something that would change their lives completely.

Despite some extreme opinions, overall the sexual reform press did try to bring necessary change to America. For example, achieving equality within marriages and putting an end to abuse in marriages. Although, these media outlets may not of have been as influential as intended, leaders of the sexual reform movement were willing to continue to fight toward the acceptance of free love. Woodhull, Harman and Ezra Heywood were all willing to face jail time for what they published. It is clear that those involved in the sexual reform press did whatever they could to spread knowledge of "free love" and to show options beyond traditional marriages and lifestyles.