Encyclopedia for the Great Plains

Encyclopedia for the Great Plains

David J. Wishart, Editor

MAIL-ORDER BRIDES

The definition of “mail-order bride” indicates.

Among Plains Indians, sight-unseen wedding had been usually arranged with the help of a m >bride price,” meant to compensate the girl family members for the impending lack of her labor. But marriage that is intercultural uncommon. In 1854, at a comfort seminar at Fort Laramie, a prominent Cheyenne chief asked for associated with U.S. Army the present of 100 white females as brides, however the military declined. Russian immigrants brought using them the tradition of koopla, whereby wedding agents had been compensated a cost to set guys with prospective partners through the Old nation. Similarly, japanese and chinese obtained “picture brides” from their homelands, ladies who that they had visited understand just through grainy photographs. Relating to historian Glenda Riley, Asian females entered such relationships due to parental stress, to flee poverty, or even conceal a reputation that is sullied. It absolutely was customary for the guys to keep all costs, like the female’s passage and any wedding costs incurred.

Throughout the top several years of overland migration, a huge selection of large number of white ladies traveled west, however the bulk were currently married, also it had been thought that “suitable” solitary females would not get west alone. Even though many cowboys eschewed wedding for perpetual bachelorhood, homesteaders thought that married men made better farmers. (more…)