--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Under coverture, a wife was required to…" description: "\"“Under coverture, a wife was required to live where her husband demanded, her earnings belonged to her husband and her children were the property of he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/carole-pateman-35945_marriage_under-coverture-a-wife-was-required-to-l_3129242.jpg" --- # Under coverture, a wife was required to live where her… ![“Under coverture, a wife was required to live where her husband demanded, her earnings belonged to her husband and her children were the property of her husband, just as the children of the female slave belonged to her master. But perhaps the most graphic illustration of the continuity between…” quote by Carole Pateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/carole-pateman-35945_marriage_under-coverture-a-wife-was-required-to-l_3129242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/carole-pateman-35945_marriage_under-coverture-a-wife-was-required-to-l_3129242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/carole-pateman-35945_marriage_under-coverture-a-wife-was-required-to-l_3129242.jpg) > ““Under coverture, a wife was required to live where her husband demanded, her earnings belonged to her husband and her children were the property of her husband, just as the children of the female slave belonged to her master. But perhaps the most graphic illustration of the continuity between slavery and marriage was that in England – as Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge reminds us – wives could be sold at public auctions.”” [Carole Pateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-pateman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriage historically mirrored slavery by treating wives as property, limiting their autonomy and economic independence. **In simple terms:** Wives were treated like property under old marriage laws. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge lingering gender inequities. Themes gender equality legal history property rights marriage law Mood reflective critical determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - legal reform - education - activism - policy advocacy Key Concepts Patriarchy coverture economic dependence Questions to Reflect On - How do current laws reflect or reject these historic norms? - What steps can individuals take to promote equitable partnerships? A Different Perspective Modern marriage still shows power imbalances in some cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Continuity Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continuity-slavery-5528109/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Slave Belonged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave-belonged-5528108/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Slavery Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-marriage-5528107/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thomas-hardy/) [Wives Sold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wives-sold-1064621/) ## Related quotes > [In love the heavens themselves do guide the state; Money buys lands, and wives are sold by fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/in-love-the-heavens-themselves-do-guide-the-state-money-buys-lands/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [ “Stilletos of a frozen stillicide \[...\] In the lovely line heading this comment the reader should note the last word. 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