Family, Gender, and Law in Early Modern France

"Family, Gender, and Law in Early Modern France is a very well-conceptualized and extremely coherent volume, offering an excellent introduction to recent trends and new directions in the field of family history in early modern France." -Michael Breen, Reed College "This is an important and timely collection that opens new lines of inquiry into the history of the family in early modern Europe." -Mary Trouille, American Historical Review "An excellent primer for those new to the field of family history in early modern France. . . . For those teaching a French culture and civilization course, Family, Gender, and Law in Early Modern France is a worthy resource. It helps to set the stage for understanding what occurred in France before and after the Old Regime, and fosters a greater appreciation for what predecessors desired in a civil society." -Eileen M. Angelini, French Review "This is a superb collection of essays which sheds important new light on the ever-growing field of the history of the family." -Jeffrey R. Watt, English Historical Review "This is one of those rare edited volumes greater than the sum of its parts. Each chapter is a fine work of historical synthesis, document analysis or close archival research. Yet, together, the essays paint a rich picture of marriage and family life in early modern France, uncovering startling new facets beneath old assumptions." -Jennifer J. Davis, European History Quarterly

Suzanne Desan is Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jeffrey Merrick is Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Making and Breaking Marriage: An Overview of Old Regime Marriage as a Social Practice Suzanne Desan 2. Marriage Choice and Marital Success: Reasoning About Marriage, Love, and Happiness Dena Goodman 3. Family Affairs: Wives, Credit, Consumption, and the Law in Old Regime France Clare Crowston 4. Between State and Street: Witnesses and the Family Politics of Litigation in Early Modern France Julie Hardwick 5. Marital Conflict in Political Context: Langeac vs. Chambonas, 1775 Jeffrey Merrick 6. Gender, Kin, and Guardianship in Early Modern Burgundy Christopher Corley 7. On the Contested Margins of the Family: Bastardy and Legitimation by Royal Rescript in Eighteenth-Century France Matthew Gerber Suggested Readings Contributors Index