Title: How marriages have changed: past, present and future
Headings: Changes, including re-definitions, of
marriages since before biblical times

Marriages
Changes, including re-definitions, of
marriages since before biblical times
Overview:
The significance of marriage:
Types of unions:
The origins and types of marriage:
Who could marry? -- from the 19th century until now:
Related essay:
More recent trends in U.S. marriages
References:
Go to the previous page, to the marriage menu, to the same-sex marriage menu, or choose:
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Content: The U.S. Supreme Court decided on JUN-12 of that year that all 16 remaining state miscegenation laws which prohibited interracial marriage were unconstitutional. 2 Ironically, the court case was called " Loving v. Virginia. " A marriage then became even more inclusive: a contract between any two consenting adults of opposite gender who had exceeded a lower age limit and were not too closely related. For a few hours in 1996-DEC, in the state of Hawaii -- over the objections of still another generation of Americans -- same-sex couples were theoretically permitted to marry. Unfortunately for the gay and lesbian couples who wished to get married, the state refused to issue them marriage licenses. This brief window was closed by a court injunction obtained by the state. For a brief interval, a marriage had theoretically became even more inclusive: a contract of mutual support between two loving, committed, consenting adults of any race and gender combination. Starting on 2000-JUL-01, civil unions became available in Vermont.