Interracial Marriage

Introduction

This paper provides an understanding of the context of mixed marriages that happened in the pre-independence period in America by examining their origin and development to the present era. The paper will examine marriages between the black and white community and later look at the Anglo-American unions.

The question to be discussed is whether these marriages were of convenience and how they shaped the relationships of the different races.

Interracial Marriage in 1930's America

Gullickson traces literature findings on the historical trends of interracial marriages between the whites and the blacks back in the 18th century to the current Millennium. These unions gained popularity in the beginning of the colonial era that was convenience by the black-servant white relationships. During this time, slavery was at its peak and the decline of white servants gave room for the demand of black labor. The two groups lived and worked in the same surroundings’ where social ties were loose. It is believed that the early experiences of the two groups led to the greatest number of sexual unions.

The whites were not happy with the interracial sex and started attempts to create a barrier between the two groups. The segregation of the black community was condemned and the slave masters feared they might create disquiet among the black community. This was complicated by the fact that children sired from the union between blacks and whites would not establish their real identity.

Gullickson documents on the racial barrier between the two groups slowed with the decline of the white preference for the black servants that cut contact between the two groups. This however did not eliminate the contact between them and it was recorded that c...

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...he city. More importantly, the activities of the anti-miscegenation activists in enhancing the collaborations among the races cannot be overemphasized.

Conclusion

The class issue played out in early forms of mixed marriages and people were driven by convenience to marry from their own cycles. The changes that preceded the modernization era created a social distance between the whites, blacks and the Asians. The whites considered they were superior and placed a barrier between themselves and the other races, however it can be concluded that despite the various sanctions that existed, these unions thrived and become a learning point in history. They enriched the US culture and shaped relations between different groups. This is evident today in the composition of America population, by the rich blend of different cultures and peaceful co-existence of its citizens.