Horsewhipping approved for misbehaving wives
June 9, 2012 by Lew Powell
“In the early 1860s, North Carolina Chief Justice Richmond Pearson denied the divorce petition of a woman who claimed her husband had horsewhipped her. He noted in his decision: ‘The law gives the husband power to use the degree of force necessary to make the wife behave and know her place.’ ”
— From “Southern Culture: An Introduction” by John Beck, Wendy Jean Frandsen and Aaron Randall (2009)
Lew Powell, a former journalist with the Charlotte Observer, is a guest contributor to the North Carolina Miscellany blog. Author of works such as The Ultimate North Carolina Quiz Book and On This Day in North Carolina, Lew was described in a recent newspaper article as "Mr. Miscellany."
Posted in Just A Bite | Tagged aaron randall, john beck, richmond pearson, southern culture, wendy jean frandsen, women's rights | 1 Comment
God Help Me, but I am so happy that I was born in this day and age. A man whip me with anything, and chances are very grim that he’ll come out of that decision unscathed.