Author Question: Describe how settlers throughout early American history used the sexuality of minorities as an ... (Read 59 times)

Yi-Chen · **on:** Jun 22, 2018

Describe how settlers throughout early American history used the sexuality of minorities as an excuse to disdain or oppress them.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Identify the key departures of Protestantism from Catholicism regarding views of sexuality and marriage.

What will be an ideal response?

lorealeza77 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Native Americans had their own cultural system of sexual morality; nonetheless, they were branded as savages for their acceptance of premarital sex and their practice of polygamy, which existed primarily because of the large number of males killed in war. Native Americans were freely raped by white men (D'Emilio & Freedman, 1988). Mexicans, who were religious Catholics with strict sexual rules, were considered promiscuous by the Protestants because they did not consider it wrong to dance or show affection in public. The settlers often criticized others for sexual behaviors, such as homosexuality and premarital sex, that were not uncommon in their own communities.

Answer to Question 2

Instead of valuing celibacy, Protestants saw in the Bible the obligation to reproduce, saw marital love as blessed, and considered sexuality a natural function of marriage. Protestantism broke away from the Catholic Church's forbiddance of divorce; however, it did accept the belief that women are weaker than men and should humble themselves before their fathers and husbands.