Buggery law: Virginia, 1661

From OutHistory
Revision as of 15:15, 23 May 2008 by Jnk (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigationJump to search

Since 1618 the laws of England had apparently been informally enforced in the Virginia Colony (see Sodomy law: Virginia, May 24, 1610).


In 1661 the laws of England were expressly adopted by the Virginia assembly, making the English "buggery" law official in the colony. This provided death for buggery (the term for sodomy in English law).[1] The death penalty for the crime was abolished (for free persons) in 1800.[2]


Return to Age of Sodomitical Sin index • Go to next article

References

  1. ↑ Jonathan Ned Katz, Gay/Lesbian Almanac (NY: Harper & Row, 1983), p.104, citing Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, p. 126.
  2. ↑ Research Request: Will somebody research and add a page with this reference and citation?
This entry is part of the featured exhibit Colonial America: The Age of Sodomitical Sin curated by Jonathan Ned Katz. As it is content created by a named author, editor, or curator, it is not open to editing by the general public. But we strongly encourage you to discuss the content or propose edits on the discussion page, and the author, editor, or curator will make any changes that improve the entry or its content. Thanks.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.outhistory.org/index.php?title=Buggery_law:_Virginia,_1661&oldid=5815"