Colonial America: The Age of Sodomitical Sin

Founding Era: 1607-1776

Curated by Jonathan Ned Katz

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The years from 1607 to 1776 constitute the founding era of what became the United States. In the early years of this era, in these American colonies, the penalty for sodomy was death, and a number of executions are documented. Why was sodomy, usually conceived as anal intercourse between men, thought of as treason against the state, and punished so harshly? And what do we know of sexual and intimate relationships between women in these years, and laws and responses to such intimacies ?

This exhibit presents or references all the original documents that Katz collected in his books Gay/Lesbian Almanac and Gay American History. Evidence discovered since those publications will be added over time. If you have or know of such information, please add it as a new entry following the format in this section, or email outhistory@gc.cuny.edu.

Timeline: Age of Sodomitical Sin: 1607-1776

1600s

John Smith: Virginia, June 1607

1610s

Sodomy law: Virginia, May 24, 1610

Sodomy law: New Netherland, 1613

1620s

Sodomy case: Cornish executed, Virginia, c.1624-1625

Bradford: Merrymount; Massachusetts, 1626

Legal case: Thomas/sine Hall; Virginia, March 25, 1629

Legal case: boys; Massachusetts Bay, June 29, 1629

1630s

Buggery law: Maryland, 1632

Sodomy case: New Hampshire, February 14, 1635

Sodomy law proposed: Massachusetts Bay, October 1636

Sodomy law: Plymouth, November 15, 1636

Legal case: Allexander, Roberts; Plymouth, August 6, 1637

1640s

Thomas Shepard: heart sodomy, 1641

Sodomy law: Massachusetts Bay, November, 1641

Sodomy debate: Massachusetts Bay, 1641-1642

William Bradford: "sodomy" and "buggery," 1642

Legal case: Michell and Preston; Plymouth, March 1, 1642

Sodomy law: Connecticut, December 1, 1642

Legal case: Eliz. Johnson; Massachusetts Bay, Dec 5, 1642

Edward Coke: "Buggery, or Sodomy," 1644

Legal case: Plaine executed; New Haven, 1646

Sodomy case: Creoli executed; New Netherland, June 25, 1646

Sodomy law: Rhode Island, May 19, 1647

Sodomy law: Massachusetts Bay, 1648

Legal case: Norman, Hammon; Plymouth, March 6, 1649

Legal case: Berry, Joanes; Plymouth, October 29, 1649

1650s

Sodomy law: Connecticut, May, 1650

Michael Wigglesworth: February, 1653

Legal case: New Haven, March 23, 1653

Sodomy law: New Haven, March 1, 1656

Legal case: Hillebrant; New Netherland, August 26, 1658

1660s

Sodomy case: Jan Quisthout; New Netherland, May 13, 1660

Buggery law: Virginia, 1661

Buggery law: North and South Carolina, March, 1663

Sodomy law: Rhode Island, 1663

Buggery case: Mathew Giles; New Hampshire, July 4, 1663

Sodomy law: The Duke of York's Laws; March 1, 1665

Sodomy law: New Jersey, May 30, 1668

1670s

Sodomy law: Plymouth, June 6, 1671

Sodomy law: Connecticut, October, 1672

Samuel Danforth: "The Cry of Sodom," 1674

The Duke of York's Laws: September 25, 1676

Sodomy case: Nicholas Sension; Connecticut, May 22, 1677

1680s

Sodomy law: New Hampshire, March 16, 1680

Buggery law: West New Jersey, 1681

Sodomy law: Pennsylvania, December 7, 1682

Sodomy law: East New Jersey, March 1683

1690s

Buggery law: New York, 1691

Sodomy law: Pennsylvania, June 1693

Buggery law: Massachusetts, May 26, 1697

1700s

Sodomy law: Pennsylvania, November 27, 1700

Cotton Mather: June, 1701

Buggery law: New Jersey, 1702

Sodomy and buggery law: Pennsylvania, January 12, 1706

Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury (1661-1723)

John Lawson: 1709

1710s

Buggery law: South Carolina, 1712

Buggery case: Mingo; Massachusetts, January 29, 1712

Buggery law: New Hampshire, 1718

Legal case: Clark v. Winn; North Carolina, March 1718

Sodomy law: Pennsylvania, May 31, 1718

Sodomy law: Delaware, 1719

1720s

Onania; or, The Heinous Sin of Self-Pollution: 1724

1730s

Buggery law: Georgia, June 29, 1732

Sodomy case: Georgia, March 25, 1734

References

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.