Sodomy law: Massachusetts Bay, 1648
From OutHistory
Jump to navigationJump to search
GLA 92
The publication of the whole Massachusetts Body of Laws and Liberties, passed in 1641 but not before printed, constituted the first collection of statutes published in the American colonies.[1]
The origins of these Massachusetts statutes were partly Mosaic, partly English common law, and partly an original colonial invention. The sodomy provision was identical to the Massachusetts law of 1641, except for the addition that boys under fourteen, or the party who was forced, were to be "severely punished," but not put to death.
This Massachusetts law was next revised in 1697 LINK .
References
- ↑ 1648: Massachusetts Bay "sodomy" law; Max Farrand, ed., Book of the General Lawes and Liberties of Massachusetts (San Marino, Calif.: Huntington Library, 1929), p. 5. The list of capital crimes is the same as that printed on the 1643 London broadside; the sodomy provision cites Gen. 19:5 in the margin.
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.
