SELFISH INTENTIONS - K-REx - Kansas State University

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to protect women legally, economically, and physically, because they perceived women as incapable of protecting themselves. Illinois legislators recognized divorce as a necessary remedy for women and instituted a divorce law that was strategically designed to protect them.” 53 Illinois became a popular place for couples to get divorced, because the Illinois circuit courts applied divorce laws liberally. By 1860, the state of Illinois had the highest number of divorce decrees in the nation. This pattern was followed elsewhere in the west. Western states that became known as divorce mills either had a shorter waiting period, a larger number of grounds that could be used to petition for divorce, or an omnibus clause. The state of South Dakota, for example, shortened their waiting period to six months, and like most western states had numerous acceptable grounds for divorce. The distinction between east and west states clearly showed how western states allowed their restless, mobile residents an easier way to obtain a divorce. 54 This shift in jurisdiction also symbolized, as Richard Chused argues, “the lessening role of families as a central organizing force of religion, politics, and the economy.” 55 The patriarchal system within American society was changing. Such changes did not indicate that married women had somehow assumed equality under the law, however. Divorce remained controversial as most Americans still viewed marriage as a lifetime commitment. But the relative openness of western states certainly allowed women a greater opportunity to use the law in their own behalf. Kansas was no exception to the western pattern. In its first decade of statehood, Kansas recognized ten grounds for divorce and in 53 Ibid., 74. 54 Ibid., 73. 55 Richard H. Chused, Private Acts in Public Places: A Social History of Divorce in the Formative Era of American Family Law, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994), 11. 18
addition, protected the property rights of married women. As we shall see, some women were eager to use those provisions for their own purposes. 19
Page 1 and 2: SELFISH INTENTIONS: KANSAS WOMEN AN
Page 3 and 4: Abstract In the United States, lega
Page 5 and 6: Table of Contents Acknowledgements.
Page 7 and 8: Dedication To my Lord and Savior Je
Page 9 and 10: after five years away from Kansas,
Page 11 and 12: One other factor is important here.
Page 13 and 14: law analysis. Riley’s study expla
Page 15 and 16: CHAPTER 1 - Divorce Law in the Unit
Page 17 and 18: government regulations focused on t
Page 19 and 20: What is abundantly clear from the N
Page 21 and 22: conception of marriage.” 25 It wa
Page 23 and 24: divorce reflected the changing tren
Page 25 and 26: Constitution. In his dissenting opi
Page 27 and 28: family was poor, a legislative divo
Page 29 and 30: nineteenth century America, divorce
Page 31: divorce. They had to have been aban
Page 35 and 36: presented an opportunity for change
Page 37 and 38: divorce was not unheard of in those
Page 39 and 40: The procedure to file for divorce i
Page 41 and 42: the district courts exclusive juris
Page 43 and 44: Many of the features outlined in th
Page 45 and 46: esidence was where her husband live
Page 47 and 48: years, and that into their large an
Page 49 and 50: active part in the city’s most pr
Page 51 and 52: had availed themselves of the quick
Page 53 and 54: CHAPTER 3 - Concerns about Liberal
Page 55 and 56: would come to Kansas for the sole r
Page 57 and 58: Kansans were concerned about the st
Page 59 and 60: tried within six months of the fili
Page 61 and 62: y default. In a majority of them ar
Page 63 and 64: Breeze dated July 18, 1899, Thompso
Page 65 and 66: grounds used to petition for a divo
Page 67 and 68: marriages. Thus, we are apparently
Page 69 and 70: e accompanied by other flagrant vio
Page 71 and 72: in Kansas, the reporter of this art
Page 73 and 74: equired any divorce plaintiff to st
Page 75 and 76: District Court for a divorce. This
Page 77 and 78: only the right to divorce would ins
Page 79 and 80: using her capital (plus a $70 contr
Page 81 and 82: Downing therefore asked for divorce
Page 83 and 84:
possibility that one of her sons fr
Page 85 and 86:
Conclusion Ida Marion Selts, Bertha
Page 87 and 88:
etween the promise of the law and t
Page 89 and 90:
Primary Sources Books Bibliography
Page 91 and 92:
Secondary Sources Books Bardaglio,
Page 93 and 94:
________. Untying the Knot: A Study
Page 95 and 96:
Gonzales, Deena, “The Widowed Wom
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SELFISH INTENTIONS - K-REx - Kansas State University

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