A family history from early New England

What is it about?

A case of wife beating examined within the context of the British Atlantic world and the puritan family. What happens when a wife's liberty of conscience brings her into conflict with her ministers, her husband, and her community?

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Why is it important?

Examines the tensions between liberty of conscience and maintaining order in the Puritan commonwealth (including the family) using Puritan marriage manuals, self-help pamphlets, and other kinds of "prescriptive literature".