Marriage Rituals Before the Civil War Marriage traditions of white individuals were immensely diverse in comparison to the relationships between two enslaved African Americans. Although the relation of two married slaves contrasted with those of white people, neither marriages were eminently enjoyable. Pragmatism, when the parents of a young woman would chose their daughter 's husband, was frequent before the Civil War (“A History of the American Wedding”). While people of the white race had an insufficient impact on the decisions made by their parents, most enslaved individuals were able to choose their spouse. Generally, the contact between married slaves was not prominent. The husband “either with permission or surreptitiously, would