Puritan Bundling

In the present world, smart phones, tablets, and social networking services have transformed the way people communicate with each other. The advancement in technology has allowed people to connect wherever and whenever they want to. However, that was not the case for young couples living in the eighteenth century in the United States. The identification and engagement among young couples in the United States went through a significant evolvement to become what is today. The engagement between men and women was closely looked at during colonial times in the United States. Because of the availability of land and the need of laborers, colonist encouraged reproduction in the family centered system. However, they believed that sexuality belonged

The New England Puritans wanted unwed couples to communicate and be comfortable with one another, but didn’t want them to have any physical intercourse. If the couple was likely to get married, parents encouraged them to spend the night together with the use of a “bundling board.” This wide board ran through the length of the bed and was approximately an inch thick, with the width between six to twelve inches. A “bundling board” was the most popular way to separate the male suitor and the young lady, but a “bundling sack” was also common in the American colonies. Instead of a board, two sleeping bags were used to prevent physical intimacy. Family members tied the young couple in large cloth bags to disallow them from actually making love. “Bundling bolster” was a long pillow that ran through the length of the bed. Parents approved the custom of “bundling” if their daughter had the intention of marrying the man. Irving said that by bundling "they acquired that intimate acquaintance with each other’s good qualities before marriage, which has been pronounced by philosophers the sure basis of a happy union"

It was considered inappropriate for men to get permission to “call” on his lover. Because “calling” took place in the women’s house under the supervision of her parents, the household was more of a women’s domain. When the lady chose the gentlemen of her dream, he was allowed to give her a present such as a gift of flowers. In response, the lady wrote greeting cards and sent gifts to express her affection. This social ritual first began among the upper class and was common in the middle class as well. The United States was going through a period of industrialization, where the border of social class began to disappear. However, the lower class had a difficult time participating in this courtship. “Calling” required either a front porch or a room for couples to relax and interact. For example, “factory girls usually lived in one room in a boarding house or apartment and certainly had no space for a gentleman caller.” As time passed by, the custom of “calling” gradually morphed into what is now called