Many events in our ancestors’ lives were governed by the laws of the time. A few quick things to remember:

  • There is state law and there is federal law (in addition to local ordinances) that usually impact the “big things” (marriage, estate settlements, inheritance, adoptions, etc.). Things governed by state law can vary from one state to another. That’s true today (eg. “legal marijuana”) and was true in 1850 as well.
  • Laws change over time. What was true in 1800 was not necessarily true in 1920.

Many old state statute books are online (start at books.google.com to search).

The takeaway? Don’t forget that laws vary based on location and time–even if you don’t cross an international border in the process.

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