Bad Romance: Divorce in the Gilded Age

Throughout history, marriage has functioned as a prerequisite for one’s role in an accepted society. However, marriages have also served as business deals, empire-building, and, in some cases, actual love matches. Throughout much of the 19th century, the idea of dissolving a marriage through divorce was nearly unthinkable for many and certainly caused the female partner to be excluded from society as a pariah. Yet, some women fought against the constraints of an unacceptable marriage and the judgments of an unforgiving society. In this episode, historian and academic Nancy Unger joins The Gilded Gentleman to delve into the social politics of divorce in the Gilded Age. She discusses several high-profile cases of the 19th century; even the Astors and Vanderbilts were not immune.