Our nation was conceived in liberty, but slavery went on until 1865, when the 13th Amendment was rtified.
The act of uniting a man and woman for life ; wedlock ; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted
by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity
and for securing the maintenance and education of children.
Websters, 1825