Evolution of Marriage Commitment Terms

This chapter explores the historical development of betrothal and engagement in marriage commitment, tracing their legal implications from church courts enforcing marriage contracts to the introduction of breach of promise by common law courts. It also examines changing demographics of marriage over centuries, including the minimum age of marriage under canon law, parental consent roles, and the evolution of marriage laws, culminating in the recent abolition of marriage at 16 or 17 with parental consent in 2022.