History of Teenage Marriage

There has been a history of teenage marriage dating back to ancient Greece. Marriage in 200 B.C. was not out of love but was for self interest of the daughter's family. A family would marry their daughter off for political reasons such as to move up in social class, economic reasons, and to keep the bloodline going. Young girls between the ages of fourteen and eighteen had no choice but to follow through with their parent's arranged marriage plans. A girl was usually sold for dowry to a reasonably young male in his early twenties or thirties.

As time progressed, teenage marriage continued. in the middle ages more than 3/4 of women married before the age of nineteen. Marriage was practiced to seal political ties and gain wealth for families especially in the upper classes. In some extreme cases girls were engaged between the ages of six and seven and were married by fourteen.

From a historical perspective, teenage marriages were common. These marriages were encouraged and considered normal all the way up until the 1800's where they were still practiced. However, in today's society teenage marriage is discouraged and not readily accepted not only in the United States but in various countries around the world. The motivations for these marriages are similar in some cases to ancient times but mostly different. Teenage marriage today, in 2010, tends to be out of love. But what was the cause for this change in mindset and practice?