Little scholarly analysis has been devoted to the hypothesis that antebellum Texas women generally married within their own socioeconomic (slaveholding) class, and thus had only limited choice in the selection of marriage partners. This quantitatively based investigation suggests that the popular image should be carefully qualified. This study reveals that although a majority of Texas women who married during the early 1850s chose men who had the same slaveholding status, a significant minority crossed class lines. By using marriage records of the period in correlation with information gleaned from the census, conclusions were reached. Contemporary women's diaries, letters and reminiscences were investigated, in addition to a historiography of marriage in the South, which created the background for this study.

Parent map for San Augustine County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:23,000.

Parent map for Nacogdoches County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:19,000.

Parent map for Shelby County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:20,000.

Parent map for San Augustine County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:23,000.

Inset map for San Augustine County, Texas showing detail within a census block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:1,933.

Parent map for Shelby County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:20,000.

Parent map for Shelby County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:20,000.

Parent map for San Augustine County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:23,000.

Parent map for San Augustine County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:23,000.

Parent map for San Augustine County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:23,000.

Index map for Shelby County, Texas showing the distribution of census blocks and smaller inset areas for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:102,350.

Inset map for San Augustine County, Texas showing detail within a census block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:1,506.

Parent map for Nacogdoches County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:19,000.

Parent map for Nacogdoches County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:19,000.

Index map for Nacogdoches County, Texas showing the distribution of census blocks and smaller inset areas for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:97,233.

Weekly newspaper from San Augustine, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with advertising.

Weekly newspaper from San Augustine, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with advertising.

Weekly newspaper from San Augustine, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with advertising.

Weekly newspaper from San Augustine, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with advertising.

Weekly newspaper from San Augustine, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with advertising.

Index map for San Augustine County, Texas showing the distribution of census blocks and smaller inset areas for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:94,162.

Parent map for Shelby County, Texas showing the area of one geographic block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:20,000.

Inset map for San Augustine County, Texas showing detail within a census block for which the U.S. Census Bureau collected data. The plotted map scale is 1:5,339.