The State That Considered Annulling Marriages That Didn’t Have a Child Within The First 3 Years
Having children is a personal choice, but not if some areas of the United States had their way earlier in its history
Having children is a very personal decision between romantic partners. Even those who have committed to each other for the long-term by getting married may or may not want to procreate. It’s something that is none of the business of anyone except those in the relationship, but a century ago the State of Nebraska considered a bill that if passed would have automatically annulled all marriages that hadn’t produced at least one child within the first three years of exchanging vows.
In 1925, the Nebraska State Legislature had a bill introduced that proposed to dramatically change marriages within their borders. It was put forth by Democrat Robert E. Hines of Omaha, at the time, the youngest member of the legislative body. He hoped to pass into law a measure that would give the state the authority to annul all marriages of couples who were childless once they hit their third wedding anniversary. Although there were limited exceptions, it was a serious attempt to try and ensure that getting hitched equaled adding to the population.
