Historical Context: The Enlightenment Period

With new discoveries during the 19th century enlightenment period, people began understanding their sexuality and their bodies. They were not as afraid of the taboo topics that were associated with sexuality. The enlightenment focused on the idea that all was related to nature, including sexuality, which in turn must be good and desirable. These enlightenment writers focused on a healthy sexual relationship as to help the pursuit of ones happiness. One way one may find happiness if through sexual pleasure, and libertinism; nevertheless by following your sexual desire without holding back because of society standards. These ideas were new in comparison to the very strict views of past scientists and writers and were only attainable by a very small select group of men. (1)
During the enlightenment scientists continued to study the reproductive system and shortly learned the role of the sperm and the egg in the creating an embryo. In earlier years scientist believe that pleasure and conception were linked together, but as they learned the difference, sexual intercourse became something that was “allowed” to be done for pleasure aside from reproduction. New ideas of the strong male sperm and the passive women female egg surfaced. Even though these ideas encouraged sexual pleasure, they primarily applied to men, and out of these a new idea of the female desire, “passionalessness” emerged into society. This ideal stated that women were more maternal than sexual, and did not have very much interest in sexual acts. (1)
These new outlooks on sexuality caused shifts in English family life, by the late eighteenth century the ideal of affective relationships was now a well-known idea and practice. Most couples now saw the relationship between emotional and sexual pleasure. Unfortunately, at the same time lust and love did remain a poor motive for marriage, moreover though people began to choose their own life partners without parental consent. As the years passed, love because a respected basis for marriage, which inspired new view of marriage in which affection of husband and wife were just as important as their economic stability and reproductive obligations. (2)
Before the enlightenment period pre-marital pregnancy had a very low rate, but nearly doubled in the eighteenth century. Ilegitimacy rates rose from under one percent to six in the 1780s. These acts suggested a break in the traditional sexual restraints of pre-marital sex. This began in 1675 after members of the British upper middle class began using contraception (2). During this same time survival rates for children increased, which allowed women to have less children which allowed sexual intercourse to become more than just for reproduction purposes. (1)

Sources:
1. D'Emilio, John, and Estelle B. Freedman. Intimate Matters. New York: Harper & Row, 1988. Print.
2. Lawerence, Stone. Family, Sex, and marriage in England, 1500-1800 )London, 1977), chap 10.

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