KIRSTEN ANN SMITHERMAN. ‘In this enlightened age’: Marriage and Enlightenment in Revolutionary America. (Under the direction of DR. CHRISTOPHER CAMERON)This study explores the role of marriage in the lives of women during the formation of the American Republic. It argues that women, despite the constraints of a patriarchal society, used marriage as a tool for both intellectual production and political engagement. The nascent nation’s decision to uphold many English marriage laws, which were largely unfavorable towards wives, paradoxically set a precedent for women’s participation in the nation. This seemingly regressive decision inadvertently provided women with a framework within which they could assert their influence. It posits that while many women may not have been recognized by Enlightenment philosophers, they were nonetheless actively engaging with and discussing Enlightenment ideas. The political and ideological climate of the eighteenth century, characterized by revolution and the struggle for independence, provided an ideal backdrop for women to weave themselves into the revolutionary narrative and explore new dimensions of their lives. Through marriage, women navigated the societal constraints of their time, carving out a space for themselves in the civic sphere. They transformed the institution of marriage from a mere social obligation into a tool for change, using it to assert their rights and make their voices heard. This study suggests that marriage, far from being a symbol of subjugation, became a vehicle for women’s empowerment and political participation in the new republic.