The tale of a man in his 20s marrying a nine-year-old girl has left many people appalled—and shockingly, it was once completely legal.
Delving into historical marriage laws can reveal some unsettling truths. In contrast to today’s standards, where most states require individuals to be at least 16 to marry (often with parental consent), the rules were far murkier in the past.
In 1937, a nine-year-old girl was legally wed to a 22-year-old man, though birth records suggest he might have been as old as 26. Charlie Johns and Eunice Winstead embarked on their life together when they eloped in Hancock County, Tennessee.
The couple had altered Winstead’s age to secure a marriage license. At that time, Tennessee had no minimum age for marriage and did not require parental permission for minors, allowing them to marry legally.
Today, Tennessee law stipulates that individuals must be at least 18 to marry, with 17-year-olds needing parental or guardian consent.
Disturbingly, both families supported the marriage, but it was met with nationwide criticism. Following the initial reports, national publications highlighted the age disparity, prompting women across the U.S. to call for legal reforms to prevent similar child marriages.
“We have to continue to look at children as children,” stated Jean Evans, a Republican who, in 2016, proposed legislation to mandate that minors be at least 17 to apply for a marriage license with parental consent. “We don’t let them buy alcohol or cigarettes or vote or serve their country — I don’t know why we’re allowing them to get married.”
Despite the controversy, Eunice and Charlie went on to have nine children, with the first born when Eunice was just 14. They remained married for 60 years until Charlie’s death in 1997, as reported by The Grand Forks Herald.
The resurfacing of their story online has elicited strong reactions from the public.
One person commented: “It’s truly disgusting, it’s not even a wedding, it’s an open-air prison.” Another wrote: “As a mother of a little girl, I cannot imagine that a child’s innocence and purity would be shattered… These people and those who protect them are diabolical!”
Unfortunately, cases of child marriage have persisted into more recent times. In 2015, a 15-year-old named Heather from Idaho married her 24-year-old boyfriend, Aaron, after becoming pregnant at 14. Her father approved the marriage in Missouri, where girls can marry at 15 with one parent’s consent, as reported by the BBC.
Heather was opposed to the marriage, which was seen as a way to avoid a statutory rape charge. Her mother eventually had it annulled, and Aaron was imprisoned.