Society seems to have gone mad, giving itself up to every kind of extravagance and dissipation.
- Maria Daly on the Divorce
March 18th, 1864
New York's Elite. A Not-so Happy Marriage. 1865.
This digital webpage explores the 1865 Strong v. Stevens New York divorce case between Peter Strong and his wife Mary Stevens. Peter was a prominent New York lawyer and Mary was the daughter of a highly respected New York family. The couple’s high social status made their divorce a public scandal from the start. Yet, what was most scandalous was that Peter accused Mary of committing adultery with his brother Edward and Mary, in turn, accused Peter of having an affair with an abortionist. The trial and resulting commentary from the press offer a wealth of knowledge on social expectations and gender norms of the time.
Husband & Wife
Wife. Mother. Adulteress.
This is an action for divorce. The plaintiff is the husband, the defendant the wife; but the real parties are two little girls, my clients; and on the other side is not a poor, foolish woman, but a rich and powerful family, who have taken a misguided course, and have threatened to crush and ruin my client.
- The opening of Henry A. Cram on behalf of Peter R. Strong