Strange Antics: A History in Seduction

In 1848, New York made seduction a crime -- discriminating women -- defined as using arts, persuasion, or wiles to overcome a woman’s resistance to virtue. While one generation fought for this protection, another in the 1930s dismantled it, viewing it as patronizing and restricting women’s sexual freedom.

These contradictory viewpoints highlight the Western world’s complex relationship with seduction, a topic that has fascinated and frightened us since ancient times. How have heterosexual courtship morphed over history, and how have they remained consistent? How have generations responded to the thrill, freedom, or threat posed by the masculine seducer, and the unequal consequences for women, varying based on race and class?

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