In the eyes of the law, the husband and wife were the same person. The husband controlled all the money, property, and work for the woman and their family.
"Eighteenth century Anglo-Americans expected wives to obey and submit to their husbands. Indeed, under English law a married woman did not even have a separate legal identity. Her's was covered by her husband, and she was known as a feme-covert. As the well-known English legal scholar Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) expressed it: 'The husband and wife are one person in law; that is, the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least is incorporated and consolidated into that of the husband; under whose wing, protection, and cover, she performs everything: and is therefore called in our law French a feme-covert.' In general, a married woman could not own property in her own name, and her dowry, belongings and money all belonged to her husband."
- Smith, Women's Roles in the Eighteenth Century
"Eighteenth century Anglo-Americans expected wives to obey and submit to their husbands. Indeed, under English law a married woman did not even have a separate legal identity. Her's was covered by her husband, and she was known as a feme-covert. As the well-known English legal scholar Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) expressed it: 'The husband and wife are one person in law; that is, the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least is incorporated and consolidated into that of the husband; under whose wing, protection, and cover, she performs everything: and is therefore called in our law French a feme-covert.' In general, a married woman could not own property in her own name, and her dowry, belongings and money all belonged to her husband."
- Smith, Women's Roles in the Eighteenth Century