What is marriage? Marriage occurs when people join together as husband and wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. Marriage has not always been as it is now, where women have a say in family issues and where women have the right to choose who they want to marry. Before, in ancient times, women had to marry those in their family, and could not marry those who were. Marriage was about doing what you needed to support your family, which meant you married someone who was able to give you what you needed. Marriage didn't happen because you loved someone, but it was always because people wanted to preserve power. Now, in marriage, people get married because they love each other and because they want to make an effort to spend the rest of their lives together. During the Mesopotamian period, the first ever recorded marriage contract and ceremony dates back 4,000 years. The woman had no rights in marriage, even the lower classes had no say in marriage, and therefore wives could not divorce unless the husband asked. Husbands were allowed to divorce their wives if she did not fulfill her duties (giving birth to children). During the Mesopotamian period, marriage did not happen because the two people loved each other, but to preserve power, ruling class fathers would have to divorce. even marry their daughters. In this way, it allowed families to form alliances, acquire lands, and produce legitimate heirs. The future husband and the father of the future bride stipulated a contract that included a price for the girl's hand. If the marriage did not go well and the two divorced, the father-in-law had the right to satisfaction. The stipulated contract provided that if a child was not born, the husband would receive... half sheet... 013. "The Roman Family". Roman family. Np, nd Web. 07 November 2013. "The Story of Marriage." About.com Wedding. NP and Web. 07 November 2013. "History of Beijing". Beijing has become easy. Np, nd Web. Nov. 07, 2013. “63 Best Family Law and Divorce Blogs.” Total Divorce Blog RSS. Np, nd Web. 07 November 2013. "History.org: The Official History and Citizenship Website of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation." Courtship and Marriage in the Eighteenth Century: Williamsburg's Official Colonial History and Citizenship Site. Np, nd Web. 07 November 2013History of marriage.” Marriage history. Np, nd Web. 07 November 2013 “Marriage in the 19th century”. Marriage in the 19th century Np nd Web. 07 November 2013."Traditions." Traditional Chinese weddings. Np, nd Web. 03 November 2013. "Word Wednesday: The Power of Ronald Reagan's Marriage |." Np, nd Web. 03 November. 2013.