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According to Boston historian Edwin M. Bacon, in 1699, the Selectmen of
Boston made kissing in public a crime. The law was not in effect for very
long. Puritanical rules of behavior were incorporated into
Massachusetts law, and many of them were still on the books until
recently (such as the ban on selling liquor on Sundays). By the late 1800s, these laws
became known as Blue Laws. "Blue" was a slang term for
strict behavioral rules, or of a person with deep religious or ethical convictions (see
the Blue Blood
page at the bottom).
An early blue law was that against kissing in public. Edward
Ward, a London wit who visited Boston in 1699, and whom racy descriptions of
it and how its people impressed him, was frequently quoted by early
historians and writers about the law. Ward had said with ridicule: "If you
kiss a woman in pulick though offered as a courteous salutation, if any
information is given to the Select members, both shall be whipt or fined."
Another famous quote is that of a ship's captain who had just
returned from a long voyage. He happened to meet his wife on the street, and
after kissing her, was fined 10 shillings for the offense. He remarked,
"What a happiness, thought I, do we enjoy in Old England, that cannot only
kiss our own wives, but other men's too, without the danger of such a
penalty!"
Edward Ward spoke of the buildings of Boston, "Like their women, neat
and handsome." And of the streets in Boston, "Like the hearts of the male
inhabitants, are paved with pebbles."
Please note that observing
Christmas in Puritan Boston was also a crime.
Return to Boston
Crimes Page
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