Introduction & Intentions
Homosexuality and queerness in Colonial America often go underrepresented and misunderstood. Accounts of homosexuality rely heavily on alleged cases of “sodomy” and other crimes as defined in England. However, the English colonies that now make up America had their own histories, cultures, and traditions.
This website will outline the origins of homophobia as it appears in English law, contrast it with the attitudes towards homosexuality during the post-colonial period, and speak to the effects that continue to permeate understandings of American history today.