In colonial America, the phrase 'so chosen, he is her lord' implied which effect for women?

• A. She would share equal legal status with her husband
• B. She must obey her husband
• C. She could own property independently
• D. She could initiate divorce easily

Answer: (B)

In colonial America, married women operated under coverture, a legal framework that merged a wife’s legal identity with her husband’s authority. The phrase so chosen, he is her lord, signals that the husband was the head of the household and the wife’s role was to submit to his authority. Under coverture, a wife generally did not have independent legal rights: property and contracts she held or entered into were considered under her husband’s control, and her ability to act in the world was filtered through him. This is why the effect highlighted is that she must obey her husband. It also helps explain why other options don’t fit: equal legal status and independent property ownership were not granted under this system, and divorce was not something women could pursue easily.