men's rights in colonial new york
In colonial New York, men had many more rights than women. If a woman got married, her husband owned everything she had (including her children), except for personal items, such as clothes and jewelry. Also, all property or goods including livestock and money left to a woman in a will was automatically owned by the husband. Another right that men had was that his wife could not write a will without his consent. Men had many more rights than women in colonial New York.
"A husband owned whatever belonged to his wife... even children belonged legally to their fathers." - www.landofthebrave.info/colonial-women.htm