According to this list of “Penalties for Sex Offenses in the United States” published in 1964 by Harry Hay’s pioneering “homophile” rights group, the Mattachine Society, most of us could have been at best fined or at worst imprisoned for a very long time had we had been caught having sex.

Take Connecticut for example, where sodomy (or “the crime against nature” as it is described here) brought a sentence of 30 years; or in Kentucky, where you could be given a 2-5 year sentence; or Maine 10 years; and 20 years in either Massachusetts or Minnesota. The term “sodomy” included:

...a wide variety of “unnatural” sexual activity, with animals or with another person of either sex, both within and outside marriage.

That’s a fairly broad definition.

Fornication in most states brought a fine of between $20-$500 plus 3 months to 6 years jail time. In Alaska you could be fined $300 or given 2 years in prison. This might explain why so many Americans marry rather than live together—as opposed the high incidence of cohabitation in Europe. According to US figures only 8.1 million unmarried Americans were cohabiting in 2011.  Compare this with the 5.9 million (or 11.7%) of the UK population who cohabited in 2012.

If two years jail time didn’t make you twice about sex before marriage, then being caught committing adultery could cost you a minimum of $10 (Rhode Island) up to $500-$1000 and/or six months to one year (Nevada) or five years (Connecticut) or five years/$1000 fine (Maine).

Add to this, your time in jail and/or fine could be doubled for a second conviction—though penalties for women were less being: “$10 to $30 or 1-3 yrs.”
 

 

 
H/T Flashbak