as screwed up as this sounds, back in the late 1800s in california, offering a young girl for marriage, some as young as 12 years old was an accepted practice. in the opposite twist, the groom's family would benefit from what was called a dowry from the father's family, offering wealth to marry the girl. often families would do this to increase their social status. as a matter of fact, if a young girl wasn't wed by 16, she was considered an old maid.
