When did age gaps in marriage become looked down upon in America?

Answer 1

Disapproval of age gaps in the United States has always varied, culturally and regionally, and even today there are different legal and cultural standards between different states. I think you'll find that the perception of an age gap being shameful often depends on how big the gap is and the surrounding cultural context. Before the arrival of European colonizers native Americans practiced a wide variety of different marriage traditions, and what was considered a shameful age gap would also have varied significantly. The area that became the United States inherited most of its laws and cultural standards from English common law, which although it does not explicitly address age gaps does set a minimum qualifying age for marriage, at 12 for girls and 14 for boys. Disapproval of marriage age gaps therefore likely predates the United States. Many states have passed laws raising the minimum age of marriage, but only three (Colorado, Idaho, and Nevada) have laws that specifically address age gaps, and they all have to do with regulating the minimum age of marriage. Legally speaking, any gap is allowed as long as both consenting parties are older than their state's age of majority.