[FFranco]

“Half a dozen wives was not at all unusual ~ particularly in rural areas where death in childbirth was exceedingly common.”

This is a pointless discussion, but I will point out that Washington, Jefferson and Jackson were all farmers.

You might have made a better case if you had based your criticism on class rather than location.

[muawiyah]

Yes, "farmers" if you overlook the fact they had PLANTATIONS, which were about as urban as you were going to find in a country where Lancaster PA was the biggest city.

No, it's not pointless. I'm simply pointing out what my experience with genealogical research in the extant records of the 1700s and early 1800s has shown.

You'll notice that I didn't say the average guy had half a dozen wives, just that it was common ~ more common than today in fact.

BTW, it was even worse in the Middle Ages.