Our Story
Reno & The Romance of Divorce reveals the untold story of how a band of State Legislators, a handful of lawyers and a few savvy ranch and hotel owners inadvertently helped shape our understanding of marriage, family, and our concept of female identity.
From the turn of the century until the 1960s, Nevada provided a haven for those seeking to end a marriage. A short waiting period and the most lenient divorce laws in America combined to draw men and women from across the nation to Nevada, and most often to Reno. While thousands of men flocked to the Washoe County Courthouse, the greatest impact of Nevadas divorce laws was on women. Unlike almost any other state in the nation, Nevadas laws judged women as equal partners in the marriage contract.
Social critics decried the lenient morals behind Nevadas divorce boom. Others mocked the notion of fickle women racing to the state to dump their boorish husbands. Reality provided a stark contrast. If they had jobs, women were openly discriminated against in the workplace. In a marriage, women were seen as second-class partners, something more akin to the property of the husband in legal matters. A wifes signature would often not be accepted on a contract. Domestic abuse was widespread, tolerated and considered a husbands right. Even worse, a husband could abandon his family without much fear of legal consequence.
Nevadas divorce trade played a vital role in leveling the balance of power in marriages in the United States.
The divorce trade also created a unique culture around Reno, Nevada. Even the name of the city became shorthand for divorce. Men and women would head there to get Reno-vated or to take the Reno Cure. During the height of the divorce boom, Reno boasted the highest percentage of lawyers of any city in the U.S.
From cab drivers to ranch hands to hotel owners and judges, the economy of Reno survived the Great Depression on the back of the divorce trade.
The Impact
To date, there has not been a major documentary produced that looks at the direct impact of changing divorce laws on the rights of women in the U.S. and the effect on the American family in the twentieth century. Reno & The Romance of Divorce tells the story of one small American citys place in the nations history and also contributes to a greater understanding of family, class and female empowerment in our society.
From historians to those whose lives were shaped by the divorce trade in Reno, we will reveal this nearly forgotten chapter in American history.
We have partnered with KNPB (PBS) as our sponsoring broadcaster and plan to exhibit this film in festivals, on campuses and via PBS affiliates.
