This blog is all about the infamous 1925 annulment trial Rhinelander v. Rhinelander which took place in New York. Rhinelander v. Rhinelander began 100 years ago on November 26, 1924 one day before Thanksgiving, when Leonard Rhinelander’s lawyers served legal papers starting an annulment suit on his new wife, Alice Rhinelander. One month earlier, the Rhinelanders had taken their vows in front of the mayor of New Rochelle on October 14, 1924. Less than a month after the marriage took place, the local press and then New York City’s hungry tabloids reported that Leonard Rhinelander, son of a well-known, wealthy NYC family, had married a woman believed to be the daughter of a Westchester “colored” man. Leonard and Alice’s lives would never be the same.

My name is Liz Smith-Pryor, I’m a historian and former lawyer who published a scholarly book about the Rhinelander trial in 2009. Since it’s the 100th anniversary of the case, I thought I would enjoy revisiting the trial by creating this blog so people could follow along with the trial and its surrounding events in the same way Americans 100 years ago would have read about the Rhinelanders, their marriage, and their lawsuit in the daily newspapers.

I think it’s worth revisiting this case 100 years later. Legal battles can be fascinating and this 1920s trial was a doozy! The case itself and the massive media commentary surrounding it highlighted the era’s anxieties about racial purity, sexuality, wealth, and immigration. As you follow along with the story of the Rhinelanders, their marriage, and their legal proceedings, don’t be surprised if you notice some resemblances between the past and the present.

If following along “in real time” with the case (but 100 years later) isn’t your thing, I invite you to check out my book and get the scoop on the Rhinelanders, their marriage, and their times. Property Rites: The Rhinelander Trial, Passing, and the Protection of Whiteness (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009). https://uncpress.org/book/9780807859391/property-rites/