Cultural GeographyCultures Around the World |
Why does a first-born son get everything? |
Primogeniture is the system of inheritance in which all inheritable land and property is passed on to the first-born son. A common worldwide tradition, primogeniture enabled a family’s possessions and status to remain intact as they were passed from generation to generation. This practice of the entire inheritances benefiting only the first-born son resulted in subsequent sons needing to find alternative livelihoods.