One thing I grow increasingly frustrating not having direct access to is anything in response to Feminists saying "look at how much men exploit women, marital rape used to be legal until 1990" (or whatever other year in the second half of the 20th century).

Now, when it comes to myself, I conceptualize this as "prior to it, societies used to have other methods of dealing with it" and, even though it would be impossible to reply to them with this "it was implied in the very concept of marriage that each partner belonged sexually to the other"... But I don't believe these mechanisms of keeping myself from being taken over by an emotional rush and condemn the men of the past for not having resisted is enough.

Does anyone here have examples, preferably from books, studies, legal records, with sources which would either give a paper trail to the "they had other methods" or something which would fill a similar role? Thank you in advance for anyone who can contribute.