It’s an example of how extreme the rule could be, tone-policing troll. It is unequivocal proof you couldn’t just go get a divorce, because the state would almost certainly say, fuck off. Because - in general - by default - it wasn’t fucking legal. It was so restricted that zero women in an entire state were granted one, for thirty years, and you think other states granting more than zero means it was easy sailing.

What the fuck else do you think divorce being illegal would look like? What else could those words mean?

If divorce required a tax stamp, would it suddenly click for you?