A house full of females is a history exploring mormon polygamy as it unfolded, written by one of our countrys foremost historians. This act made adultery punishable by up to three years in prison, unmarried sex was punishable by up to six months in prison, and the female vote was revoked. The act disincorporated both the church and its perpetual emigration fund on the grounds that they fostered polygamy. Congress renewed its attack on polygamy by disincorporating the church and seizing its assets. After all, if they were concerned about womens rights they could have.
Various federal laws including the edmunds act and the edmundstucker act. Any changes in church policy affects adherents worldwide. Finally, the edmunds tucker act of 1887 touched all the issues at dispute between the united states congress and the lds church. The edmunds act also prohibited bigamous or unlawful cohabitation a misdemeanor, thus removing the need to prove. Arthur, declaring polygamy a felony in federal territories.
Witnesses did not have to be subpoenaed to appear in court. This daily feature is an introduction to the edmundstucker act of 1887, featuring the book sisterwives and suffragists. This is not a forum for general discussion of the articles subject put new text under old text. Edmundstucker act the edmundstucker act of 1887 was passed in response to the dispute between the united states congress and the church of jesus christ of latterday saints.
In september 1898, wilford woodruff died while visiting mormon congregations in california. Issued by church president wilford woodruff in september 1890, the manifesto was a response to mounting antipolygamy pressure from the united states congress. The supreme court will subsequently uphold this law. Everything lawyers know about polygamy is wrong scholarship. For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things 2 nephi 2. In addition, the act disincorporated the church of jesus christ. That the laws enacted by the legislative assembly of the territory of utah conferring jurisdiction upon probate courts, or the judges thereof, or any of them, in said territory, other than in respect of the estates of deceased persons, and in respect of the guardianship of the persons and property of infants. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints is a worldwide church. This post explores the concept of opposition and the role it plays within mormon beliefs. Salt lake tribune, january 6, 1880 the people of the rest of the country are our enemies.
The edmundstucker act of 1887 was an act of congress that focused on restricting some. Edmunds tucker act, first page hathi trust john r tucker, congressional sponsor of the edmunds tucker act library of congress, lcdigcwpbh03932 george f edmunds, author of the edmunds antipolygamy act library of congress, lcdigggbain06100 book journal sources ludlow, daniel, 1992. Polygamy and the politics of woman suffrage, 18701896 by lola van wagenen. The 1890 manifesto also known as the woodruff manifesto or the antipolygamy manifesto is a statement which officially advised against any future plural marriage in the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church. Would mormons be better off if the us government had not. Edmunds act passed, intensifying the antipolygamy crusade. The edmunds tucker act became the official law against polygamy in america, giving the government power to seize assets and disincorporate the lds church. The edmundstucker act of 1887 was the fruit of that hysteria. Edmundstucker act the edmundstucker act of 1887 was passed in response to the dispute between the united states congress and the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church regarding polygamy. For the mormon mainstream, the 1887 edmunds tucker act proved the final straw. Edmunds tucker act mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. Supreme court upheld the seizure of church property under the edmunds tucker a ct in late corporation of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints v.
Chapter 17 notes transformation apush study group wiki. The edmunds act of 1882 made unlawful cohabitation illegal, thus removing the need to prove that actual marriages had occurred. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints wikipedia. President taylor, other church authorities, and many members went underground 25 july 1887. The churchs refusal to truthfully testify about their polygamous activities and their refusal to stop practicing it had been a thorn in americas side for over a half century. Shortly afterwards clark pushed a kind of ecclesiastical loyalty oath that suspected. The act did declare to be legitimate births in mormon polygamous marriages prior to january 1, 1883. The priesthood policy change blessed all worthy men on. United states that upheld the edmundstucker act on may 19, 1890. Edmundstucker act law and legal definition uslegal, inc. If polygamy was already an occasion for political disability, why push further, dis franchising all the.
The church of jesus christ of latterday saints, often informally known as the lds church or mormon church, is a nontrinitarian, christian restorationist church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by jesus christ. The church is headquartered in salt lake city, utah, in the united states, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide. The opposition of the majority of utahans to this act was secured by a provision that required a test oath against polygamy. One of the provisions of the edmunds tucker act in 1887 was the repeal of womens suffrage. This was broad enough to include the majority of latterday saints who were not directly involved in polygamy. Named after its congressional sponsorsvermont senator george f.
A wife or wives were forced to testify against their husbands. Twentieth century polygamy juanita brooks lecture series. The edmunds act also prohibited bigamous or unlawful cohabitation, thus removing the need to prove that actual. The edmunds tucker act listen on wikipedia the edmunds tucker act listen on wikipedia i have pasted the the url to below are far more accurate and the title edmunds tucker act is in far better keeping with scholarly work where the coauthors or cosponsors of each house have their names affixed.
The church was losing control of the territorial government, and many members and leaders were being actively pursued as fugitives. On february 19, 1887, the bill passed congress and was shortly thereafter placed on the presidents desk grover cleveland. Also in that year, president grover cleveland, who had long been friendly to the mormons and had opposed the edmunds tucker act, pardoned all polygamists. After the edmunds tucker act was passed in 1887, hundreds of mormon men were arrested for polygamy or unlawful cohabitation and sent to prisons. In an effort to stamp out polygamy the us congress passed the edmunds tucker act in 1887. John taylor received a revelation about the continuation of plural marriage. Compton is to be congratulated for his honesty, since his book also provides ample. These latterday saint women met to protest the edmunds act, a federal statute. Wilfred woodruff announced a manifesto forbidding plural marriage. The act not only reinforced the 1862 morrill antibigamy act but it also. More than 1,300 men were imprisoned under the terms of this measure.
These governmentsponsored persecutions intensified after congress passed antipolygamy legislation like the edmunds tucker act. It was ignored in utah until the passage of the edmundstucker act of 1887. The edmundstucker act of 1887 author this daily feature is an introduction to the edmundstucker act of 1887, featuring the book sisterwives and suffragists. The edmunds act, also known as the edmunds antipolygamy act of 1882, is a united states. On march 2, 1886, the deseret evening news announced that a mass meeting would be held four days later in salt lake city for the purpose of making known the grievances of the women of utah, and protesting against the indignities that have been heaped upon them in the present antimormon crusade. Although the homestead act offered prospective farmers free land, it was the railroad that promoted settlement, brought people to their new homes, and carried crops and cattle to eastern markets. The edmunds act, also known as the edmunds antipolygamy act of 1882, is a united states federal statute, signed into law on march 23, 1882 by president chester a. The edmunds tucker act became the official law against polygamy in america, giving the government power to seize assets and disincorporate the lds. This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the edmunds tucker act article. After waiting for, and not receiving the presidents signature, the bill automatically became a law on march 3, 1887. The edmunds tucker act of 1887 was an act of congress that focused on restricting some practices of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church. Posted in polygamy, tagged defying america, edmunds tucker act, january 6 1880, john taylor, salt lake tribune on 08302019 3 comments.
Edmundstucker act was passed in 1887 without even a roll call. What is the edmundstucker act manifesto and end of pm made unlawful cohabitation man living with more than one wife. As henry sumner maine put it in a book influential through out the last. In 1890 church president wilford woodruff officially abolished new plural marriages, and utah was admitted as a state in 1896, when once again utah women gained the vote. In 1887, the edmundstucker act took square aim at the mormon church itself, disincorporating it and authorizing the federal government to. Is it a coincidence that the edmundstucker act was. Perhaps i had transgressed in pushing from me the first testimony i received in relation to it. More than 12,000 mormons in utah were disfranchised. It was passed in response to the dispute between the united states congress and the lds church regarding polygamy. The edmunds act also prohibited bigamous or unlawful cohabitation, thus removing the need to prove that actual marriages had occurred. We believe that it is the lords authorized church on earth. One hundred and twenty six years ago today the us congress passed an antipolygamy act two weeks later march 3 it would be signed into law. In 1896, utah was admitted into the union as the fortyfifth state. Laurel based the book on journals and letters of women and some men, writings that were recorded as the marriage system developed, with the intent to understand peoples true and immediate reactions to it.
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