Religious freedom
The Mormon Church was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 in western New York. Smith claimed to have been visited by the Angel Moroni in 1827 who told him where he could find golden plates that Smith would translate and publish as the Book of Mormon.
Smith won many followers, but also angered others who accused him of fraud and blasphemy. By 1831 the Mormon Church had hundreds of followers, and Smith decided to move them to set up a City of God.
Why did the Mormons move west?
Smith and his followers moved west in stages. Their movement related to religious and social differences, and suspicion and conflict between the new, growing Mormon group and the wider community and authorities. These differences resulted in the Mormons being persecuted. They hoped that moving west would mean they could live safely in their own society.
- The growing Mormon church held that other Christians had turned their back on God and true religious faith.
- Christian churches viewed Mormon religion as blasphemous and rumours that Mormons practised polygamy meant they were seen as immoral.
- The Mormons disagreed with enslavement. This view was seen as a threat in states that relied on enslaved labour.
- Mormons operated their own separate society, with shared property, and their own bank.
- Wider economic issues led to bankruptcy and many members left the Mormon Church, angry at Smith’s leadership.
- The Mormons set up their own militia to protect themselves. However there were violent clashes between them and other groups, including destruction of property on both sides.
- Smith tried to set up a Mormon society separate from state control. This, combined with the ongoing violence, and open practice of polygamy, led to conflict with state government.
In 1844, Illinois’s governor ordered the arrest of Smith and his brother Hyrum on charges of arson, treason, and polygamy. Smith and Hyrum were both killed when the jail they were held in was attacked by a mob.
Why did the Mormons move to Salt Lake?
An important reason for moving was that the Mormons wanted to live separately from U.S. control.
In 1846 Brigham Young (by now leader of the Mormons) told the US President, James K. Polk, that the Mormons had decided to leave the country for the sake of peace
.
Brigham Young's influence was the critical factor in the move west, beyond the Rockie mountains:
- he was
a firm believer, a man of iron will, an organiser
- he was believed by the Mormons to be their prophet - appointed by God to lead them
- he decided to go to Salt Lake, organised the march, and told Mormons that Salt Lake was "the promised land"
The travels of the Mormons
This chart shows the main stages in the travels of the Mormons, as they moved from place to place before settling in the Great Salt Lake.
Mormon travels 1831-1847
| Date | Destination | Attraction | Reason for leaving |
| 1831 | Kirtland, Ohio | A new start away from New York State, where Joseph Smith lived. | In 1832, Smith was tarred and feathered by locals. In 1837 economic depression caused the bank he had founded to go bankrupt, and the Mormons were driven out altogether. |
| 1837 | Missouri | An area where few people lived, so offered some sanctuary. | The Mormons were attacked by mobs, and an extermination order was issued by Governor Boggs. The Mormons angered people by speaking out against slavery and in favour of Native American rights. |
| 1839 | Nauvoo, Illinois | A swamp area, which most settlers avoided. | The Mormons were hated by the locals, especially when Smith began to sanction polygamy. In 1844, Smith was killed by a mob. |
| 1847 | Great Salt Lake | Described as an 'unpopulous' country where 'a good living will require hard labour, and consequently will be coveted by no other people'. |
| Date | 1831 |
|---|---|
| Destination | Kirtland, Ohio |
| Attraction | A new start away from New York State, where Joseph Smith lived. |
| Reason for leaving | In 1832, Smith was tarred and feathered by locals. In 1837 economic depression caused the bank he had founded to go bankrupt, and the Mormons were driven out altogether. |
| Date | 1837 |
|---|---|
| Destination | Missouri |
| Attraction | An area where few people lived, so offered some sanctuary. |
| Reason for leaving | The Mormons were attacked by mobs, and an extermination order was issued by Governor Boggs. The Mormons angered people by speaking out against slavery and in favour of Native American rights. |
| Date | 1839 |
|---|---|
| Destination | Nauvoo, Illinois |
| Attraction | A swamp area, which most settlers avoided. |
| Reason for leaving | The Mormons were hated by the locals, especially when Smith began to sanction polygamy. In 1844, Smith was killed by a mob. |
| Date | 1847 |
|---|---|
| Destination | Great Salt Lake |
| Attraction | Described as an 'unpopulous' country where 'a good living will require hard labour, and consequently will be coveted by no other people'. |
| Reason for leaving |
Problems and solutions on the journey West
On their trek to the Great Salt Lake the Mormons faced many problems, all of which they had to overcome:
Four key problems
| Problem | Solution |
| Poorly prepared - in Spring 1846, mobs looted Mormons' workshops, forcing them to leave Nauvoo before they were ready for their long trek to Salt Lake. | Brigham Young (Mormon leader) sent advance 'pioneers' ahead, to plant crops, build houses, set up staging posts for the travellers. |
| The journey - the Mormons faced a journey of 2,250km, which made them 'weary and footsore'. They endured 'stormy weather' in winter and 'excessive heat' in summer. | No solution, Mormons had to 'endure'. |
| Organisation - on the journey 15,000 Mormons faced accidents, breakdowns, mouldy food, fever, lack of medical facilities, Native American attacks. | Young taught Mormons how to manage a wagon train, and how to defend themselves against attack at night. |
| Faint hearts - some Mormons preferred Oregon. Another suggested California, and said 'nobody on earth' would want to live at Salt Lake. | Young said:"If there is a place on this earth that nobody wants, that's the place I'm looking for." |
| Problem | Poorly prepared - in Spring 1846, mobs looted Mormons' workshops, forcing them to leave Nauvoo before they were ready for their long trek to Salt Lake. |
|---|---|
| Solution | Brigham Young (Mormon leader) sent advance 'pioneers' ahead, to plant crops, build houses, set up staging posts for the travellers. |
| Problem | The journey - the Mormons faced a journey of 2,250km, which made them 'weary and footsore'. They endured 'stormy weather' in winter and 'excessive heat' in summer. |
|---|---|
| Solution | No solution, Mormons had to 'endure'. |
| Problem | Organisation - on the journey 15,000 Mormons faced accidents, breakdowns, mouldy food, fever, lack of medical facilities, Native American attacks. |
|---|---|
| Solution | Young taught Mormons how to manage a wagon train, and how to defend themselves against attack at night. |
| Problem | Faint hearts - some Mormons preferred Oregon. Another suggested California, and said 'nobody on earth' would want to live at Salt Lake. |
|---|---|
| Solution | Young said:"If there is a place on this earth that nobody wants, that's the place I'm looking for." |
Problems and solutions at Salt Lake
On arrival at Great Salt Lake things didn't get easier straight away. The Mormons faced further problems, which they also had to overcome. Life at Salt Lake was hard, and the Mormons were tired out and worried
. Salt Lake was a desolate and forsaken spot
with little rain.
The climate is severe and changeable ... the cattle die. Crickets and grasshoppers swarm in myriads... Frost is very destructive...
The Mormons had to develop irrigation schemes, using snow water from the mountains - by 1859 Salt Lake was well-filled with peach, apple and other fruit.
There were no trees in Salt Lake, so the Mormons had to make houses from mud bricks - by 1855 there were 'warm, comfortable, neat' houses and a 'magnificent' city, with a temple, a tabernacle and hall.
There were not enough people for the community to be entirely self-sufficient - so the Mormon leader Brigham Young called Mormons from all over the world to go to Salt Lake to help out. As a result, large numbers of Mormons migrated to Salt Lake City (although many died on the way).
The Mormons had no manufacturers, and although they tried to set up industries, they failed - so necessary items often had to be made by hand.
In 1848 the US occupied New Mexico, where Salt Lake was situated, and the US government refused Young's attempt to have a 'free and independent' Mormon state of 'Deseret'. In 1857, 120 members of a wagon train were murdered in an attack by Mormon militiamen. In response the US government sent in 1,500 troops. Eventually a compromise was reached, and the state of Utah (much smaller than 'Deseret' would have been) was created.
