Mormon settlement of Utah

Who were the Mormons?

a religious group who suffered religious discrimination in the East due to their beliefs about shared ownership of land and polygamy.

Who were the leaders of the Mormons?

• Leader Joseph Smith murdered in Nauvoo, Illinois.

• New leader Brigham Young encouraged Mormons to move West.

When did the Mormons move West?

• Left in 1846 travelling on foot to Great Salt Lake in Utah which was between Rocky Mountains and Sierra Mountains.

• 1,300 mile journey.

When did the Mormons establish Salt Lake City?

In 1847 and by 1852, 10,000 had arrived.

How did Salt Lake City lead to growth?

• Young applied for Utah to become a state but this was refused. It became a territory and Young became governor.

• Young planned to build more Mormon settlements and towns and the Mormons grew. Nobody was allowed to own land - the church allocated land depending on what was needed. This worried those in the East who feared the growth of Mormon ideas.

How did Utah cause conflict?

• 1857, US government sent troops to Utah to force Young to follow US laws on marriage and property ownership. As a territory, Utah could not decide its own laws.

• 1857, a group of Mormons and Paiute, led by John D Lee massacred 120 migrants travelling to California. Led to Young stepping down as governor of Utah. Utah then had to follow USA rules.