In his role as emigration leader, leader of the LDS church, and Utah Territorial governor, Brigham Young had a huge impact on the development of Utah. He chose the Salt Lake valley Salt Lake Valley is a 500-square-mile valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably Murray, Sandy, South Jordan, West Jordan, and West Valley City; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010. Brigham You… Mormonism is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity. Joseph Smith founded this movement in upstate New York in the 1820s.Salt Lake Valley
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How long did it take Brigham Young to settle Utah?
Mormons settle Salt Lake Valley After 17 months and many miles of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 pioneers into Utah’s Valley of the Great Salt Lake.
What did Brigham Young do for the Mormons?
Young constructed the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City and began the erection of the Salt Lake Temple. He founded Brigham Young University; the University of Deseret, now University of Utah; and the Salt Lake Theatre, where major actors and actresses performed.
What did Brigham Young do as governor of Utah?
With the United States in control of the Great Salt Lake Valley region after the Mexican-American War, Young was appointed governor of the new Utah Territory in 1850. He governed the territory as a theocracy, with church doctrines taking precedence over laws.
What was Brigham Young’s relationship with the government?
With the formation of the territory of Utah in 1850, Young was appointed its first territorial governor, a post which he held until 1857. But relations between Young and the federal government were less than ideal, particularly in wake of the Mormon church’s public acknowledgment of polygamy in 1852.
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Who was Brigham Young and why was he important?
Brigham Young, (born June 1, 1801, Whitingham, Vermont, U.S.—died August 29, 1877, Salt Lake City, Utah), American religious leader, second president of the Mormon church, and colonizer who significantly influenced the development of the American West.
When did Brigham Young settle in Utah?
After early difficulties, Salt Lake City began to flourish. By 1869, 80,000 had made the trek to their promised land. In 1850, President Millard Fillmore named Brigham Young the first governor of the U.S. territory of Utah, and the territory enjoyed relative autonomy for several years.
Who first settled Utah?
Salt Lake City was founded on July 24, 1847, by a group of Mormon pioneers. (Mormons are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) The pioneers, led by Brigham Young, were the first non-Indians to settle permanently in the Salt Lake Valley.
Who led the Mormon migration to Utah?
Brigham Young, who was emerging as the church's new leader, conducted a census that fall, counting more than 3,000 families and some 2,500 wagons.
What state did the Mormons eventually settle?
UtahTheir leader assassinated and their homes under attack, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) of Nauvoo, Illinois, begin a long westward migration that eventually brings them to the valley of the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
What was Brigham Young's major accomplishment?
He founded Brigham Young University; the University of Deseret, now University of Utah; and the Salt Lake Theatre, where major actors and actresses performed. Young was a leading Western colonizer, energetic entrepreneur of new industry, astute politician and effective sermonizer.
What was Brigham Young's career?
A towering figure in Mormonism, Brigham Young (1801-1877), began his professional career as a carpenter and painter. Baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1832, he was ordained an apostle in 1835. After the assassination of Joseph Smith in 1844, Young was chosen leader of the Mormons and continued as president until his death. He directed the migration of 16,000 Mormons from Illinois to Utah from 1846 to 1852, and became governor of the territory in 1851. In addition to bolstering his community through education and the arts, Young contracted for the national expansion of telegraph and railroad lines.
When did Brigham Young die?
By the summer of 1877, Young’s health was in decline, but he continued to play an active role in the Mormon church up until the end. On August 29, 1877, Brigham Young died in Salt Lake City at the age of 76.
When did women get the vote in Utah?
Under prodding from Young, Utah gave women the vote in 1870, thus recognizing their political equality and also adding to Mormon vote pluralities. Young constructed the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City and began the erection of the Salt Lake Temple.
Who was the leader of the Mormons after Joseph Smith's death?
After the assassination of Joseph Smith in 1844, Young was chosen leader of the Mormons and continued as president until his death. He directed the migration of 16,000 Mormons from Illinois to Utah from 1846 to 1852, and became governor of the territory in 1851.
Where did the Apostles camp in 1847?
After spending the winter of 1846-47 in a camp along the Missouri River between Iowa and Nebraska, Young headed further west with 142 men, including six apostles, three women and two children, in April 1847. They arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Young declared the site would be the group’s new home, and they began building an adobe and log settlement where Salt Lake City now stands.
Who was Brigham Young?
Brigham Young ( / ˈbrɪɡəm /; June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader, politician, and colonizer. He was the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death in 1877.
What was Brigham Young's first school?
at which the children of the Latter-day Saints can receive a good education unmixed with the pernicious atheistic influences that are found in so many of the higher schools of the country." The school broke off from the University of Deseret and became Brigham Young Academy, the precursor to Brigham Young University .
How many wives did Brigham Young have?
This is in part due to the complexity of how wives were identified in the Mormon society at the time. Caricature of Young's wives, after his death. Of Young's 55 wives, 21 had never been married before; 16 were widows; six were divorced; six had living husbands and the marital status of six others is unknown.
What was Brigham Young Academy?
The school broke off from the University of Deseret and became Brigham Young Academy, the precursor to Brigham Young University . Within the church, Young reorganized the Relief Society for women in 1867, and he created organizations for young women in 1869 and young men in 1875.
How many volumes of sermons did Brigham Young write?
The majority of Young's teachings are contained in the 19 volumes of transcribed and edited sermons in the Journal of Discourses. The LDS Church's Doctrine and Covenants contains one section from Young that has been canonized as scripture, adding the section in 1876.
Why did Brigham Young build the Lion House?
In 1856, Young built the Lion House to accommodate his sizable family. This building remains a Salt Lake City landmark, together with the Beehive House, another Young family home. A contemporary of Young wrote: "It was amusing to walk by Brigham Young's big house, a long rambling building with innumerable doors.
Where is Brigham Young's statue?
Statue in Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. This Is the Place Monument, Salt Lake City. Brigham Young Monument, Salt Lake City. Young's teachings were the 1998–99 course of study in the LDS Church's Sunday Relief Society and Melchizedek priesthood classes.
What is the history of Utah?
The History of Utah is an examination of the human history and social activity within the state of Utah located in the western United States.
When did Native Americans first live in Utah?
Archaeological evidence dates the earliest habitation of Native Americans in Utah to about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Paleolithic people lived near the Great Basin 's swamps and marshes, which had an abundance of fish, birds, and small game animals. Big game, including bison, mammoths and ground sloths, also were attracted to these water sources.
What tribes lived in Utah?
Four main Shoshonean peoples inhabited Utah country. The Shoshone in the north and northeast, the Gosiutes in the northwest, the Utes in the central and eastern parts of the region and the Southern Paiutes in the southwest. Initially, there seems to have been very little conflict between these groups.
Why did the Mormons promote women's suffrage?
The Mormons promoted woman suffrage to counter the negative image of downtrodden Mormon women. With the 1890 Manifesto clearing the way for statehood, in 1895 Utah adopted a constitution restoring the right of women's suffrage. Congress admitted Utah as a state with that constitution in 1896.
Why was Utah denied statehood?
Disputes between the Mormon inhabitants and the federal government intensified after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ' practice of polygamy became known. The polygamous practices of the Mormons, which were made public in 1854, would be one of the major reasons Utah was denied statehood until almost 50 years after the Mormons had entered the area.
Why was Geneva Steel built?
Geneva Steel was built to increase the steel production for America during World War II . President Franklin D. Roosevelt had proposed opening a steel mill in Utah in 1936, but the idea was shelved after a couple of months. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered the war and the steel plant was put into progress. In April 1944, Geneva shipped its first order, which consisted of over 600 tons of steel plate. Geneva Steel also brought thousands of job opportunities to Utah. The positions were hard to fill as many men were overseas fighting. Women began working, filling 25 percent of the jobs.
Who was the fur trapper who explored Utah?
The expedition traveled as far north as Utah Lake and encountered the native residents. Fur trappers Also known as mountain men-including Jim Bridger —explored some regions of Utah in the early 19th century. The city of Provo was named for one such man, Étienne Provost, who visited the area in 1825.
How long did it take Brigham Young to travel to Utah?
After 17 months and many miles of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 pioneers into Utah’s Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Gazing over the parched earth of the remote location, Young declared, “This is the place,” and the pioneers began preparations for the thousands of followers of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) who would soon come. Seeking religious and political freedom, the Latter-day Saints began planning their great migration from the east after the murder of Joseph Smith, the Christian sect’s founder and first leader.
Who was the first governor of Utah?
By 1869, 80,000 had made the trek to their promised land. In 1850, President Millard Fillmore named Brigham Young the first governor of the U.S. territory of Utah, and the territory enjoyed relative autonomy for several years.
Why did the Latter Day Saints migrate to the East?
Seeking religious and political freedom, the Latter-day Saints began planning their great migration from the east after the murder of Joseph Smith, the Christian sect’s founder and first leader. Joseph Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont, in 1805.
Who led the Latter Day Saints to Nauvoo?
On June 27, 1844, a mob with blackened faces stormed in and murdered the brothers. Two years later, Smith’s successor, Brigham Young, led an exodus of persecuted Latter-day Saints from Nauvoo along the western wagon trails in search of a sanctuary in “a place on this earth that nobody else wants.”. The expedition, more than 10,000 pioneers strong, ...
Early Years and Rise in The Church
Journey West to The Great Salt Lake
Growth of The Mormon Community in Utah
- Young returned east to lead a second company of Mormons to the region in late 1847, and in 1848 was officially selected as the church’s new president. Over the next few decades, as thousands of Mormons arrived in Salt Lake City, the charismatic Young styled himself after the great prophets and leaders of ancient Israel, earning nicknames like “Lion of the Lord” and “Amer…
Mountain Meadows Massacre
- Young’s defiant stance toward outside authority meant frequent clashes with the federal government, especially after the church’s public embrace of plural marriage in 1852. In 1857, President James Buchanandeclared Utah to be in a state of rebellion, and sent some 2,500 federal troops to help replace Young as territorial governor. The Utah War was resolved in 1858, with Yo…
Young's Final Years
- With Congress repeatedly rejecting proposals for Utah statehood, Young firmly resisted the territory’s involvement in the Civil War, especially after passage of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act in 1862, which effectively outlawed plural marriage in U.S. territories. Several church leaders, including Young, were later charged under the law; Young was not...
Sources
- Matthew Bowman, The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith (Random House, 2012) David Roberts. “The Brink of War.” Smithsonian Magazine, June 2008. John G. Turner. “Polygamy, Brigham Young and His 55 Wives.” HuffPost, August 27, 2012. The Mormons: Brigham Young. PBS: American Experience.