Lecture Notes: Western Migration and Mormon Women

Introduction

• Focus on Western migration of women, specifically Mormon women from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Examining example of westward migration.
• Key figure: A specific Mormon woman illustrating challenges and opportunities.

Mormon Migration

• Church Origins: Established in the U.S., growing rapidly under Joseph Smith.
• Nauvoo, Illinois: Centered there, faced mob hostility.
• Brigham Young's Leadership: Led migration after Joseph Smith's murder.
• Journey to Utah: Traveled 1,300 miles, left U.S. territory (was Mexican land).
• Unique Migration: Family-oriented migration, including women and children.

Role of Women

• Women performed traditional household roles in the wilderness.
• Kept diaries providing insights into their experiences.
• Eliza Snow's Journal: Documented hardships like using buffalo dung for fuel.

Case Study: Maddie Hughes Cannon

• Background: From Wales, migrated in 1861.
• Personal Tragedies: Lost family members during migration.
• Career Achievements:
  • Typesetter at Deseret News.
  • Chemistry degree from University of Deseret.
  • Medical degree from University of Michigan.
  • Doctor at Deseret Hospital, opened by Relief Society.

Challenges of Polygamy and Marriage

• Married Angus Cannon, a plural marriage (polygamy).
• Faced legal challenges as polygamy was illegal.
• Fled to England to avoid arrest, husband imprisoned.
• Involved in women's suffrage and opened nursing school.

Women's Suffrage and Polygamy

• Edmunds-Tucker Act (1887): Toughened laws against polygamy, penalizing church and removing women's voting rights.
• Women's Suffrage Movement:
  • Woman’s Exponent Newspaper: Supported suffrage and polygamy.
  • Utah Women's Suffrage Association active.
  • Statehood for Utah (1896): Reinstated women's suffrage.

Opinions on Polygamy

• Some viewed as oppressive, others viewed it as empowering.
• Women like Emmeline Wells saw benefits like more freedom.
• Utah had no-fault divorce, community support among women.

Political Career

• Ran for Utah Senate in 1896, won against husband and others.
• Advocated for women’s rights, workplace conditions, and health.
• Stepped back after having third child.
• Continues to be an active suffragist.

Legacy

• Commemoration: Statue at Utah State Capitol.
• Insight into broad late 19th-century topics:
  • Western migration.
  • Women in medicine and education.
  • Debates on polygamy and suffrage.
  • Early political gains for women in the West.

Conclusion

• Maddie Hughes Cannon's story is a lens into multiple socio-political issues of the time, illustrating the active role of women in shaping Western and U.S. history.