In the 19th century, the Mormons were persecuted and driven out of towns and communities (including the Federal government) all across the country until past the Rocky Mountains at an area where they were allowed to basically be themselves. (No other reason why a civilization would by choice be cultivated and flourish around a bigass salt lake.)
Why the violent reaction to them by America? Polygamy, a marriage practice that's been practiced by countless people across distant lands over thousands of years. And one that in itself, I have no philosophical qualms with. (Though why one wants 3 nagging wives instead of 1, I don't get. :p) But not OK with the Protestants back East.
From wikipedia:
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During the 1870s and 1880s, federal laws were passed and federal marshals assigned to punish and harass polygamists, confiscate church property, jail polygamists and deny jury trials or voting rights to all polygamists. In the 1890 Manifesto, the LDS Church finally agreed to drop its approval of polygamy. When Utah applied for statehood again in 1895, it was accepted. One of the conditions for granting Utah statehood was that a ban on polygamy be written into the state constitution. This was a condition required of other western states that were admitted into the Union later. Statehood was officially granted on January 4, 1896, over 30 years after the 60,000 population requirement for statehood had been met.
So yeah, that's why I raised an eyebrow when during a debate, the Mormon Mitt Romney claimed Obama has been the greatest violator of Religious Liberty in American history. I would consider that bullshit I copy/pasted above to be a whole lot worse and despicable in retrospect than women using pills. (Hell Mitt's ancestor fled Utah for Mexico because of the Feds forcing Utah to accept bigamy.)
The irony is, one of the arguments used by the East against the Mormons were thay they treated their women like shit. Yet the Utah Territory gave them the right to vote in 1870. Which Congress negated in 1887 with the Edmunds-Tucker Act which did the following:
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Dissolved the LDS Church and the Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company, with assets to be used for public schools in the Territory.
Required an anti-polygamy oath for prospective voters, jurors and public officials.
Annulled territorial laws allowing illegitimate children to inherit.
Required civil marriage licenses (to aid in the prosecution of polygamy).
Abrogated the common law spousal privilege for polygamists, thus requiring wives to testify against their husbands.[2] Disfranchised women (who had been enfranchised by the Territorial legislature in 1870).
Replaced local judges (including the previously powerful Probate Court judges) with federally appointed judges.
Jesus. Mitt, you're definately wrong in your pandering to the people who's ancestors persecuted yours. The same Evangelicals who're voting against you in the primaries.
