Polygamy
Pratt, R.B. "Massachusetts Debate on Polygamy." The Woman's Exponent 01 Apr. 1899. Mormon Publications: 19th and 20th Centuries. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
Despite the fact that this short newspaper article was somewhat difficult to parse out, I found its focus on the polygamy controversy to be intriguing and quite rare for this era. The article covers a case regarding the pending vote to accept or deny a Utah politician a seat in Congress due to his affiliations and experiences with Mormon polygamist practices. Voices in support of polygamy argued for religious freedom and claimed that nothing about polygamy was immoral; while those in opposition to the practice were certain that it was completely immoral and would ultimately “break up the foundations of society” (Pratt 128). The article is relevant to our studies of the “discontents” of marriage because it raises questions about the morality involved in affairs that were deemed “Christian” such as polygamy and the more common practice, divorce. Were late 19th century American citizens initially equally vehement in opposition divorce because of its moral digressions? (KC)
Despite the fact that this short newspaper article was somewhat difficult to parse out, I found its focus on the polygamy controversy to be intriguing and quite rare for this era. The article covers a case regarding the pending vote to accept or deny a Utah politician a seat in Congress due to his affiliations and experiences with Mormon polygamist practices. Voices in support of polygamy argued for religious freedom and claimed that nothing about polygamy was immoral; while those in opposition to the practice were certain that it was completely immoral and would ultimately “break up the foundations of society” (Pratt 128). The article is relevant to our studies of the “discontents” of marriage because it raises questions about the morality involved in affairs that were deemed “Christian” such as polygamy and the more common practice, divorce. Were late 19th century American citizens initially equally vehement in opposition divorce because of its moral digressions? (KC)
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