The Mormons and their immigration to the West were an example of peoples moving west because they still hadn’t found the religious tolerance that they were seeking in the east. Their ideas were even more different from the mainline Christians than the differences between the Protestants and the Catholics. This led to the inevitable fears and misunderstandings that go with differences. They were also philosophically very conservative so sometimes when they were attacked as a group it was really an attack on their conservatism more than their beliefs. Polygamy however, was the deal breaker for most people and it was not a belief system that the Christian based society here was prepared to tolerate. Thus, Mormons settled in the west looking for a place to call their own where they would be left alone. They engaged in the same intolerance toward others and their faiths that was targeted toward them. Their presence had a profound effect on the west and its settlement.
The first part of the paper would be a discussion of the basic roots of Mormonism and their reasons for moving to the West at all. Included in this would have to be a discussion of religious intolerance nationally and a very brief look at the number of other groups and sects leaving the east for the same reasons. A discussion of polygamy, its roots and its ramifications will be a necessary part of this portion of the paper. Once that set-up has been finished then it should be necessary to move into the political and sociological ramifications of their presence as a group. It will be necessary to look into the role of women at the time and their place in the developing society in Utah
In looking up some preliminary information on Mormons there appears to be an abundance of information in newspapers of the time and those clearly lead to other government papers and resources so I think that will be the best place to begin.
