Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain a more complete understanding of Mormon politics in territorial Utah by studying the growth and development of the political process in Summit County to 1882.

The study suggests that the county was governed by a relatively small but growing group of politically minded men, many of whom also ecclesiastical trust or who were among the pioneers of the area. The study also suggests that the Mormon teaching of unity in all things and fair representation among county offices from the county's major population centers were the governing principles of Mormon political action and that any violation of the second principle usually affected the first principle, resulting in opposition on election day. Additionally, the study suggests that the granting of female suffrage in 1870 did not materially affect the county's political outlook. Finally, the study suggests that the establishment of the Mormon Summit Stake in 1877 and the passage of the Edmunds Law in 1881 were significant factors in the evolving of the People's Party as the vehicle for the expression of Mormon political will.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; History

Rights

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