Keywords
Mormon women’s public image, 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, women’s activism and representation
Abstract
The influence of woman is fully recognized.” These words, spoken by Emily S. Richards, echoed the shared mission of Utah women at the World’s Congress of Representative Women: to overturn the public perception of them as ignorant, crude, and barbaric. After decades of legal and social campaigns against the so-called “second barbarism” of polygamy, the reputation of Mormon women had been one of its greatest casualties. Cast as too homely to marry a respectable man, too naive to resist deception, and too submissive to think for themselves, the Utah delegation to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair sought to redefine their identity, reclaim their reputation, and reshape public opinion. Through speeches, poetry, art, literature, and other publications, including a series of biographical sketches called Representative Women of Deseret, Mormon women showcased their intelligence, sophistication, and progressive ideals.
Recommended Citation
Janis, Evan
(2026)
"Moving Forward, Looking Back: How Mormon Women Sought to Carry Their Polygamous Past into a Progressive Future Article,"
The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing: Vol. 55:
Iss.
1, Article 10.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thetean/vol55/iss1/10
Included in
African History Commons, Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Asian History Commons, European History Commons, Genealogy Commons, History of Religion Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Latin American History Commons, Medieval Studies Commons, Military History Commons, Religion Commons, United States History Commons, Women's History Commons