The Edmunds-Tucker Act: How It Reshaped the Lives of Mormon Women

The Edmunds-Tucker Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1887, was a significant federal law aimed at abolishing plural marriage (polygamy) within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah Territory. It built upon previous anti-polygamy legislation, imposing severe penalties and restructuring territorial institutions to dismantle the practice and weaken the Church's political and economic power, with profound and often unintended consequences for Mormon women.

Disenfranchisement and Loss of Political Voice

One of the most immediate and impactful provisions of the Edmunds-Tucker Act for women was the revocation of women's suffrage in Utah Territory. While the intent was to undermine polygamy by removing a voting bloc perceived to support it, the law made no distinction between women in plural marriages and those in monogamous ones. This meant that all women in Utah, who had enjoyed the right to vote since 1870 (one of the first places in the nation to grant it), suddenly lost this fundamental political right. This act silenced a significant portion of the population and stripped women of their ability to influence local and territorial governance.

Impact on Property, Inheritance, and Family Structure

The Act also had far-reaching effects on the legal and economic standing of Mormon women and their families. It disinherited children of plural marriages, declaring them illegitimate, which created immense legal and financial insecurity. Wives in plural marriages were often compelled to testify against their husbands, facing legal pressure that fractured family units and placed women in an impossible position between loyalty to family and demands of the state. Furthermore, the Act confiscated the property of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the Perpetual Emigrating Fund, which had assisted many women and families in migrating to Utah. This seizure indirectly impacted the economic stability of many households, as Church resources often supported communities and individuals.

Federal Control Over Marriage and Divorce

Another crucial aspect was the abolition of local probate courts, which had previously handled marriage and divorce proceedings, and the transfer of this jurisdiction to federal courts. This change removed local control and familiarity, making it more difficult for women, particularly those in plural marriages, to navigate the legal system to secure divorces or assert their rights within complex family structures. It centralized power away from local communities and into the hands of federal appointees, many of whom were openly hostile to the practice of polygamy and the Mormon community generally.

The Edmunds-Tucker Act profoundly mattered because it represented an unprecedented federal intervention into the social and religious practices of a territory, specifically targeting women's autonomy and legal standing. It not only stripped Mormon women of their suffrage but also disrupted their family lives, property rights, and access to legal recourse. The Act fueled a renewed and vigorous women's rights movement within Utah, galvanizing Mormon women to advocate for the restoration of their voting rights and to defend their way of life, ultimately contributing to the unique trajectory of women's suffrage in Utah and shaping the terms of Utah's eventual statehood.

Sources

• Sarah Barringer Gordon, The Mormon Question: Polygamy and Constitutional Conflict in Nineteenth-Century America (2002)
• Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, 'Women's Suffrage in Utah' in Utah History Encyclopedia (1994)
• Richard D. Poll, 'The Edmunds-Tucker Act' in Utah History Encyclopedia (1994)