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Why did the US government oppose Mormons' polygamy?

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Brigham Young and his successors played the Game of Thrones and lost. TL, DR 1. Political pressure from Protestant morality groups associated with the Temperance and Anti-Slavery causes. 2. read more

The United States had no specific laws against polygamy in the mid 19th century, but did have the historic common law prohibitions against bigamy. Polygamy became an issue because of Protestant morality pressure groups (usually also associated with the temperance and anti-slavery movements) made it a cause celebre. Polygamy rhetoric in the US Congress also tapped into concepts of racial purity. read more

Mormons did not end polygamy. It is still practiced by other religions and cultures in several countries throughout the world and also in a few communities in the United States. Mormons did make polygamy a forbidden practice within the church in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This transition occurred gradually, and in some cases painfully. read more

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