Why is polygamy illegal in the U.S.?

Although Abraham Lincoln, when asked what he would do about the Mormon problem said he would let them alone, the Republican party included as part of its platform the the promise to stamp out the "twin relics of barbarism: slavery and polygamy." In 1860, Congrss passed a law making it illegal in any U.S. read more

The history of Utah provides an interesting view of this issue. As many people know, Utah was founded (as a European-descended community) by the Mormon pioneers that first arrived in 1847. read more

United States: Polygamy is illegal in all 50 states but not federally. From about 1847 to 1857, in what is now the state of Utah, many Mormons practiced polygamy, which was widely condemned in the rest of the US. read more

U.S. laws concerning polygamy: Gregory Brower, the Arizona U.S. Attorney, said during a Senate hearing in 2008-JUL that there is no federal law against polygamy. He commented that the federal government has a number of traditional resources at its disposal to investigate polygamists, including FBI, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, IRS, and other inspectors. read more