The Mormon migration, 1846-7

• The Mormons were a religious group who were forced to move from state to state because other Christians disliked some of their beliefs, e.g. polygamy (having more than one wife).
• In 1845 the Mormons were forced to leave Illinois when their leader and founder Joseph Smith was murdered. Their new leader Brigham Young believed God wanted them to migrate to Salt Lake Valley, Utah. It was south of the Oregon Trail and outside US territory at the time.
• The journey was very well-planned:

  • Before they left, Young counted how many people and wagons there were.
  • Young researched the route by speaking to explorers and trail guides.
  • To avoid arguments, Young was very strict and everyone had a specific role.
  • Young planned regular rests along the route, to stop everyone becoming exhausted.
  • The migrants were divided into smaller groups, so everyone knew what to do if they got split up.
• The Mormons’ journey: Stage One

  The Mormons were forced to begin their migration in February, when the weather was still very cold. When they reached Omaha it was too late in the year to begin the trail, so they waited and spent another harsh winter at Omaha.
• The Mormons’ journey: Stage Two, Great Salt Lake, April-June 1847


  In April 1847 Young led a small advance party of about 150 Mormons on the 2000km journey to the Salt Lake Valley. They left the Oregon Trail and took the route used by the Donner Party. Just as Young finished the journey, another wagon train of 1500 Mormons was setting off from Omaha. Thanks to the advance party this group had a clear route to follow. From 1847-69 70,000 Mormons followed the Mormon Trail to the Salt Lake Valley.
• The Mormons managed to successfully settle in the Salt Lake Valley because…

  Young’s group made the journey easier for the next migrants by noting water sources, setting up river crossings and planting vegetables along the way.
• The Mormons managed to successfully settle in the Salt Lake Valley because…

  Everyone obeyed Young. The Church owned all land and everyone worked together for the community.
• The Mormons managed to successfully settle in the Salt Lake Valley because…

  They built irrigation systems from freshwater streams so that they could grow crops.
• The Mormons managed to successfully settle in the Salt Lake Valley because…

  New Mormon settlements spread away from the Valley, to areas with better water supplies. Each produced a different product, e.g. timber