User:Feoffer/sandbox Expulsion of Mormons from Jackson County

In 1833, the followers of Joseph Smith, called "Latter Day Saints" or simply "Mormons", were expelled from Jackson County, Missouri by harassment, terrorism, and threats of violence. In response, Smith raised an army, called Zion's Camp, which travelled to Missouri in order to reclaim the lost land. The standoff was ultimately resolved when the people of Jackson Country agreed to financially compensate the expelled people for the loss of their property.

Background

See also: Zion (Latter Day Saints) and Temple Lot

This one page Plat written in June 1833 by Joseph Smith defines a comprehensive multiple city plan.

In 1830, five of Smith's followers arrived at the village of Independence in Jackson County, Missouri. On July 20, 1831, Smith announced a revelation stating that Independence would be "the center place" of the City of Zion. The revelation explained that "a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse." On August 3, 1831, Smith, Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, Peter Whitmer Jr., Frederick G. Williams, W. W. Phelps, Martin Harris, and Joseph Coe laid a stone as the northeast cornerstone of the anticipated temple. On December 19, 1831, Mormon leader Edward Partidge purchased 63 acres (250,000 m²), including the Temple Lot.

In June 1832, Mormon leader W.W. Phelps moved to Independence, set up operation of a printing press and established the The Evening and the Morning Star, a monthly Mormon newspaper. Independence resident Josiah Gregg later recalled "in proportion as [the Mormons] grew strong in numbers, they also became more exacting and bold in their pretentions. In a little paper printed at Independence under their immediate auspices, everything was said that could provoke hostility between 'saints' and their 'worldly' neighbors, until at last they became so emboldened by impunity, as openly to boast of their determination to be the sole proprietors of the 'Land of Zion.'"

In December 1832, contemporary sources estimated that 100 Mormons populated Jackson County. By 1833, about 1200 Mormons had settled in the county making up almost half the population, according to modern estimates.

A comprehensive plat was devised by Smith in 1833, describing the planned city as an organized grid system of blocks and streets, with blocks house lots that alternated in direction by columns of blocks between north-south streets. The plan called for 24 Mormon temples at the city's center.

July edition of The Star

The July 1833 edition of the The Star featured multiple stories that were controversial with the original settlers of Jackson County.

One piece reminded "free people of color" to bring proof of citizenship with them if they came to the state, as required by Missouri law. While the piece was an attempt to have Mormon settlers of color comply with state law, the legal immigration of free blacks was seen as extremely undesirable to the original settlers of the newly-created Slave State. Encouragement of their immigration was controversial to the original settlers.

A second piece in The Star's July edition cautioned Mormons to adequately prepare before attempting to migrate to Jackson County, reminding them that while "the children of Israel" were "compelled to obtain [the Holy Land] by the sword, with the sacrifice of many lives", land in Jackson country had to be lawfully purchased, writing: "to suppose that we can come up here and take possession of this land by the shedding of blood, would be setting at nought the law of the glorious gospel, and also the word of our great Redeemer: And to suppose that we can take possession of this country, without making regular purchases of the same according to the laws of our nation, would be reproaching this great Republic, in which the most of us were born, and under whose auspices we all have protection." While the piece attempted to stem the influx of unprepared Mormon settlers and emphasized the need to respect existent property rights, the mere mention of land being obtained "by the sword" inflamed anxieties among the original settlers.

Destruction of The Star

On July 20, 1833, citizens of Jackson County held a town meeting to discuss concerns about the Mormons. about influx of Mormon settlers, whom they described as "little above the condition of our blacks either in regard to property or education", accusing the Mormons of having a "corrupting influence on our slaves" and inviting free people of color to the state. It accused the Mormons of planning to take over the county, writing "We are daily told, and not by the ignorant alone, but by all classes of them, that we, (the Gentiles,) of this county are to be cut off, and our lands appropriated by them for inheritances." The address alleged that "many of this deluded and infatuated people have been taught to believe that our lands were to be won from us by the sword." The address argued "it requires no gift of prophecy to tell that the day is not far distant when the civil government of the country will be in their hands".

It finally concluded with a demand that no further Mormons come to the county, that those present in the county leave, that their paper cease printing immediately. It ended with an ominous threat of violence, calling for "those to fail to comply with these requisitions [to] be referred to those of their brethern who have the gifts of divination... to inform them of the lot that await them".

After a two hour adjournment, during which the demands were presented to prominent Mormons, the meeting reconvened and were told that the local Mormon leaders requested an "unreasonable" amount of time to respond. As a result, it was unanimously resolved that the Mormon printing office should be razed and its printing press and type seized.

Forced truce

A second meeting was held on July 23, after which the locals published a "Memorandum of agreement" with local Mormon leaders who purportedly agreed to leave the county with their families by the end of the year. In exchange for the Mormons leaving their homes, the local leaders would "use all their influence to prevent any violence" so long as the Mormons complied with the "agreement".

See also

• Wild Wild Country, a Netflix docuseries about the 1980 founding of Rajneeshpuram, an intentional theocratic community in Wasco County, Oregon, and its ensuing conflicts with the county's original settlers.
• Project Normandy, the 1975 influx of Church of Scientology members into the city of Clearwater, Florida and the subsequent conflicts with the Clearwater community.