19
May 2008
Saved by Slavery (1852)
Posted in The End of Discretion (1852-1857) by D Marriott at 11:00 am |
In 1852 an act was passed by the Territorial Legislature and signed by Brigham Young, legalizing Indian slavery in the Utah Territory, but it was not what it seemed. Its sole purpose was to induce the Saints to buy children who would otherwise be starved, tortured, abandoned or killed either by their own people or other tribes. Such inhumane practices were so common among the Utah Indians that the Saints believed the only humane solution was to buy the children. The purchasers had to be approved by the Church leaders and had to promise to feed, clothe, and educate the children. They must also be treated as indentured servants and freed after a period of servitude. Even non-Mormons found little to criticize in the practice.
Burton, p. 269.
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