Edmunds Act

E176650

The Edmunds Act was an 1882 U.S. federal law that strengthened anti-polygamy enforcement in Utah Territory by criminalizing unlawful cohabitation and disenfranchising and disqualifying polygamists from public office.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Edmunds Act canonical 1
Edmunds–Tucker Act 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal law
anti-polygamy law
affectedGroup Latter-day Saint polygamists
affectedRegion Utah Territory
aimedAt Mormon polygamy
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
surface form: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
appliesTo United States territories
codifiedIn 22 Stat. 30
controversialFor impact on religious freedom
country United States of America
surface form: United States
created Utah Commission
criminalized polygamous cohabitation
unlawful cohabitation
dateEnacted 1882
disenfranchised polygamists
disqualifiedFromOffice polygamists
enactedBy United States Congress
enforcementMechanism disenfranchisement procedures in territories
federal prosecution of unlawful cohabitation
followedBy Edmunds–Tucker Act
fullName Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act of 1882
historicalPeriod Late 19th century United States
jurisdiction Utah Territory
legalClassification felony for polygamy
misdemeanor for unlawful cohabitation
legalDomain federal statute
legalStatusOfPolygamists ineligible to hold public office
ineligible to serve on juries
ineligible to vote
namedAfter George F. Edmunds
notableEffect increased convictions for unlawful cohabitation
political marginalization of Mormon polygamists
penaltyIncludes fines
imprisonment
policyArea civil rights
criminal law
marriage law
presidentAtEnactment Chester A. Arthur
purpose to suppress polygamy in U.S. territories
restricted jury service by polygamists
voting rights of polygamists
revised Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act
signedBy Chester A. Arthur
sponsor George F. Edmunds
strengthenedEnforcementOf Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act
typeOfRestriction religious practice restriction
yearPassed 1882

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act followedBy Edmunds Act
Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act followedBy Edmunds Act
this entity surface form: Edmunds–Tucker Act