Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act

E32823

The Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act was an 1862 U.S. federal law that criminalized polygamy in U.S. territories, particularly targeting Mormon plural marriage practices.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal law
anti-polygamy law
aimedAt Mormon plural marriage
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
surface form: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
appliesTo United States territories
persons entering into plural marriages in U.S. territories
residents of U.S. territories
chamberOfOrigin United States House of Representatives
country United States of America
surface form: United States
criminalized bigamy in U.S. territories
polygamy in U.S. territories
dateEnacted 1862-07-08
enforcedAgainst members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
followedBy Edmunds Act
Edmunds Act
surface form: Edmunds–Tucker Act
fullName Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act self-linksurface differs
surface form: An Act to punish and prevent the Practice of Polygamy in the Territories of the United States and other Places, and disapproving and annulling certain Acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah
governmentBranch legislative branch of the United States
hasEffectOn legality of plural marriage in U.S. territories
historicalPeriod American Civil War
surface form: American Civil War era
jurisdiction United States government
surface form: United States federal government
language English
legalArea criminal law
family law
legalStatusOfPolygamyInTerritories made illegal
legislativeBody United States Congress
limitedPropertyOwnershipOf Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
surface form: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
mainSubject bigamy
polygamy
motivatedBy federal concern over Mormon political power in Utah Territory
opposition to polygamy
namedAfter Justin Smith Morrill
penalty fine
imprisonment
placeOfEffect Utah
surface form: Utah Territory

other U.S. territories
relatedToCase Reynolds v. United States
restrictedChurchPropertyValueTo 50000 USD in any territory
shortName Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act self-link
signedBy Abraham Lincoln
signedIntoLawIn Washington, D.C.
sponsor Justin Smith Morrill
targeted Mormon polygamy
plural marriage
topic Latter-day Saint history
marriage law in the United States
religious freedom in the United States
typeOfSanction criminal sanction
yearEnacted 1862

Referenced by (4)

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

Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act fullName Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: An Act to punish and prevent the Practice of Polygamy in the Territories of the United States and other Places, and disapproving and annulling certain Acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah
George Reynolds legalContext Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act
this entity surface form: Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862
Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act shortName Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act self-link
Reynolds v. United States statuteInvolved Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act