Exposed: How Brigham Young's Teen Bride Was Trapped In A Nightmare Of Polygamy
Have you ever wondered what it's really like to be trapped in a polygamous marriage? Imagine being a teenager, promised to a powerful religious leader, only to discover that your life is about to become a nightmare of neglect, cruelty, and spiritual bondage. This is the harrowing true story of Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young's 19th wife, whose courageous fight for freedom exposed the dark underbelly of Mormon polygamy to the world.
Biography of Ann Eliza Young
Ann Eliza Young's life reads like a dramatic novel, but every word is painfully true. Born Ann Eliza Webb on September 13, 1844, in Nauvoo, Illinois, she grew up in the heart of the early Mormon community. Her parents, Chauncey and Eliza Webb, were devoted Latter-day Saints who had followed the church westward to Utah.
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| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ann Eliza Webb Young |
| Born | September 13, 1844 |
| Birthplace | Nauvoo, Illinois |
| Died | December 19, 1917 |
| Known For | Anti-polygamy activist, Author of "Wife No. 19" |
| Marriages | Brigham Young (1868-1875) |
| Children | 2 |
| Notable Works | "Wife No. 19" (1876), "The 19th Wife" (1908) |
The Marriage That Changed Everything
In 1868, at the age of 24, Ann Eliza Webb became the 19th wife of Brigham Young, the president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What seemed like a dream marriage to a powerful and respected leader quickly turned into a nightmare that would consume her life for the next seven years.
Brigham Young, who was 67 years old when he married Ann Eliza, already had dozens of wives and was the de facto ruler of Utah Territory. The power imbalance in their relationship was staggering, and Ann Eliza soon found herself lost in a sea of other wives, neglected and ignored by the man she had married.
The Shocking Court Ruling
The turning point in Ann Eliza's life came when she finally decided to leave her polygamous marriage. In a groundbreaking legal decision that sent shockwaves through the Mormon community, Judge McKean ruled that even a marriage in the Mormon tradition of polygamy would qualify for compensation. This was revolutionary at a time when polygamy existed in a legal gray area.
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The court ordered Brigham Young to pay $3,000 in court fees and $500 a month in alimony to Ann, as well as back payments for alimony during the court case. This ruling established a crucial precedent: that polygamous marriages, while not legally recognized, still carried financial obligations that could be enforced by the courts.
Brigham Young's Defiance and Arrest
True to form, Brigham Young refused to pay the court-ordered alimony. His defiance led to his arrest, spending a night in jail before being forced to pay the court fees. This public humiliation of the church's prophet was unprecedented and sent a clear message that the days of Mormon polygamy operating outside the law were coming to an end.
The arrest highlighted the growing tension between Mormon religious practices and federal law. It also demonstrated the personal cost of challenging religious authority in 19th century America, especially when that authority wielded both spiritual and temporal power.
The Divorce That Shook the Nation
The divorce proceedings between Ann Eliza Young and Brigham Young garnered international interest, becoming one of the most sensational court cases of the era. Less than five years after their marriage, Ann Eliza filed for divorce on the grounds of neglect, cruel treatment, and abandonment. Her case was groundbreaking not just for its religious implications, but for what it revealed about the treatment of women in polygamous marriages.
The divorce was granted, and Ann Eliza was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This excommunication was particularly painful, as it cut her off from her family, friends, and the only community she had ever known. However, it also freed her to speak out about the horrors she had witnessed.
Wife No. 19: The Exposé That Changed Everything
Following her divorce and excommunication, Ann Eliza Young published her groundbreaking autobiography, "Wife No. 19, or the Story of a Life in Bondage." The full title reveals the book's purpose: "Being a Complete Exposé of Mormonism, and Revealing the Sorrows, Sacrifices and Sufferings of Women in Polygamy."
This book, with introductory notes by John B. Gough, became a national sensation. It provided a firsthand account of life inside polygamy from someone who had experienced it directly. Ann Eliza's detailed descriptions of the jealousy, competition, neglect, and cruelty that characterized polygamous households shocked readers across America.
The National Lecture Tour
Armed with her book and her personal experiences, Ann Eliza Young embarked on a national lecture tour that would make her one of the most famous women in America. She spoke out against polygamy, Mormonism, and Brigham Young himself, drawing huge crowds eager to hear the inside story of the Mormon practice that had become a national controversy.
Her lectures were not just personal testimony but also political activism. At a time when the federal government was considering anti-polygamy legislation, Ann Eliza's voice added crucial weight to the arguments against the practice. She became a key figure in the national debate over religious freedom versus federal authority.
The Historical Context of Mormon Polygamy
Mormon polygamy grabbed the national spotlight in 1875 when Prophet Brigham Young's 19th wife, Ann Eliza, divorced him, wrote an exposé about plural marriage, and set out on a lecture tour. This event came at a crucial time in American history when the nation was grappling with questions of religious freedom, women's rights, and federal authority over territories.
The practice of polygamy in Mormonism began with Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois, and continued under Brigham Young in Utah. The church's official stance on polygamy evolved over time, but during Ann Eliza's era, it was a central and controversial practice that defined much of Mormon identity and culture.
Age and Consent in Mormon Polygamy
In Utah, Brigham Young instructed polygamous men to wait to consummate their sealings to younger brides until they were at least eighteen. While it is impossible to document, it appears this policy began in Nauvoo with Joseph Smith. This policy, while seemingly progressive, still involved marriages to teenage girls and raised serious questions about consent and power dynamics in polygamous relationships.
The Mormon church's acknowledgment of its polygamous past, including the recognition that founder Joseph Smith had a teenage bride and was married to other men's wives during the faith's early polygamous days, represents a significant shift in how religious institutions confront uncomfortable aspects of their history.
The Legacy of Ann Eliza Young
Ann Eliza Young's courageous stand against polygamy had lasting effects on both the Mormon church and American society. Her book and lectures contributed to the growing national opposition to polygamy, which eventually led to federal legislation banning the practice and the Mormon church's official abandonment of polygamy in 1890.
Beyond her immediate impact, Ann Eliza's story represents the power of individual testimony to effect social change. As a woman speaking out against powerful religious and social structures, she faced enormous personal cost but never wavered in her conviction that polygamy was harmful to women and children.
Conclusion
The story of Ann Eliza Young is more than just a historical curiosity; it's a testament to the power of truth-telling and the courage required to challenge entrenched systems of power. From her marriage to Brigham Young to her national campaign against polygamy, Ann Eliza's life demonstrates how one person's voice can change the course of history.
Her experiences, documented in "Wife No. 19" and her lectures, continue to resonate today as we grapple with questions of religious freedom, women's rights, and the balance between personal belief and societal norms. The nightmare she escaped from became the platform she used to help free countless others from similar bondage.
Ann Eliza Young's legacy reminds us that even in the darkest of circumstances, one person's courage to speak the truth can illuminate the path to freedom for many others. Her story is not just about Mormon polygamy; it's about the universal struggle for dignity, autonomy, and the right to live free from oppression.
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