In 1847, the Mormon pioneers arrived with at least three African slaves to the Great Salt Lake, then part of Mexico, which banned slavery in 1829. Slavery continued in Utah as a custom until the Utah Territorial Legislature formalized African and Native American slavery in 1852. This remained the law regarding slavery in the Utah Territory until June 1862 when Congress outlawed slavery in all territories of the United States.
While no accurate census of enslaved persons in the Utah Territory seems to exist, there were both African and Native American enslaved people in Utah, including southwest Utah, which had picked up the nickname “Dixie” by the mid-1850s. Some pioneers to southwest Utah came from the southern slave states of the United States.
Every Utahn today needs to know there were enslaved people used in Utah to help build “our lovely Deseret.” That fact is part of our heritage — human beings (our brothers and sisters) forced to work without their “free agency.” We should openly acknowledge that truth and right now make efforts to honestly deal with our past. That action must include removing the term “dixie” from any and all publicly funded entities. And do it now – without delay.
Stephen McLaughlin, Millcreek
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