Negro slavery in Utah

That Negro slavery did in fact exist in Utah from 1847 until the end of the Civil War, is a painful realization to many Mormons. It is painful because it seems to be in direct opposition to long held religious convictions. Some Utahns today are amazed at such a claim for two reasons: first, they have been led to believe that slavery could not have existed anywhere but in the South; and second, a people as concerned about moral and religious values as Mormons would not have allowed it to exist among them. The first contention usually erupts from a shaky foundation of American History; slavery seems to be automatically connected with the South and only the South in the untrained mind. The possibility of any spread of the institution is usually not considered. And the second is based on a lack of acquaintance with Mormon History specifically, and especially of Mormon attitudes. Since both of these arguments are founded on ignorance, the study of slavery in Utah becomes an intriguing one.