Missouri Mormon conflict and expulsion

The Missouri Mormon conflict and expulsion transformed disputes over settlement, religion, and political power into a campaign that drove a large community from its homes. In Jackson County, Missouri, the violence culminated in the forced removal of more than a thousand members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and ended only when they departed for Illinois in 1839.

Settlement and Rising Tensions

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began arriving in the Independence area in 1831. At first, local residents regarded the small advance party as harmless religious enthusiasts. More settlers followed: they bought land, founded a settlement and ferry crossing on Blue River, opened a general store in Independence, and established the town’s first newspaper. Some also spoke against slavery, adding to local suspicion in a county where much of the best land was already being cultivated.

Religious and political differences sharpened that suspicion. Joseph Smith proclaimed Jackson County holy land and designated Independence as the community’s City of Zion. The settlers’ growing numbers, their stated ambitions for the region, and their potential influence in local elections alarmed established residents. By the summer of 1833, the community numbered more than a thousand—about a third of the county’s population—and appeared capable of affecting the fall elections. A mass meeting at the courthouse produced angry speeches and a proclamation that the Mormons were no longer welcome.

From Threats to Organized Violence

Hostility soon turned into attacks. A mob destroyed the community’s printing press, and a bishop was assaulted. On Halloween night, armed riders attacked the settlement on Blue River and forced women and children from their homes. Crops and barns were burned, men were taken into the fields and beaten, and another clash left three people dead. The county was caught in what the account describes as a state of intense agitation.

A spectacular meteor shower on the night of November 12 was interpreted by many as a sign that the Mormons should be driven from the region. The episode shows how religious belief and political conflict became entangled: a natural phenomenon was taken by some as confirmation of a campaign already under way, rather than as a reason to halt the violence.

Expulsion and Aftermath

More than a thousand people were forced from their homes and driven across the Missouri River into less-settled territory to the north. Their persecution continued there, although the displaced community also fought back. The governor of Missouri, Lilburn W. Boggs, called out the militia and ordered the Mormons to leave the state, threatening them with death if they remained. The conflict thus moved beyond local hostility to a state-backed demand for removal.

The religious war, described in the account as Missouri’s first civil war, did not end with the crossing of the river. It continued until the Mormons left Missouri for Illinois in 1839. The expulsion made the struggle over who could settle, worship, and exercise political influence in Jackson County a matter of forced migration, with the community’s departure—not a local settlement of the dispute—bringing the conflict to a close.