Ep 184 – The Power of a Mormon POTUS

On this episode, we discuss the continued growing tensions between the Mormon and non-Mormon settlements in Illinois in early 1844. The Nauvoo City Council renews its effort to get an ordinance passed through the state legislature from Dec. 1843 which claimed Nauvoo to be a sovereign territory as well as the Nauvoo Legion to be a federally-recognized militia. How did they work to lobby this through the State legislature? By harping on the same persecution narrative resulting from the 1838 Missouri-Mormon conflict. This dead horse keeps on giving. Eventually, Governor Thomas Ford steps in to try and cool things down. The unsatisfied Warsaw Signal prints his letter with their commentary and Jo prints a concession in the Nauvoo Neighbor. Thomas Ford's History of Illinois (1854) reflects on this complicated time when Jo decided to run for POTUS. Links: Warsaw Signal archives: http://warsaw.advantage-preservation.com/search?t=30053&i=t&bcn=1&m=between Thomas Ford's letter (14 Feb 1844) http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/dbroadhu/IL/sign1844.htm#0214 A History of Illinois by Thomas Ford https://archive.org/details/ahistoryillinoi00shiegoog/page/n320 Show links:                                                                                                                                                              Website http://nakedmormonismpodcast.com Twitter @NakedMormonism Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naked-Mormonism/370003839816311 Patreon http://patreon.com/nakedmormonism Music by Jason Comeau http://aloststateofmind.com/ Show Artwork http://weirdmormonshit.com/ Legal Counsel http://patorrez.com/