Item Detail
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11724
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1
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0
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English
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An Analysis of the Rhetoric Used by Mormon Women to Argue Equal Suffrage in Utah : 1870-1896
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Utah State University
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Master's thesis
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"Several questions come to mind that need answers. What was the motivation of the suffrage movement in Utah? Was it motivated by the Mormon Priesthood hierarchy to maintain political power in Utah, or was it a matter of Mormon principle that women should vote, or was it both? Was the suffrage movement motivated by polygamy, or was it contrived by the Mormons to maintain their political position?
The purpose of this study will be an attempt to gain some insight into these questions by analyzing the rhetorical strategy of the Mormon women. Specifically, this study will focus on determining how the Mormon women used scriptures, their doctrinal teachings and their religious convictions to argue for equal suffrage. And attempt will be made to gain some insight concerning the often made charge that Mormon men were only interested in women's suffrage as a means to maintain political power and what effect, if any, this had on the strategy and tactics of the arguments the women used. Lastly, will be an attempt to determine if the Mormon were trying to convince Mormon men or non-Mormon men that they should have the right to equal suffrage, and how the audience affected their strategy." [author]