Preview

Polygamy In The United States

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1310 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Polygamy In The United States
Polygamy
There are ongoing studies about polygamy in the United States, but should it be illegal? The facts stated in this paper will openly show that polygamy is not legally or morally right. In this research paper the topics and facts should convince the reader that it Polygamy should always stay illegal. In order to understand what Polygamy is and why America should not legalize it, one must know, the history of Polygamy, the limit of freedom for the young girls, and the treatment of the wives.
History is important to understand when dealing with a controversial topic like polygamy. The history of Polygamy leads to the way it is today so, it is important to look at the beginning facts. Polygamy is the practice or condition of having more than one wife at one time (Howick). In the early days, before the 1800’s and the later manifesto, polygamy had been practiced by about 2% (Howick). That 2% kept it nonpublic due to anti-mormons. The anti-mormons believed polygamy was immoral, lustful, and womanizing. Polygamy really took a jump when The Church of Latter Days founding prophet Joseph Smith and other church leaders began to embrace the practice of Polygamy, around 1831 (Howick). Prior to Joseph embracing this practice, he actually denied it until he reported that an
…show more content…
The history shown can stand by the other facts given to end polygamy and rights being taken from women. America should protect young girls who do not have a choice because they are under 18. The treatment of the women is greatly shown in this research paper and the facts stand to it being morally and legally wrong. Polygamy needs to be controlled and stopped for good throughout the nation. In order to understand what Polygamy is and why America should not legalize it , one must know, the history of Polygamy, the limit of freedom the young girls have, and the treatment of the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    One man having more than one wife can be a deviant behavior depending on the country and a person's beliefs. Polygamy is considered normal and lawful in many countries, but it is outlawed in the United States. The people that believe in it say that monogamy is not natural and it oppresses the social structure. Those against it, say it is a religious offense, or that it violates a spouse's right to intimacy. The Mormon belief is that polygamy is holy and was practiced commonly in ancient times. Having more than one wife is not only natural it is expected in most cases. However in other societies, some believe it is not only wrong but it's also against the law. The law can be tricky at times especially when it involves religion because as long…

    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    How is polyamorous family and same-sex marriage, families the same ? Can these two both demonstrate alternative families, with hopes of giving legitimacy to “non-traditional family structure?” Both groups are entwined with each other in the fight to alter family narratives, with the hopes of pushing the “ non-traditional” family structure to a nonconformity family. One, that is not seen as non ordain, or moreover, one that holds the same civil rights as the “traditional” family.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Polygamy, also called plural marriage, is the practice of having more than one spouse at one time. Mormon Fundamentalist believe and practice polygamy. In FLDS communities it is the male that has many wives and from these wives comes many children. Most people look down upon Polygamy, because they believe it to be degrading of the women. However, within Mormon Fundamentalism, polygamy serves a great part of their religion and helps with family dynamics.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    “It should also be emphasize that equality of treatment with regard to the right to marry implies that polygamy is incompatible with this principle. Polygamy violates the dignity of women. It is an inadmissible discrimination against women. Consequently,…

    • 134 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One of the norms that Margret Farley states within her writing that could be used to support not only sexual justice but polygamy could be do not unjust harm, this norm could be used because it focuses on not harming the other person within the relationship. Even though within a polygamist relationship there are many people to care for, all of the women and children were mentally, physically, financially and spiritually supported and cared for. Another norm that could make polygamy just is commitment; within the marriages the man stayed faithful and committed to his multiple wives. Furthermore, even though the wives expressed jealousy, they were all committed to each other in the context of support with raising children or supporting one another.…

    • 217 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mormon Polygamy

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages

    McKeever and Johnson state that, “Jesus was under obligation of the law has been taught by a number of [Mormon] leaders” (55). In order to reach salvation, one must have multiple wives to reproduce in the eternal life. Roberts stated that, “Jesus did attain, while in his pre-earth existence, a level of divinity” (66). Therefore, Mormons believe that Jesus practiced polygamy. Bennett states that, “…Mormon leaders have asserted that Christ taught his apostles polygamy and that this was one of the key factors leading to his crucifixion” (300). They also believe this to be true of God as well.…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mr Josh Gallagher

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages

    There are many reason for changes in the patterns of marriage and cohabitation due to many significant social attitude changes such as secularisation, there are also many more that affect marriage and cohabitation but one that has affected the pattern mostly is feminism, this is shown in a survey that shows in the last 40 years the number of marriages has dropped enormously by up to one hundred thousand marriages and is still declining whereas the cohabitation rate has increased dramatically by 50%. These outline one of the many reasons for changing patterns in marriage and cohabitation.…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Are Mormons Polygamist?

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages

    But the fact is a few church officials liked the idea of having more then one spouse. In 1852 Joseph Smith and the church congregation publically announced at the Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah that plural marriages were a godly practice to be considered. So they took for themselves multiple wives. A lot of them being 14 to 17 year old girls and had numerous children with them. A few short years later, because we live America where majority rules the decision was made, July 1864 to prohibit the practice of polygamy. Making it a misdemeanor charge in 9 states under the morril anti-bigamy act. Latter in March 1882 came the Edmund act, reinforcing the morrill act making it a felony on all us territory where the government has exclusive jurisdiction. Most of the marriages that had taken place ended in divorce or were annulled. However some families stayed together and continued to live in secrecy. Today there are said to be as many as 50,000 polygamist communities dotted across the American west. Most of them are fundamentalist Mormons practicing in secret societies, rebelling against the church and the…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A. Marriage is a legally recognized and socially approved arrangement between two or more individuals that carries certain rights and obligation and usually involves sexual activities. In the United States, the only legally sanctioned form of marriage is monogamy which is a marriage between two partners usually a man and a woman. Polygamy is the concurrent marriage of a person of one sex with two or more members of the opposite sex. The most prevalent form of polygamy is polygyny the con current marriage of one man with two or more woman. Polygyny has been practiced in a number of societies; including parts of Europe until the Middle Ages more recently Islamic societies in Africa and Asia have been polygynous; however the cost of providing for multiple wives and numerous children makes the practice impossible for all but the wealthiest men. The second type of polygamy is polyandry the concurrent marriage of one woman with two…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Polygamy In Canada

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Although polygamy has been around for many decades, we have been witnesses to how several groups of people in our society look at the practice. Although from the research that was conducted for the purpose of this paper we are able to understand that the thought of doing this practice was not openly accepted in early decades by all; however, it wasn’t until the world learned about what Warren Jeff’s did to his wives and children of his community that the most of the world was completely against plural marriages and plural families. It was after the Warren Jeff’s case that many people believed that plural families would not be suitable for children to be brought up in, however, as we have seen that is not the case. Plural marriage allows for the sharing of children to be loved by many individuals. It is quite clear that the questions this essay set out to look into have now been answered. Yes, polygamy might not be the most common and viewed as the best way to raise a family that being said, as long as the family is caring and loving and raising the children without causing any harm to them then they should be able to live in peace with the lifestyle they have…

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Polygamy United States

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page

    Polygamy is a common practice in many parts of the world, but in the United States it is highly insisted upon to restrict marriage to monogamy, and there is a very simple reason for this. The largest and most prominent reason for polygamy being restricted in the United States is that the primary religions of the original settlers strictly forbade that act of having more than one spouse, and thus they carried over the laws of their doctrine into the laws of their own moral character and their country as it was being formed. Countries that have a primary religion that excepts polygamy are more likely to allow a man to have multiple wives, but this does not mean that women are allowed to have multiple husbands. Polyandry, or the practice of having…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The definition of marriage in dictionaries is a legally recognized relationship, established by a civil or religious ceremony, between two people who intend to live together as sexual and domestic partners. Polygamy is described as having more than one spouse at the same time, and monogamy as the practice of having only one mate at a time or during a lifetime.…

    • 307 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Polygamy In America Essay

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Despite the wide view of American society being openly opposed to polygamist lifestyle, polygamous followers maintain with their…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Polygamy In America

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages

    As we are young we are taught that relationships and normal marriages should be between two and only two individuals but religion changes their point of view. The practice of polygamy leads to changes in social values and the way they view marriage. Crystal Lombrado which gives her own opinion on polygamous marriages says “it is an illegal practice in most countries because plural marriages are not recognized and they are considered a violation of the marriage contract” (“8 Critical Pros and Cons of…

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Polygamy

    • 1624 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Aisha Lemu−Director General of the Islamic Education Trust in Niger State, Nigeria−was born in England and later converted to Islam while attending College (746). Lemu, being a strong supporter of polygamy, uses her opinionated Islamic perspective in order to make clear to the reader circumstances in which polygamy may prove to be useful. In Lemu’s essay “In Defense of Polygamy,” she provides the reader with relatable examples and benefits of polygamy from an Islamic point-of-view in order to strengthen her argument.…

    • 1624 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays