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Missouri Executive Order 44 and the Mormon expulsion

When
1838
Where
State capital of Missouri; Western Missouri; Missouri
Episodes
3

Missouri Executive Order 44, issued by Governor Lilburn Boggs on October 27, 1838, declared Mormons enemies of the state. Triggered by the Battle of Crooked River, the order mandated their extermination or expulsion. Implemented by militia forces, it led to the forced displacement of thousands from Missouri, though historical debate persists regarding direct killings resulting from the order.

Episodes

  1. 1838-1976 · MissouriHistorical Criticism and Rescission

    The order faced contemporary criticism and was formally rescinded in 1976 as a violation of constitutional rights.

  2. October 27, 1838 · State capital of MissouriIssuance of Executive Order 44

    Governor Boggs issued the order on October 27, 1838, declaring Mormons enemies and mandating their extermination or expulsion from Missouri.

  3. October-November 1838 · Western MissouriMilitia Implementation and Surrender

    State militia forces implemented the order, leading to the forced displacement of Mormons and their surrender in November 1838.

Background and detail

Background. Mormon presence in Missouri began in 1830, with Caldwell County established in 1836 after earlier expulsions. Tensions escalated following Sidney Rigdon's July 1838 oration in Far West. The immediate trigger for Executive Order 44 was the Battle of Crooked River, where a state militia seized Mormon hostages, prompting a rescue attempt that fueled rumors of a planned invasion.

Issuance of the Order. Governor Boggs, reacting to exaggerated reports of the Crooked River clash, claimed Mormons committed open defiance of law. On October 27, 1838, he issued Executive Order 44, directing General John Bullock Clark to treat Mormons as enemies and exterminate or drive them from the state for public peace. The order was based on rumors of military plans.

Implementation and Aftermath. The order was implemented by the state militia, forcefully displacing Mormons. General Clark cited the order during the November 1838 surrender, stating no mercy would be shown. While Boggs later claimed his intent was subduing without bloodshed, the order was criticized by the press and legislator David Atchison. It was rescinded in 1976 as contravening constitutional rights.

People involved

Sources

  1. Missouri Executive Order 44 Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-15
  2. Lilburn Boggs Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-17

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.