Mormon handcart pioneers leave Iowa City (1856)

Mormon handcart pioneers departed Iowa City in 1856, utilizing handcarts to transport belongings due to financial constraints. Iowa City served as the western terminus for rail lines, where emigrants were outfitted before heading west to Salt Lake City. The movement began in 1856, driven by the Perpetual Emigration Fund's support for poor European members who lacked funds for traditional ox or horse teams.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. The Mormon handcart movement began in 1856, motivated by the need to transport poor European church members to Utah. Brigham Young initiated the plan after contributions decreased following a poor harvest in Utah. Emigrants traveling from 1855 to 1857 arrived by railroad to Iowa City, the western terminus, where they were outfitted with handcarts and supplies before continuing their journey west.

Logistics. Emigrants arriving by rail between 1855 and 1857 reached Iowa City, the western terminus of the rail line, where they would be outfitted with handcarts and other supplies. The city had served as the first capital of the state of Iowa from 1846 to 1857. In 1856 the Perpetual Emigration Fund supported the travel of 2,012 European emigrants, up from 1,161 the year before, as poor church members responded enthusiastically to the new plan.

Participants. Nearly 3,000 Mormon pioneers from England, Wales, Scotland, and Scandinavia made the journey from Iowa or Nebraska to Utah in ten handcart companies. These participants were motivated to join fellow church members in Utah but lacked funds for full teams of oxen or horses, necessitating the use of handcarts to transport their belongings.

People involved

Sources

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