Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

kozmonyet t1_iweh3s3 wrote

If you want to get into some catty shit, look into civil war pension applications from Mormon wives from plural marriages. After they had to break up, the wives tended to all apply for the benefit when only a single one was eligible--so they'd submit some really bitchy stuff to try and keep the other ex wives from winning the prize.

I've seen a bunch of letters to the pension office from my own ancestors as well as some from another "plural marriage" family and talk about "mean girls" in real life...

70

SassySerenade t1_iwencn4 wrote

That’s genuinely fascinating. Any literature about the era?

11

kozmonyet t1_iweo4h0 wrote

Came up doing genealogy research--US government has pension application documents you can get copies of by request.

7

ConversationNew7107 t1_iwgit7u wrote

Gold diggers have existed since the very beginning. Not surprising in the least.

4

HPmoni t1_iwhljef wrote

Polygamy was literally illegal. I assume they were trying to call the other "wives" whores or mistresses.

The first wife is the wife.

Pretty sure not many Mormon civil war veterans. Most were in Utah territory.

3