Illinois Mormon War

Illinois Mormon War
Part of the Mormon wars
Depiction of the Battle of Nauvoo, by C.C.A. Christensen
Date June 10, 1844 - September 16, 1846 Location Nauvoo, Illinois 40°33′N 91°22′W Result Mormon Exodus to Utah Territory
Belligerents
Nauvoo militas	Nauvoo Legion
Commanders and leaders
Governor Thomas Ford Thomas Brockman	Joseph Smith† Brigham Young Hosea Stout Daniel H. Wells
Strength
About 1,000	Less than 150
Casualties and losses
Unknown number wounded	About ten killed, unknown number wounded

The history of Nauvoo, Illinois starts with the Sauk and Fox tribes who frequented the area. They first called the area Quashquema, named in honor of the Native American chief who headed a Sauk and Fox settlement numbering nearly 500 lodges. Permanent settlement by non-natives was reportedly begun in 1824 by Captain James White. By 1827 other white settlers had built cabins in the area. By 1829 this area of Hancock County had grown sufficiently so that a post office was needed and in 1832 the town, now called Venus, was one of the contenders for the new county seat. However, the honor was awarded to a nearby city, Carthage. In 1834 the name Venus was changed to Commerce because the settlers felt that the new name better suited their plans. In late 1839, arriving Mormons bought the small town of Commerce and in April 1840 it was renamed "Nauvoo" (a Hebrew word meaning "beautiful place" or "city beautiful") by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint Movement. Nauvoo grew rapidly and for a few years was one of the most populous cities in Illinois. Within two years of Joseph Smith's assassination in 1844, most of the population had departed, fleeing armed violence. Most headed west with the group led by Brigham Young.

In 1849 Icarians moved to the Nauvoo area to implement a utopian socialist commune. In the early and mid 20th century Nauvoo was primarily a Catholic town, and the majority of the population today is Catholic. Nauvoo today is an important tourist destination for Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and others who come to see the numerous restored historical buildings and visitor centers.

A large village of Sauk and Meskwaki lived along the Mississippi near what is Nauvoo, established in the late 18th century; this village had as many as 1,000 lodges. In 1823 or 1824, Captain James White purchased the village from Quashquame, a Sauk leader. White gave Quashquame “a little sku-ti-apo [liquor], and two thousand bushels of corn” for the land. Quashquame's village moved to the west side of the river, merging with an existing Sauk village near what is now Montrose, Iowa.

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