Mormon Matriarchs

Abstract

Mormon women were not only involved in the Territory of Utah's exhibitions and the Tabernacle Choir; they also were active participants in a variety of Columbian Exposition events, most notably the 1893 World's Congress of Representative Women. In Chicago, LDS women represented their religion and their gender, both of which had been struggling for an improved position in America. Most historians are surprised to learn that Mormon women helped plan the first International Council of Women, held in conjunction with the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. While in the White City, LDS women not only attended the week-long World's Congress of Representative Women, they also presented several papers, chaired sessions, and voted on resolutions impacting their gender. The World's Congress of Representative Women was an empowering turning point for how LDS women saw themselves and how they were viewed by their fellow Americans.