February 1853
Here is the historical context of what was happening during February 1853 across Pennsylvania, the United States, and the wider world—framed from the perspective of a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) pioneer living during this pivotal era.
1. Local & Regional Context: Pennsylvania
- The Modern Spiritualism Craze: Following the Fox sisters’ claims of spirit communication in New York in 1848, the Spiritualism movement swept rapidly through western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania during the early 1850s. By early 1853, “spirit rappings,” seances, and home circles had become a major cultural phenomenon in rural communities.
- Underground Railroad & Fugitive Slave Law Tensions: In Pennsylvania, tensions over the federal Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 were escalating rapidly. Free Black communities and abolitionist networks in Pennsylvania were actively operating the Underground Railroad to spirit escaped slaves north to Canada, creating significant legal and social friction across the state.
- Railroad Expansion & Industrial Growth: Pennsylvania was in the middle of a massive transportation revolution. Rail lines like the Pennsylvania Railroad and local connecting lines were rapidly expanding across western Pennsylvania, connecting rural agricultural towns to major eastern commercial hubs.
2. Latter-day Saint & Western Frontier Context
- Groundbreaking for the Salt Lake Temple (February 14, 1853): For Latter-day Saints anywhere in the world, the biggest news from Utah Territory came on February 14, 1853, when Brigham Young and Church leadership officially broke ground and dedicated the site for the iconic Salt Lake Temple. josephsmithfoundation.org
- The Staging Ground in Iowa: As thousands of Saints prepared for the spring migration west, encampments in Iowa (such as Keokuk) were gearing up to serve as the main outfitters for covered wagons, handcarts, and ox teams heading along the Mormon Trail toward the Salt Lake Valley.
3. United States Context
- Transition of Presidential Administrations: In February 1853, the United States was transitioning power. Whig President Millard Fillmore was finishing his term, while President-elect Franklin Pierce (a Democrat) was preparing for his inauguration on March 4, 1853, amidst a nation increasingly fractured over slavery.
- The Coinage Act of 1853 (February 21, 1853): On February 21, 1853, the U.S. Congress passed the Coinage Act of 1853 to address a severe national shortage of fractional silver coins (dimes, quarters, half-dollars) caused by the influx of California Gold Rush gold. The act reduced the weight of silver coins so they would stay in circulation.
- Establishment of Washington Territory: During February 1853, Congress debated and finalized legislation to carve the Washington Territory out of the larger Oregon Territory, reflecting the booming American expansion into the Pacific Northwest. (President Fillmore signed it into law on March 2, 1853).
4. Global Context
- Build-Up to the Crimean War: European diplomacy was reaching a breaking point in February 1853. The Russian Empire began demanding protectorate rights over Christian subjects within the Ottoman Empire, prompting Britain and France to intervene diplomatically. These tensions led directly to the outbreak of the Crimean War later that year.
- The Milan Uprising in Italy (February 6, 1853): On February 6, 1853, working-class Italian nationalists inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini launched a violent insurrection against Austrian imperial forces occupying Milan. Although quickly suppressed, it highlighted the ongoing revolutionary fervor across post-1848 Europe. http://www.tandfonline.com
- Rise of the Second French Empire: Following his coronation as Emperor Napoleon III in late 1852, France’s new ruler consolidated his power and married Eugénie de Montijo, signaling a bold new imperial era in French foreign and domestic policy.
