Historians Paul Reeve and Jordan Watkins discuss This Abominable Slavery: Race, Religion, and the Battle over Human Bondage in Antebellum Utah (by Reeve, Christopher B. Rich, Jr., and LaJean Purcell Carruth), published by Oxford University Press in 2024.

Their discussion explores the origins and transcription of primary sources integral to the book, the legislative stance on slavery in 1850s Utah, the nuanced differences between various forms of unfree labor, and the perspectives of both white lawmakers and the enslaved people in the region. They also touch on the broader political and religious implications of these debates, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of a complex and contentious period in Utah’s history.

• W. Paul Reeve — Simmons Professor of Mormon Studies and History at the University of Utah  
• Jordan T. Watkins — Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University 
• The documents analyzed in This Abominable Slavery are available at thisabominableslavery.org, hosted by the University of Utah. 

(Episode album art, left to right: Green Flake, Brigham Young, Pidash or Kah-peputz, and Orson Pratt) 

Episode edited by Ethan Rauschkolb. Named after our seminar room, The Virtual Jewel Box hosts conversations at the Obert C. and Grace A. Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah. Views expressed on The Virtual Jewel Box do not represent the official views of the Center or University.