Puck — September 5, 1877 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Puck Magazine, September 5, 1877: "True Inwardness for Utah" This satirical cartoon mocks Brigham Young, the leader of the Mormon church in Utah Territory. The caption references a Herald report that Young would leave no successor and "promptly strikes for Salt Lake City, leaving Brooklyn disconsolate." The cartoon depicts Young as a large, turbaned figure being pursued or attacked by multiple figures—likely representing his wives or the Mormon community in upheaval over his succession crisis. The chaotic scene suggests the cartoon is satirizing the internal turmoil and instability within the Mormon church following concerns about Young's leadership transition. The satire targets both Mormon polygamy (implied by multiple female figures) and the political/religious power struggles within the Utah Territory, which remained a contentious issue in American politics during this era.