Called "The American Moses" in his day, Brigham Young was one of the key figures in the early history of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. When church founder Joseph Smith was killed in 1844, Young was an early candidate to for the next president of the Mormon church, a title that he gained in 1847 and kept until his death in 1877. He was the founder of Salt Lake City and appointed the first governor of the new territory by Millard Fillmore. He unsuccessfully lobbied for the creation of a State of Deseret, and conflicts between the Mormon settlers and the federal government give rise to the Utah War, the largest American armed conflict between the Mexican and Civil Wars. He is best known outisde the Mormon community for his support of polygamy, and as the founder of Brigham Young University.
