section_path: Legacy/Views of race and slavery
section_name: Views of race and slavery
paragraph_text: Views of race and slavery
  
  Young believed in the racial superiority of white men. His manuscript history from January 5, 1852, which was published in the Deseret News, reads:
  
  The negro … should serve the seed of Abraham; he should not be a ruler, nor vote for men to rule over me nor my brethren. The Constitution of Deseret is silent upon this, we meant it should be so. The seed of Canaan cannot hold any office, civil or ecclesiastical. … The decree of God that Canaan should be a servant of servants unto his brethren (i.e., Shem and Japhet) is in full force. The day will come when the seed of Canaan will be redeemed and have all the blessings their brethren enjoy. Any person that mingles his seed with the seed of Canaan forfeits the right to rule and all the blessings of the Priesthood of God; and unless his blood were spilled and that of his offspring he nor they could not be saved until the posterity of Canaan are redeemed.
  
  Young adopted the idea of the Curse of Ham —a racist interpretation of Genesis 9 which white proponents of slavery in antebellum America used to justify enslaving black people of African descent —and applied it liberally and literally. On this topic, Young wrote: "They have not wisdom to act like white men."
  
  Young also predicted a future in which Chinese and Japanese people would immigrate to America. He averred that Chinese and Japanese immigrants would need to be governed by white men as they would have no understanding of government.
  
  Young had a somewhat mixed view of slavery which historian John G. Turner called a "bundle of contradictions". In the 1840s, Young strove to keep aloof from nationwide political debates over slavery, avoiding committing to either antislavery or proslavery positions. In the early 1850s, he expressed some support for the antislavery "free soil" position in American politics, and in January 1852, he declared in a speech that "no property can or should be recognized as existing in slaves", suggesting opposition to the existence of slavery.: 149 However, two weeks later Young declared himself a "firm believer in slavery".: 148–159
  
  Young believed in the racial superiority of white men. His manuscript history from January 5, 1852, which was published in the Deseret News, reads:
  
  The negro … should serve the seed of Abraham; he should not be a ruler, nor vote for men to rule over me nor my brethren. The Constitution of Deseret is silent upon this, we meant it should be so. The seed of Canaan cannot hold any office, civil or ecclesiastical. … The decree of God that Canaan should be a servant of servants unto his brethren (i.e., Shem and Japhet) is in full force. The day will come when the seed of Canaan will be redeemed and have all the blessings their brethren enjoy. Any person that mingles his seed with the seed of Canaan forfeits the right to rule and all the blessings of the Priesthood of God; and unless his blood were spilled and that of his offspring he nor they could not be saved until the posterity of Canaan are redeemed.
  
  Young adopted the idea of the Curse of Ham —a racist interpretation of Genesis 9 which white proponents of slavery in antebellum America used to justify enslaving black people of African descent —and applied it liberally and literally. On this topic, Young wrote: "They have not wisdom to act like white men."
  
  Young also predicted a future in which Chinese and Japanese people would immigrate to America. He averred that Chinese and Japanese immigrants would need to be governed by white men as they would have no understanding of government.
  
  Young had a somewhat mixed view of slavery which historian John G. Turner called a "bundle of contradictions". In the 1840s, Young strove to keep aloof from nationwide political debates over slavery, avoiding committing to either antislavery or proslavery positions. In the early 1850s, he expressed some support for the antislavery "free soil" position in American politics, and in January 1852, he declared in a speech that "no property can or should be recognized as existing in slaves", suggesting opposition to the existence of slavery.: 149 However, two weeks later Young declared himself a "firm believer in slavery".: 148–159