American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, September 1857In September 1857, a wagon train passing through Utah laden with gold was attacked. Approximately 140 people were slaughtered; only 17 children under the age of eight were spared. This incident in an open field called Mountain Meadows has ever since been the focus of passionate debate: Is it possible that official Mormon dignitaries were responsible for the massacre? In her riveting book, Sally Denton makes a fiercely convincing argument that they were. The author-herself of Mormon descent-first traces the extraordinary emergence of the Mormons and the little-known nineteenth-century intrigues and tensions between their leaders and the U.S. government, fueled by the Mormons' zealotry and exclusionary practices. We see how by 1857 they were unique as a religious group in ruling an entire American territory, Utah, and commanding their own exclusive government and army. Denton makes clear that in the immediate aftermath of the massacre, the church began placing the blame on a discredited Mormon, John D. Lee, and on various Native Americans. She cites contemporaneous records and newly discovered documents to support her argument that, in fact, the Mormon leader, Brigham Young, bore significant responsibility-that Young, impelled by the church's financial crises, facing increasingly intense scrutiny and condemnation by the federal government, incited the crime by both word and deed. Finally, Denton explains how the rapidly expanding and enormously rich Mormon church of today still struggles to absolve itself of responsibility for what may well be an act of religious fanaticism unparalleled in the annals of American history. American Massacre is totally absorbing in its narrativeas it brings to life a tragic moment in our history. |
Contents
Palmyra 1823 | 3 |
KirtlandFar West 1831 | 12 |
Nauvoo 1840 | 22 |
Copyright | |
16 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, September 1857 Sally Denton Limited preview - 2007 |
American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, September 1857 Sally Denton Limited preview - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
American apostles Arkansas arrived August Bagley Baker Bigler blood Book of Mormon Bridger Brigham Young Brodie Brooks brothers Buchanan California called camp Captain cattle Cedar City church leaders claimed command Cradlebaugh Cumming Dame Danites death described Deseret diary emigrants Fancher Train father federal Forney Fort Bridger Gentiles Gunnison Haight Higbee historian horses hundred Ibid Indians Jacob Hamblin John Doyle Lee Johnston Joseph Smith Juanita Brooks Kane's killed Klingensmith knew Lake Daily Tribune later Latter-day Saints Lee in Henrie Lee's letter March miles military militia Missouri Mormons Mountain Meadows Massacre murder Nauvoo Legion nearby Nevada night official orders Paiute party President prophet quoted River sacre Salt Lake City Salt Lake Daily September settlements slaughter southern T. B. H. Stenhouse tion told Trail traveled troops U.S. Army U.S. government Unsolicited Chronicler Utah Territory valley Vliet Wa-kara wagon train wife William witnesses wives women wrote Zion