A new book, massacre at mountain meadows, tries to explain what happened. The mountain meadows massacre has continued to cause pain and controversy for 150 years. The massacre has also been of subject of several film documentaries including, burying the past. Anyone who reads it will be shaken up by the history of the mormon church and what it has sanitized. You can subscribe to the podcast by clicking on the itunes button at the top right of this site. The event was the apex of decades of violence, mistrust, and fear. This talk was hosted by ken sanders rare books in salt lake city utah. Committed by a force of mormon militia and southern piute indians, the tragedy has remained a topic of curiosity and controversy as mormons and historians struggle to understand the event, and. Temples will often have a commissioned book produced near the time of dedication. Leonard, three churchemployed historians who enjoyed the full cooperation and resources of the lds history department. The mountain meadows massacre 1950 by juanita brooks was the first definitive study of the mountain meadows massacre. Lee, the only militiaman executed, was effectively a scapegoat. The new book, massacre at mountain meadows, published by oxford.
Mountain meadows massacre utah, united states 1857. Massacre at mountain meadows just now arriving in bookstores, massacre at mountain meadows oxford university press is the longawaited book on the september 1857 tragedy written by ronald w. A resulting book published by oxford university press in 2008 by authors ronald w. She writes, the church leaders decided to sacrifice lee. On september 11, 1857, some 50 to 60 local militiamen in southern utah, aided by american indian allies. For the best research on this very important, yet skipped over topic, please see some of the links below as well as a book called the mountain meadows massacre, by juanita brooks, or blood of the prophets. Personally this link gives a very concise summary of the events. After reading michael richan on the event in one of his river books i had to read the true story on the event. Much of the evidence used in the book was available to other historiansthe church archives had not previously withheld as. California researcher says real burial sites are far from the lds monuments location. In april 1857 a californiabound wagon train estimated at 40 wagons, 120 to 150 men, women, and children, and as many as 900 head of beef cattle, in addition to draft and riding animals, assembled near the crooked creek, approximately four miles south of presentday harrison, arkansas. That involvement reached a peak in 2008 during californias fight over.
Goodreads members who liked the mountain meadows massacre al. Leonardfor their book, massacre at mountain meadows, published in 2008. Also, in an effort to bring to light the details of the event, latterday saint leaders opened the churchs archives to the authors of the 2007 book massacre at mountain meadows. This september marks the 150th anniversary of a terrible episode in the history of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Remembrances of the mountain meadows massacre wikipedia. As the winter olympics came to utah in 2002, the attention of the media turned to mormons. This massive slaughter claimed nearly everyone in the party from arkansas and is the event referred to as the mountain meadows massacre. The mountain meadows massacre stands without a parallel amongst the crimes that stain the pages of american history. Book provides an unflinching look at mountain meadows massacre. Archaeologist says he has found actual mountain meadows. Current scholarship has discovered as much of the truth of the events leading up to the massacre as we are likely to learn.
This book was the first to seriously attempt an honest investigation. My readers copy of this long awaited book arrived monday the 28th and by tuesday morning i finished it just in time to arrive at bushmans apologetic seminar 45 minutes late after pulling an allnighter. The juanita brooks lecture series presents the 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at mountain meadows by glen m. Critics charge that the massacre was typical of mormon culture of violence, and claim that church leaderspossibly as high as brigham youngapproved of, or even. The mountain meadows massacre stands as one of the darkest events in mormon history. An american tragedy, is to date the most thorough account of the massacre and the events leading up to it. What the postponement of the olympics means for athletes. After finishing jon krakauers amazing under the banner of heaven, i turned to dentons book for a fuller account of the mountain meadows massacre. Speaking at the sesquicentennial of the massacre on 11 september 2007, president henry b.
Horrible massacre of emigrants the mountain meadows. Massacre at mountain meadows this is the second book about moutain meadows massacre ive read. The aftermath of mountain meadows history smithsonian. On september 11, 1857, a wagon train traveling through utah was ambushed and its approximately 120 members killed in what is now known as the mountain meadows massacre. Program on the massacre at mountainmeadows, 4 august 2008 kuer. The book is meticulously documented, with 127 pages of endnotes. Mountain meadows massacre 1857 massacre frank kirkmans mountain meadows massacre site mountain meadows massacre. When the winter olympics went to salt lake city in 2002, the churchs home.
Drawn from documents previously not available to scholars and a careful rereading of. Oxford considered it a big bestseller for its smaller press with conservative print runs. Read about our visit to the site of the mountain meadows massacre. In 1857 an army of roughly 1,500 united states troops was marching toward utah territory, with more expected to follow. This one was published in 2008 so, 58 years later by ronald walker a mormon historian in slc. The 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at. Using new archival research, walker, turley, and leonard strive to accurately represent the historical context surrounding the mountain meadows massacre. Mountain meadows massacre page 2 legends of america. Scholars are praising a new book that offers an indepth look at one of the.
The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the bakerfancher emigrant wagon train at mountain meadows in southern utah. Legacy of the mountain meadows massacre 2004 and the mountain meadows massacre 2001. A new book, massacre at mountain meadows, tries to explain what happened that day and why. In september 1857 a group of mormons in southern utah killed all adult members of an arkansas wagon train that was headed for california. Throughout the book, the authors paint finely drawn portraits of the key players in the drama, their backgrounds, personalities, and roles in the unfolding story of misunderstanding, misinformation, indecision, and personal vendettas. Brigham young and the massacre at mountain meadows, by will bagley. The massacre of mountain meadows does not bring this source up, but.
The massacre has been portrayed in several plays, and in a 2007 motion picture, september dawn. An obituary in some editions on monday about gordon b. There have been several remembrances of the mountain meadows massacre including. Captain john jacktwitty baker lead a wagon train of arkansas immigrants to california in 1857. Brigham young and the massacre at mountain meadows. In the book, brooks demonstrated convincingly that the mormon militia was responsible for the massacre, and that john d. Mountain meadows massacre 187576 called the darkest deed of the nineteenth century, the brutal 1857 murder of 120 men, women, and children at a place in southern utah called mountain meadows remains one of the most controversial events in the history of the american west. Archaeologist says he has found actual mountain meadows massacre graves. A view of the terrain of the mountain meadows massacre site. The book is a mustread for scholars of the mountain meadows massacre and lds history.
The attacks began on september 7 and culminated on september 11, 1857, resulting in the mass slaughter of most in the emigrant party by members of the utah territorial militia from the iron county district, together with some southern paiute native americans. Hinckley, mormon leader, is dead at 97 the new york. Brigham young and the massacre at mountain meadows, published a few years ago. While visiting the utah shakespearean festival, jill and i left the drama and tragedies behind for a morning to visit a site of much greater drama and tragedy. It was a crime committed without cause or justification of any kind to relieve it of its fearful character when nearly exhausted from fatigue and thirst, the men of the caravan were approached by white men, with a flag of. Stapley on september 11, 1857 a band of mormons in southern utah lured a large group of californiabound emigrants from their defensive coral under a white flagged pretense of protection. The mountain meadows massacre church of jesus christ. What are the historical roots and causes behind the mountain meadow massacre. Outdoors olympics sports columnists preps preps scoreboard.
Records, history, monuments, information and links on the september 11, 1857 massacre at mountain meadows of more than 120 arkansas emigrants while traveling through utah on their way to california. Also the true history of the horrible butchery known as the mountain meadows massacre. Find books like the mountain meadows massacre from the worlds largest community of readers. For a more complete, documented account of the event, readers are referred to the forthcoming book massacre at mountain meadows. Rev of william wise book massacre at mountain meadows. Richard e turley, jr glen m leonard massacre at mountain meadows offers the most thoroughly researched account of the massacre ever written.
But in the aftermath of the massacre, only one participant was. The mountain meadows massacre site in washington county, utah, marks the location of the september 11, 1857, massacre of 120 emigrants by militiamen associated with the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. This is one of several memorial services marking the 150th anniversary of the mountain meadows massacre. An american tragedy, jared farmer concluded by stating, while mormon history is markedly better because of their work, it will be much better still when historians put the massacre to rest and move on.
The mountain meadows massacre is something most people have probably never heard of before unless youre a mormon or had ancestors who were part of the massacred fancher wagon party. A very sad book of the deaths of so many people at the mountain meadows massacre. Committed by a force of mormon militia and southern piute indians, the tragedy has remained a topic of curiosity and controversy as mormons and historians struggle to understand the event, and critics. I was amazed to see the event took place on 9111857. The mountain meadows massacre was the first work to fully document mormon involvement in the massacre. The aftermath of mountain meadows history smithsonian magazine.
The first was the seminal work by juanita brooks the mountain meadows massacre in 2016. We cannot change what happened, but we can remember and honor those who were killed here. Embracing a history of mormonism from its inception down to the present time, with an exposition of the secret history, signs, symbols, and crimes of the mormon church. The mountain meadows massacre had always proved irresistible for. A series of attacks was staged on the bakerfancher wagon train around mountain meadows in utah. Mormon matters podcast is now available through itunes.
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