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. The mountain meadows massacre was one of the worst acts of premeditated mass murder ever committed by americans against other americans. Resisting this tendency to oversimplify the past, novak explores mountain meadows as a busy and dangerous intersection. The mountain meadows massacre is widely considered to be the most violent and. The men on the ground after the bloody deed took an oath that they would never mention the event again, either in public or in private. 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. Yet events surrounding the upcoming sesquicentennial appear primed to bring more attention to the massacre than. The ancient paths 7th interview with lds historian sandra tanner on the mountain meadows massacre duration.
It was produced by eric young with dave chase, jan walker and. Roberts wrote about it in the early 1900s and juanita brooks, a mormon writer, gave the event a very thorough treatment through a book published in 1962, which the church never endorsed nor. Jan 9, 2009 massacre at mountain meadows oxford university press is. The mountain meadows massacre josiah francis gibbs. 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. Families moving to california or oregon fell victim to disease, injury, weather, cholera and indian attacks. Pages in category mountain meadows massacre the following 35 pages are in this category, out of 35 total. Massacre at mountain meadows is a book by latterday saint historian richard e. To everyones surprise, it scooped up the bones of 28 massacre victims, and with it unearthed a new controversy see mountain meadows massacre, november 30, 1999.
Category iv related materials cds, dvds, videos, photos. There are suggestions below for improving the article. Revisiting the massacre at mountain meadows dixie state. Brigham young and the massacre at mountain meadows, by will bagley, university of oklahoma press, 2002, p. The mountain meadows massacre stands as one of the darkest events in mormon history. Friends of the mountain meadows association home facebook.
Families moving to california or oregon fell victim to disease, injury, weather and indian attacks. Although the mountain meadows massacre was covered to some extent in the media during the 1850s, citation needed its first period of intense nationwide publicity began around 1872. Josiah gibbs, author of the 1909 book lights and shadows of mormonism, recalled that a prominent salt lake editor said, the mountain meadows massacre is an incident that should be forgotten, for the sake of peace in utah. Also deals with the lds efforts to hide the details and the eventual execution of lds leader john d. Wikimedia commons has media related to mountain meadows massacre. Program on the massacre at mountainmeadows, 4 august 2008 kuer.
A book of narrow but dramatic interest, massacre at mountain meadows contains the most complete historical record of one of the bleakest events in the history of the mormon settlement of the west. Gullible and trail weary, some emigrants took the bait and fell into pitiful circumstances. Leonard was also the director of the museum of church history and art in salt lake city, utah. Massacre book a big bestseller, mormon times, november 29, 2008. Mountain meadows references, maps, tables and photos. The new book, massacre at mountain meadows, published by oxford. Americas overland emigration trails in the 1840s and 1850s were rife with danger.
The mountain meadows massacre 1950 by juanita brooks was the first definitive study of the mountain meadows massacre. He is the recipient of the 2017 genealogyhistory achievement award from the american library association. For the decade prior the emigrants arrival, utah territory had existed as a theocracy led by brigham young. Mountain meadows massacre 1857 massacre frank kirkman. These words were set to music by pete moore in 2000. 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. The survivors mountain meadows massacre descendants. Leonardfor their book, massacre at mountain meadows, published in 2008. Mountain meadows massacre was a good articles nominee, but did not meet the good article criteria at the time.
The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the bakerfancher emigrant. Meadows in 1857, honor those who died, preserve the site, and build understanding with others. The aftermath of mountain meadows history smithsonian magazine. History of the mountain meadows massacre, by shannon a. The book concerns the 1857 mountain meadows massacre in southern utah, and is the latest study of the subject. The author concludes that south utah mormons used a decoy to disarm a large wagon train of arkansas immigrants. Thirtysix of the 81 people in the donner party wagon company lost their lives at donner lake and alder creek due to starvation during the harsh winter. In 1910, the massacre was the subject of a short book by josiah f. Sierra leone english singapore english south africa english suomi. The bakerfancher wagon train consisted of more than 150 men, women and children. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. It is speculated that they wanted no adult survivors who could give credible testimony to.
But in the aftermath of the massacre, only one participant was. As part of youngs vision of a premillennial kingdom of god. The aftermath of mountain meadows the massacre almost brought the united states to war against the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, but only one man was brought to trial. Reviewed in the united states on september 19, 2015. The book is a step by step, day to day eye witness of the slaughter of over 100 human beings, men, women, and children in wagons, searching for a new life searching for a new land, troubled by hundreds of cattle they brought to the west side of the united states, being taxed for grazing rights and then innocently slaughtered. Baker reportedly found nothing relating to the massacre, clearing the way for the construction of the new monument. There were also charlatans pitching a shortcut or quicker way. I was amazed to see the event took place on 9111857. The mountain meadows massacre was a taboo subject among mormons for many years, a terrible tragedy best left forgotten.
The mountain meadows massacre book the mountain meadows massacre film mountain meadows massacre and mormon public relations. Mormon theology has long been thought to be one of the causes of the mountain meadows massacre. Comment on a framework for understanding the hydroecology of impacted wet meadows in the sierra nevada and cascade ranges, california, usa. Words of this ballad were developed and sung by soldiers who buried the victims of the massacre in 1859. From the beginning, accounts have been confused and muddled about why it happened, who ordered it, and what might have provoked it. The leaders of the mormon church also counseled silence. The victims of the massacre, known as the bakerfancher party, were passing through the utah territory to california in 1857. The truly horrific massacre in this book is the september 11, 1857 mountain meadows massacre. The history of the massacre has often been treated as a morality tale whose chief purpose was to vilify or to glorify some collective body. Mountain meadows massacre and mormon theology wikipedia.
Changing narratives of the mountain meadows massacre in utahs. The mountain meadows massacre, morning news, december 22, 2008. Revisiting the massacre at mountain meadows 3 that to have this history both advocate and defend this new dispensation, it must be kept honest and fearless and full as well when the tide of events were not favorable for the church and also when the tides seemed to run against it. The mountain meadows massacre is a 2001 documentary film about the mountain meadows massacre. A very sad book of the deaths of so many people at the mountain meadows massacre. It occurred in southern utah between cedar city and st. On august 3, 1999, a backhoe began digging the foundation. The mountain meadows massacre is one of the most controversial moments in utah history. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 and the trials of. The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the bakerfancher emigrant wagon train at mountain meadows in southern utah. Largest collection of records and information on the mountain meadows massacre on the internet. The most complete study of the 1857 massacre of a nonmormon wagon train passing through utah territory. George on september 11, 1857, and involved the slaughter of 120 californiabound emigrants, the fancherbaker train. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 today i found out.
In the fall of 1857, some 120 californiabound emigrants were killed in lonely mountain meadows in southern utah. The book provided an important history of early mormonism as well as offering lees somewhat selfserving account of the events leading to the mountain meadows massacre. As historian will bagley noted, lee reconstructed his chronology to distance himself from the initial attack and provided blistering attacks on the men who testified against him. Mountain meadows massacre utah, united states 1857. The mormons believed that children became adult at the age of 8. Meadows of the sierra nevada and cascade mountains of california, usa, support diverse and highly productive wetmeadow vegetation dominated by sedges, rushes, grasses, and other herbaceous species.
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. After reading michael richan on the event in one of his river books i had to read the true story on the event. Some mormons, who previously had been victimized by the. Scholars are praising a new book that offers an indepth look at one of the. Mountain meadows massacre page 2 legends of america. These groundwaterdependent ecosystems rely on the persistence of a shallow water table throughout the dry summer. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 may 26, 2014 emily upton leave a comment on september 11, 1857, the bakerfancher emigrant wagon train was rolling through mountain meadows, utah, about 35 miles southwest of cedar city. This book was the first to seriously attempt an honest investigation. The aftermath of mountain meadows history smithsonian. Few people know the extent of the mormon colonization of what is today the western united states, mexico, and even canada. The mountain meadows massacre stands without a parallel amongst the crimes that stain the pages of american history. The mountain meadows massacre 1950 by juanita brooks was the first definitive study of the mountain meadows massacre juanita brooks, a mormon historian trained in historical methods, was discouraged from studying the incident, and she suffered some ostracism from fellow mormons after its publication. Her work was acclaimed by historians, however, leading to her recognition as an exemplary.
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