Gold rush saints : California Mormons and the great rush for riches / by Kenneth N. Owens.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Owens, Kenneth N.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Latter Day Saints--California--History--19th century.

Latter Day Saints.

Young, Brigham, 1801-1877.

Young, Brigham.

Sutter, John Augustus, 1803-1880.

Sutter, John Augustus.

Brannan, Sam, 1819-1889.

Brannan, Sam.

Pratt, Addison, 1802-1872.

Pratt, Addison.

Judd, Zadok Knapp, 1828-1909.

Judd, Zadok Knapp.

Holmes, Jonathan Harriman, -1880.

Holmes, Jonathan Harriman.

History.

California--Gold discoveries.

California.

Gold mines and mining.

California--History--1846-1850.

Sutter's Fort (Sacramento, Calif.)--History.

Sutter's Fort (Sacramento, Calif.).

Physical Description:

396 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

Edition:

Paperback edition.

Place of Publication:

Norman, Okla. : University of Oklahoma Press, 2005.

Summary:

From 1846 to 1857 Mormons played a crucial role in shaping events in California and the West. They were the first American settlers of San Francisco, and without them, John Sutter might not have built his sawmill and thus discovered gold in 1848. Present at the first gold discovery, Mormons made many of the first "strikes" and accumulated some of the earliest fortunes. In addition, they opened new routes between California and the Great Basin.

In Gold Rush Saints, Kenneth N. Owens combines narrative history and documentary accounts to reveal a hidden wealth of California and Mormon history. The first-person accounts of pioneer Mormons, both men and wome, offer new perspectives on myths and realities of gold rush California. Also considered is Brigham Young's ambivalence about the Golden State. Fearful of its corrupting influence on the Saints, Young nevertheless appreciated the benefits to be reaped from California's gold fields. Notwithstanding Young's uncertainties, Mormons played crucial roles in surmounting California's isolation. Latter-day Saint trailblazers and road makers helped open three major wagon routes connecting California with New Mexico, the Great Basin, and the eastern regions of the United States.

Contents:

"For the coming of the church": the Brooklyn saints arrive in California

"Return to California and go to work": the battalion veterans follow church counsel

"Gold, boys, gold": Mormon beginnings of the California gold rush

"I certainly never made money so fast": mining at Mormon Island and Natomas Diggings

"We left the gold fields of California": opening the Carson Pass Wagon Road

"Greedy after the things of this world": Brigham Young's California gold rush policy

"The whole country was agog with excitement": Mormon mining, farming, trade, and travel in the gold country

"To defend yourselves against all our foes": The LDS reformation, the Utah War, and the summons to Zion

"We are the men that developed the resources of the Pacific Coast": the forgotten heritage of California's gold rush saints.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [373]-384) and index.

ISBN:

0806136812

9780806136813

OCLC:

61521572