James Jesse Strang : the rise and fall of Michigan's Mormon king / Don Faber.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Faber, Don, 1939- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Strang, James Jesse, 1813-1856.

Strang, James Jesse.

Church of Jesus Christ (Strangites).

History.

Michigan--History--19th century.

Michigan.

Genre:

History.

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xii, 221 pages, 12 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, [2016]

Summary:

Few lives experience a meteoric rise and fall like that of James Jesse Strang's. An unsuccessful lawyer from upstate New York, he converted to Mormonism in 1844 and quickly entered the inner circle of the controversial new faiths founder, Joseph Smith Jr. Upon Smith's assassination, Strang sought to be named his successor as leader of the Mormons, Instead, he was excommunicated in 1850, though not before gathering a group of followers, who settled with him on remote Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan and ordained Strang king of the small enclave. King Strang elicited both ire and stubborn admiration from an ever-growing list of opponents, his actions closely monitored by President Millard Fillmore himself. In 1866, Strang was assassinated, seemingly with the assistance of federal authorities. This captivating new biography by Don Faber recounts the fascinating story of Strang's path from impoverished New York farm boy to one of the most colorful and contentious personalities in Michigan history. Avoiding the nonsense, misinformation, and twisted facts so prevalent about the man, readers meet the historical Strang stripped of myth, demonization, and popular fancy-a true celebrity of the mid-nineteenth century who both shaped and was shaped by the colorful times in which he lived. This book will appeal to readers interested in the history of Michigan, the nineteenth century, and the Second Great Awakening. Book jacket.

Contents:

James Strang's America

Formative years

The diary

Pivotal meeting : James Strang and Joseph Smith Jr

The succession crisis

Strang makes his move

Arrival on Beaver Island

Mormons vs. gentiles

Polygamy : Strang's reversal

His Majesty, King James

The king on trial

The honorable James Strang

Pine River

Assassination

Aftermath

A man of settled purpose.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780472072897

0472072897

9780472052899

0472052896

9780472121458

0472121456

OCLC:

927619345