Defender Quentin Thomas Wells.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wells, Quentin, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Latter Day Saints--Utah--History.

Latter Day Saints.

Latter Day Saints--Utah--Biography.

Wells family.

Wells, Daniel H. (Daniel Hanmer), 1814-1891.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (501 pages)

Manufacture:

Baltimore, Md. : Project MUSE, 2016

Place of Publication:

Logan : Utah State University Press, [2016]

Summary:

Defender is the first and only scholarly biography of Daniel H. Wells, one of the important yet historically neglected leaders among the nineteenth-century Mormons-leaders like Heber C. Kimball, George Q. Cannon, and Jedediah M. Grant. An adult convert to the Mormon faith during the Mormons' Nauvoo period, Wells developed relationships with men at the highest levels of the church hierarchy, emigrated to Utah with the Mormon pioneers, and served in a series of influential posts in both church and state. Wells was known especially as a military leader in both Nauvoo and Utah-he led the territorial militia in four Indian conflicts and a confrontation with the US Army (the Utah War). But he was also the territorial attorney general and obtained title to all the land in Salt Lake City from the federal government during his tenure as the mayor of Salt Lake City. He was Second Counselor to Brigham Young in the LDS Church's First Presidency and twice served as president of the Mormon European mission. Among these and other accomplishments, he ran businesses in lumbering, coal mining, manufacturing, and gas production; developed roads, ferries, railroads, and public buildings; and presided over a family of seven wives and thirty-seven children. Wells witnessed and influenced a wide range of consequential events that shaped the culture, politics, and society of Utah in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Using research from relevant collections, sources in public records, references to Wells in the Joseph Smith papers, other contemporaneous journals and letters, and the writings of Brigham Young, Quentin Thomas Wells has created a serious and significant contribution to Mormon history scholarship.

Contents:

1634-1814, a Puritan family's progress : the Wells' migration from England to America

1814-1838, Daniel H. Wells : from a brief childhood in New York to frontier life in Illinois

1839-1841, a bachelor farmer in commerce becomes a married entrepreneur and civic leader in Nauvoo

1841-1844, the Mormon hegemony : civic controversy, court cases and family conflict

1843-1846, the Mormon hegemony : disaffection and libel leads to mayhem and murder

1844-1846, the decline of Nauvoo : Daniel becomes a Mormon and leads in the battle of Nauvoo

1846-1848, the cost of conversion : travels to winter quarters and the trail to great Salt Lake City

1848-1851, desert home and new callings : the superintendant, the general and the attorney general

1851-1855, six additional wives : a dozen children and many enterprises to support the family

1855-1857, fighting Indians or feeding them : family matters and Brigham's new counselor

1857-1858, the Utah Expedition : causes and consequences, a war of lies and egos, but no casualties

1858-1859, the Peace Commission and war by other means : church, territorial and federal politics in Utah

1860-1864, family, business, church, and politics in Utah while the Civil War ravages the nation

1860-1864, the Wells family grows and prospers during the Civil War

1864-1865, Daniel's first (incomplete) term as European Mission president

1865-1868, Utah's Black Hawk War

1868-1870, mayor of Salt Lake City : defending the faith, fighting crime, and obtaining the deed to the city

1870-1878, Mormon versus gentile in railroads, business, government and religion

1875-1878, Daniel opposes the Glu, defends Brigham, escapes drowning and dedicates a temple

1877-1879, from counselor to assistant, trapped in court, imprisoned and paraded home

1880-1885, Wells family marriages, the anti-polygamy crusade, and a second mission in Europe

1886-1888, defending against opposition in England while tragedy unfolds at home

1887-1891, preparing for his passing, president of the temple, death while still in harness

Appendix A : the Wells family in England and America, 1484-1814

Appendix B : the Chapin family in England and America,1484-1814.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781607325475

1607325470

OCLC:

962353565