James Jesse Strang: The Rise and Fall of Michigan's Mormon King

by Don Faber

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780472052899
Publisher:	University of Michigan Press
Publication date:	03/07/2016
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	798,090
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Don Faber is author of The Toledo War and The Boy Governor, both winners of the Michigan Notable Book Award. Former editor of the Ann Arbor News, he also served on the staff of the Michigan Constitutional Convention, won a Ford Foundation Fellowship to work in the Michigan Senate, and was a speechwriter for Michigan governor George Romney.

Table of Contents

Prologue xi

1 James Strang's America 1

2 Formative Years 14

3 The Diary 24

4 Pivotal Meeting; James Strang and Joseph Smith Jr. 34

5 The Succession Crisis 46

6 Strang Makes His Move 58

7 Arrival on Beaver Island 71

8 Mormons vs. Gentiles 77

9 Polygamy: Strang's Reversal 83

10 His Majesty, King James 92

11 The King on Trial 104

12 The Honorable James Strang 115

13 Pine River 127

14 Assassination 134

15 Aftermath 144

16 A Man of Settled Purpose 154

Epilogue 181

Notes 187

Index 209

Editorial Reviews

[An] excellent addition to American political biography shelves.”
—The Midwest Book Review

“ [Faber] is a fine writer, and his descriptions of the ‘fighting’ are fairly hilarious.”
—Jack Lessenberry, Traverse City Record-Eagle

“Don Faber weaves an extraordinary account of one of Michigan's most extraordinary political figures.”
—George Weeks, Syndicated Columnist, “Michigan Politics”

From the Publisher