Learn about the history of Mormonism and the Mormon Trail, including the massacre at Haun's Mill and the tensions between Mormons and other Americans. Discover the struggles faced by early Mormons in Missouri and the horrifying events of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Explore the aftermath of the massacre and the mellowing out of Utah Mormons.
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Haun's Mill Massacre
Mormons were massacred at Haun's Mill, Missouri, on October 30, 1838.
Over 200 armed men attacked the small Mormon community, killing men, women, and children.
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Mormon Trail's Unique Nature
The Mormon Trail represents a migration of religious refugees, unlike other westward expansions.
Understanding this trail requires understanding Mormonism's origins and persecution.
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Second Great Awakening's Influence
Joseph Smith's religious experiences occurred during the Second Great Awakening, a time of religious fervor.
Restorationism, millenarianism, and folk magic were prevalent, influencing Mormonism's development.
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“Nits will make lice, and if he had lived he would have become a Mormon.”
This is the story of our last major pioneer migration out west; it’s also the story of America’s largest homegrown faith: Mormonism. Growing up in the “burned-over district” of America’s Second Great Awakening, it’s not too surprising that upstate New York farmer Joseph Smith has his mind on God. But with a new book of scripture (The Book of Mormon), a restorationist gospel, the power of the Mormon vote, and polygamy, members of the church founded by Joseph--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or “Mormons”--find themselves at odds with their fellow nineteenth-century Americans in several different states. In these peak years of American vigilantism, this means vandalism. Violence. Murder. And massacre at a Missouri mill.
Mormons become religious refugees as they head west by the thousands along the newly dubbed “Mormon Trail.” But all is not well far away in the west. The US army is coming. War hysteria now peaks as an unsuspecting California-bound wagon train makes its way through southern Utah.