Was a tragedy and a very sad time in the history of America. It included very brutal attacks on the Emigrant Party. This party included families from the Southern United States such as Arkansas and Tennessee. They were headed to California, but had to take a pass through the Utah territory as it was the quickest way. While the party was stationed in the Utah area, their supplies began to dwindle, which eventually trapped them in their encampment. The Mormon militia soon entered the encampment to offer to escort the Emigrants out of the area. After walking a ways away from the area the militia, with help from surrounding man in bushes, attacked the Emigrants and slaughtered them. This event caused the death of One hundred twenty men women and children, however seventeen children were spared, because they were under the age of seven. As we go back to the beginning of this event it uncovers the situation of the Mormons, and the hardships that they were going through.
To start off this story` we find ourselves in the Utah territory. Previous to all this, the Mormons and their party had just been harshly driven out of the Missouri State, they went through a tough trial in their old homes, they were not largely accepted by most of the United States and we’re in fact look down upon. During the time of the early United States small cultural groups or religious groups we’re looks down upon, because they went against the goal of this newfound country. Mormons along with Mason’s Catholics and other religious groups we’re not popular. Due to being driven out of Missouri, the Mormons headed for Utah territory, the migration of all these Mormons was the single largest migration of any people in the 1900s. As the Mormons arrived in Utah, their prophet Brigham Young was appointed to be the governor of the territory.
Slowly but surely the Mormons begin to settle the Utah territory, and they began to convert it into their new-found homes looking for a new start hoping to not be driven away a second time. Brigham Young soon held a massive Festival in which he invited thousands upon thousands of people, in his words he said, I wish I could invite everybody. This event would soon become known as the 24th of July, or Pioneers day. However after some time Brigham Young’s leadership as governor expired and he was in rule of the territory only because there was never another election held.Shortly after this the mayor of Salt Lake City made a trip to the state of Kansas, While he was there he went to the post office to pick up mail which they would not allow him to receive, while he was in the area he noticed multiple wagons headed towards Utah, he immediately recognized this as a mob of people as he called it to drive them out, in reality it was actually a United States Army, he soon realized what was going on the Temple of the Lord and began to make the Trek back to Utah to inform his fellow members of the church.
He made the 536 mile Trek in 5 days. As the mayor arrived to tell Brigham Young of the news oh, the people began to panic as word spread of the oncoming Army. Brigham Young soon addressed his people and told him that they would be cooperative and resist nothing. As the Army made its way into the Utah territory they began talking of how they were going to heartlessly murder the Mormons. They spoke of how they would hang them without trial and sleep with their women. They said they would kill the 300 most obnoxious Mormons and abused the rest of them.
It seemed as if most of this American army had the same goal, which was to hang Brigham Young who the leader and prophet of the Mormons. As all of this was unfolding, the Mormon militia, Who called themselves the Nauvoo Legion, began to worry about what the future would hold. A previous leader to this militia, a man with the last name Smith, Soon addressed his old comrades. He told them that they would go into the Hills and hold out until they ran out of supplies and were forced to be driven out, he also went on to say,”We will haunt them as long as they live’, Smith rawred, adding with characteristic humor, “unless they live longer than we do”.
But there was no humor about those who might try to sell Goods to the invading troops. “Will we sell them grain or forage?” Smith’s quarried.” I say damn the man who feeds them; I say damn the man who sympathizes with them: I say curse the man who pours oil and water on their heads.” Smith also preached quieter and more reassuring doctrines proclaiming, we must trust in God for if we trust in anyone else we shall find ourselves the losers all in all however one local settler described his remarks as a regular War sermon. During this time the Mormons in the Utah area began to expand their settlements into larger areas, they were very interested in iron and any chance they got to mine it they would make a settlement. Shortly to come three large settlements were put into place, each with its own town leader. One settlement call Fort Harmony was run by a man named John D. Lee.
He was born in Kaskaskia Illinois on December 6th 1812. Lee’s childhood was very rough, his mother was beaten senseless and left impaired. However his father was a kind-hearted generous and Noble man. John’s mother died when he was only three, and just five years later his dad left to Texas. John D. Lee was sent to stay and live with his mothers sister. John Lee in his new environment, was beaten so often that he even contemplated committing suicide. But by the age of 16 Lee had left his mother’s sister’s house and gone on successfully to be a farmer, stagecoach driver, store clerk, and bartender, there were many other successful careers along the way.Lee also went through a brief. Of professional gambling, he soon realized that this would not be able to make him much profit because so much cheating would go on.
John also served in the Black Hawk War in 1832, after which he married and settled down. After all this time while he was still in his twenties he had acquired 160 Acres, 200 cattle, and a thousand sheep. Lee said, “I had good success in all that I undertook”. Lee soon found that he could outtalk, out work, and out trade, almost anyone. Lee being born a Roman Catholic could not decide on which religion to be, he did not agree with any of them. Later in his life his feelings about religion changed, he had took in to Mormon missionaries who were frostbitten due to a bad storm that had blown in. This eventually led to John D Lee reading the scriptures. John later shared his thoughts, he said,” I believe the Book of Mormon is true”. As John’s testimony grew he and his wife Agatha soon left their comfortable position in Illinois to join the main body of saints in Utah.
