1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: The Stay in History Class. It's a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey y'all, I'm Eves and Welcome to the 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: Stand History Class, a podcast that brings you a little 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: nugget of history every day. Today is June. The day 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: was unto Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism and leader 6 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: of the Latter Day Saint Movement, was murdered alongside his 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: brother Hiram by an angry mob in Carthage, Illinois. At 8 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 1: the time of their killing, they were incarcerated at Carthage 9 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: Jail awaiting trial for charges of treason, inciting riot, and 10 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: destruction of the press. In March of eighteen thirty, Joseph 11 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: published the Book of Mormon, which he claimed was a 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,480 Speaker 1: sacred text that contains writings of ancient prophets who lived 13 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: on the American continent. In the book, Jesus Christ appears 14 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: in the America's not long after his resurrection. By the 15 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: time Smith's death fourteen years later, the Latter Day Saint 16 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: movement had tens of thousands of followers known as Mormons. 17 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: In eighteen thirty one, Smith proclaimed that God had designated 18 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: western Missouri as the place where Zion would gather. In 19 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: anticipation of Christ's second coming. This new Jerusalem was supposedly 20 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: the City of Independence in Jackson County, Missouri. During the 21 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:27,400 Speaker 1: eighteen thirties, Smith sent out missionaries and published revelations, growing 22 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: his follower base. The growing Mormon population in Missouri cost 23 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: tensions and eventually episodes of violence with non Mormon residents. 24 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: In eighteen thirty eight, Mormons and non Mormons went up 25 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: against each other in the Missouri Mormon War after they 26 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: clashed in elections at Gallatin. In October of that year, 27 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs issued Missouri Executive Order forty four, 28 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: also known as the Mormon Extermination Order. He said that quote, 29 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: the Mormons must be treated as enemies and must be 30 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: exterminated or driven for the state if necessary for the 31 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: public peace. Their outrages are beyond all description. Mormons were 32 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: subsequently expelled from the state of Missouri, and Smith and 33 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: the Mormons moved to Illinois, finding a new home at Navu. 34 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: By four several people who were dissatisfied with Smith had 35 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: left the LDS Church along with some non Mormons in 36 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: the Navu area. They founded the Navu Expositor, a newspaper 37 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: that published a single issue on June seven. The paper 38 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: criticized Smith for a practicing polygamy and claimed that he 39 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: had tried to marry other people's wives. Smith and the 40 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: Navus City Council declared the paper of public nuisance and 41 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:45,119 Speaker 1: had the Expositor and its printing press destroyed. The destruction 42 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: of the Expositor led to a huge uproar against the LDS. 43 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: People made violent threats against Smith and his followers. Many 44 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: had already denounced Smith for acting as if he were 45 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: above the law, but critics sought legal charges against Smith 46 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: for destruction of the press and including charges of treason 47 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: and inciting riot. Lawrence went out first Smith's arrest. On June. 48 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: Smith declared martial law and called on the Navu legion 49 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: a city militia, but after briefly fleeing into Iowa Territory, 50 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: Smith returned and surrendered. The Smith brothers were transported to Carthage, 51 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: the seat of Hancock County, where they were immediately charged 52 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: with treason against the state of Illinois for declaring martial 53 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: law and Navou Joseph Hiram and some of their friends 54 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: were put in a second story sale at the Carthage 55 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: jail and held there until they could be tried, and 56 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: anti Mormon local militia called the Carthage Grays was assigned 57 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: to protect the Smiths. There were reports of several threats 58 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: being made against Smith by militia members, but the governor 59 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: dismissed them, and on the afternoon of June four, a 60 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: mob of between one hundred and two hundred armed men 61 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: stormed the Carthage jail, their faces painted black with a gunpowder. 62 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: A mob member fired a shot through the door, striking 63 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: Hiram in the face and killing him. Smith used a 64 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: pistol that was smuggled to him to shoot his attackers, 65 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,119 Speaker 1: reportedly wounding some of them. Smith then made his way 66 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: to the window, at which point he was shot several 67 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: times from the doorway and from outside the window. He 68 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: fell to the ground outside the jail. There are conflicting 69 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: reports on whether Smith was dead when he hit the 70 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: ground or died shortly thereafter, but the mob soon dispersed. 71 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: John Taylor and Willard Richards, other Mormons targeted in the attack, survived. 72 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: Joseph and Hiram were buried in Navoo. Mormons condemned Governor 73 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: Ford for neglecting to take the malicious threats seriously and 74 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: suspected him of being party to the plot. Ford denied this, 75 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: but later he did write that it was good for 76 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: the Mormons to have been driven out of the state. 77 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: The death of the Smith brothers cost turbulence in the 78 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: Latter Day Saint movement and in the line of succession. Today, 79 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: the LDS Church reports a membership of more than sixt million. 80 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 1: I'm Eve Jeff Coote and hopefully you know a little 81 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. And if 82 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: you have any comments art suggestions, you can send them 83 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: to us at this day at iHeart media dot com. 84 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: You can also hit us up on social media where 85 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: at t D I h C podcast. Thanks again for 86 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: listening to the show and we'll see you tomorrow. For 87 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 88 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.