1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast 3 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: I'm to blame a chocolate boarding And and when we 4 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:19,080 Speaker 1: put up the call for listeners to send in their 5 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: favorite royal stories a few weeks ago, one of them 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: really stood out from the rest because it involved an 7 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: American monarch. We don't have those, no, not at all, 8 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: which is why we have to talk about people like 9 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: our King of Pop, Michael Jackson, or even the Kennedy's. 10 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: I mean, they might have a slightly better claim to it, right. 11 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: But listener Colleen shared a story her grandmother used to 12 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: tell her about her grandfather years ago. Colleen's grandfather, you see, 13 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: was of Irish descent, but born on a place called 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: Beaver Island, Michigan, and her grandma told a story of 15 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: how the Irish fisherman there went to war with the 16 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: King of Beaver Island and eventually claimed the island for 17 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: the Irish settlers. So it turns out, while Colleen's grandmother 18 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: probably took some create of license in there with the 19 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: details of her story that she told, there actually was 20 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: a man named James Strang who had himself crowned the 21 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: King of Beaver Island in the best parts are true, Yeah, absolutely. 22 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: And what's more, he set up a substantial community there 23 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: of about people over which he had really absolute authority, 24 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: and he even managed to get elected to the Michigan 25 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: House of Representatives, yeah, which is a more conventional authority 26 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: for you. But we're gonna be talking about how Strang 27 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: got to this place in the first place, how somebody 28 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: became king, how he managed to take over Beaver Island, 29 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: and how his kingdom worked, because if this is an 30 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: American kingdom, we've got to go into the details there, 31 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: and we're gonna talk about all of that stuff. But 32 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: first we're going to take a look at how this 33 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: very unconventional monarch got his start. He was born in 34 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,279 Speaker 1: eighteen thirteen, and his name was James Jesse Strang before 35 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: it was King of Beaver Island. Yeah. He grew up 36 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: on a farm. And even though he's often described as 37 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: having been frail and broody or moody, you see a 38 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: lot of adjectives like that used for him in his 39 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: early years. He was apparently really ambitious from the start. 40 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: By age eighteen, he was a school teacher, and a 41 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: few years later he became a practicing lawyer. He also 42 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: served as a postmaster, a real estate speculator, and he 43 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 1: owned and operated a weekly newspaper. Yeah, but he had 44 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: higher aspirations than all of that, and according to his diary, 45 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: he was hoping to eventually entertain some sort of royal match. 46 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: According to an article by Bill Gilbert and The Smithsonian, 47 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: in one diary entry, Strength said quote, my mind has 48 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: always been filled with dreams of royalty and power. I've 49 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: spent the day in trying to contrive some plan of 50 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: obtaining in marriage the heir to the English crown, who, 51 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: of course, at this time, was young Queen Victoria. I 52 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 1: really want to know what his plans are there. I 53 00:02:57,800 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: don't even know how you started to come up with 54 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: a pane like up. And though he obviously held on 55 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: to these ideals to some extent, he did give up 56 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: on the idea of Mary and Victoria and instead married 57 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: a Mary Purse, the sister of his friend, at age 58 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: twenty three, and in eighteen forty three they moved to 59 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: southern Wisconsin, where Strang started practicing law there. Yeah, and 60 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: this is where String's story starts to take a major turn. Up. 61 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: Until this point, he's ambitious guy some royal dreams. But 62 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: even though he had previously described himself as an atheist, 63 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: Strang started to take a really strong interest in the 64 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: Mormon religion, perhaps as a way to improve his position, 65 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: And he even met the Mormon leader at the time, 66 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: Joseph Smith, in eighteen forty four in Illinois, and soon 67 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: after was converted and even became a church elder. Really 68 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: rapidly in fact, and here's where we should mention that 69 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: Strang had pretty much always been a powerful public speaker 70 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: ever since he was a young man, and Smith was 71 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: apparently really impressed by these particular skills, so he charged 72 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: Strang with founding a branch of the church in linked 73 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: in Wisconsin. Shortly after that, though, Smith was killed by 74 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: a mob on June eighteen forty four, and who should 75 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: step up ready to claim the place as his rightful successor. 76 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: But Strang, he was thirty one at the time and 77 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: had been baptized to Mormon only four months before. That was, 78 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 1: like I said, a very rapid rise in the church, 79 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: and he had some evidence to back him up. He 80 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: wasn't just saying he should be in charge. He produced 81 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: a letter containing Joseph Smith's own blessing for Strang to 82 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: take over as six as his successor. But Brigham Young, 83 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: of course and other members of the church didn't go 84 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: along with that. They accused Strang of forgery, and of 85 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: course Young ended up being the one who led the 86 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 1: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. But string 87 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: did end up with a small following of his own. 88 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: He was charismatic enough to pull that much off. Yeah, 89 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: And by September eighteen forty five, about four hundred Mormons 90 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 1: who would come to be known as Strangites had followed 91 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: him to southern Wisconsin and Strang's at the next couple 92 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 1: of years proselytizing and preaching, and eventually he unearthed some 93 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: mysterious brass plates that essentially corroborated this idea that he 94 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: was chosen by God to take over for Smith. And 95 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: these plates also became an essential part of the Stringite scripture. Yeah, 96 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: so a strange twist in his story. But by eighteen 97 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: forty seven, Strang had scoped out a new location for 98 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: his his followers. It was Beaver Island, and he decided 99 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: that God wanted him to bring the Stringites there. And 100 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: it's unclear exactly why exactly how that happened. At the time, 101 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: he referred to having received some sort of vision from 102 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: God or some directive, like a direct order to move 103 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: them to this island. But it's also said that he 104 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: spotted the island while he was traveling by ship the 105 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 1: year before, and it probably seemed like a nice place 106 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: to go, the ideal place to to shelter your people 107 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: from outside influences. It was. It was a small island, 108 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: and it was twenty five miles off the mainland, and 109 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 1: like ms again. Yeah, but regardless of the reasons why, 110 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: by eighteen forty eight, String had formed a colony there, 111 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: and by the summer of eighteen fifty he announced that 112 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: he had been divinely directed to become king, and nobody 113 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: there really opposed him. So on July eighteen fifty String 114 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: was coornated and at the time he was wearing a 115 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: red night shirt like robe which was decorated with stripes 116 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: of white flannel, and his throne was a chair frame 117 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: padded with moss, and his crown was made of gilded 118 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: metal and paper. Yeah, so it seems like a low 119 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: key king, not too fancy with his his vestments at least. Yeah, 120 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: but he still had absolute power over his subjects. He 121 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: made all the rules, whether of a political or moral nature. 122 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: He could essentially make laws about anything from where you 123 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: could live to what you wore, and even who you married. 124 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: For example, he legalized polygamy, even though he had been 125 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: opposed to it as a Mormon. Yeah, he apparently made 126 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: this decision right around the time, coincidently that he met 127 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 1: a beautiful young eighteen year old named Elvira Field, a 128 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: recent convert to his faith, and he married her in secret, 129 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: I think before he actually came out with his new 130 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: feelings about polygamy. He married her about a year before 131 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: and sort of traveled around and dressed her actually as 132 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: a sixteen year old boy just as an aside, and 133 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: introduced her as his nephew, Charles J. Douglas. That's really awkward. 134 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: He eventually did come out with it, though, and his 135 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: first wife married didn't like that much. She and her 136 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: children actually left the area after that. In general, though, 137 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: he really didn't get a lot of objections to his 138 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: rules from his strang Eite followers. But not everybody was 139 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: so happy with this setup. Yeah, not at all, or 140 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: with the strang Eit's presence on the island in general. 141 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: That's because there were already settlers on the island before 142 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: Strang showed up, mostly Irish Catholic fishermen and traders and 143 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: their families, and they weren't at all happy with the 144 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: Mormon colonists moving in and in some cases stealing their land, 145 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: um at the very least just kind of interrupting their 146 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: own scene, and it led to a lot of violence 147 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: between the two groups. There were buildings that were burned down, gunfights, beatings, 148 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: and this might be the war that listener Colleen's grandmother 149 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: was talking about. But according to the Beaver Island Historical Society, 150 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: the conflict eventually led to something called the War of 151 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: Whiskey Point, which the Mormons won by firing a cannon 152 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: at a gang of their opponents, and more and more 153 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: non Mormons, who were known as gentiles left the island. 154 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: They just gave up and got out of there eventually, 155 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 1: and they were increasingly outnumbered, and by eighteen fifty two 156 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: they were pretty much gone. Word of this violence did 157 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 1: get out, though, and the government eventually did intervene. In 158 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: May of eighteen fifty one, President Fillmore sent a company 159 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: of marshals and the Navy's first iron hold warship than 160 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: USS Michigan to Beaver Island, who a restaurant on fourteen charges, 161 00:08:56,040 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: including trespass on public lands, counterfeiting, and obstructing the U. S. Mail. 162 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: But after a month long trial, Strong was acquitted of 163 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: all charges, mostly because some of the prosecution's testimony was discredited. So, yeah, 164 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: you'd think that Strong would be pretty happy that he 165 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: had gotten away with it. That he was. He was 166 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: free and victorious. At that point, he pretty much considered 167 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: his kingdom separate from the United States. He figured his 168 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: laws were above those of the not only the country, 169 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: but the state, and at least as far as his 170 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 1: island was concerned. As far as Beaver Island went, yeah, 171 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: he wasn't having jurisdiction over the rest of the country. 172 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: But then he did make a move to increase his 173 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: sphere of influence, and it happened a day before election 174 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: day in eighteen fifty two, he announced his candidacy for 175 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:48,359 Speaker 1: state representative. And because Beaver Island was the most populous 176 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: community in Northern Michigan at the time Strang was he 177 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: got an easy win. He was easily able to win 178 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: the seat and encourage his supporters to get out and 179 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 1: vote for him. Yeah. Not everyone just accepted it right away, though. 180 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: According to an article by Conan Brian Eaton in the 181 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: Wisconsin Magazine of History, his opponents really tried to prevent 182 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: him from taking this office. But once he did, people 183 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: were actually pretty impressed by his skills as a legislator. 184 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: Put those old lawyer skills to use. Yeah, the debating skills, 185 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: public speaking. Yeah, that had so impressed Smith earlier also 186 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: impressed his peers. Yeah. But he also used this opportunity 187 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: as state legislator to expand the reach of his religion 188 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: in his kingdom. In a sense, even during his time 189 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:37,680 Speaker 1: in office he was reelected in eighteen fifty four, he 190 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: managed to extend the reach of these Strangite colonies to 191 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 1: other counties in Michigan. Yeah, and he also worked all 192 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: the while to recruit new subjects for his territories. According 193 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: to Gilbert's article, the state census of eighteen fifty four 194 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: puts Beaver Island and surrounding islands at two thousand, six 195 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: hundred and eight permanent residents, making it the largest community 196 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: in northern Michigan at the time. It's amazing no one 197 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:06,079 Speaker 1: was threatened by him by this power and his high position. Well, 198 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:07,839 Speaker 1: it's funny you should say that, because I think some 199 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,440 Speaker 1: people were. They were intimidated in the sense that they 200 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: didn't want to get on his bad side because he 201 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: did have this huge contingency. Yeah, I mean, one wrong 202 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 1: word could get all these people voting against you. Yeah. 203 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: So you know, that's that's kind of a dark underside 204 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: of Strang's kingdom. But he did do some good too, 205 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: And we've we've got to mention that while we're talking 206 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: about his reign, even though there was violence and shady 207 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:38,319 Speaker 1: dealings involved, he didn't do all that. For one thing, 208 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: Beaver Island became quite prosperous thanks in part two exports 209 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 1: like wood, fish and potatoes, which together had an annual 210 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 1: value of about three thousand dollars, which was a lot 211 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: of money at the time. And settlers there also created 212 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 1: this network of good roads. And they also made strides 213 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 1: towards improving relations with neighboring Native Americans by feeding them, 214 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: building a school for them, and accepting them into their church. 215 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: African Americans, by the way, we're also welcome to And 216 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: according to Eaton's article, this seemed to be a really 217 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,079 Speaker 1: sincere benevolent interest of strengths, which I found to be 218 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: really intriguing, concidering. He seems so politically motivated in other aspects, definitely, 219 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: But because we talked about those good things, are also 220 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 1: going to go into a little more detail about the 221 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: not so good side of of Beaver Island and of 222 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: Strang's rule there. But during his eight year stint on 223 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 1: Beaver Island, he continued to keep really tight control over 224 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: every single aspect of his subjects lives, and that ultimately 225 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: seems to be what led to his downfall. Kind of 226 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:44,319 Speaker 1: reminded us of the Oneida community that we talked about 227 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: maybe a month or so ago. Once you get too 228 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: personal for your followers, they seem to ultimately rebel. Yeah. 229 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 1: For example, he required that all of his subjects build 230 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: their homes and one of the island's villages, even farmers 231 00:12:57,760 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: who had acres and acres of land to tend to, 232 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 1: because he was afraid that isolation, if you were out 233 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: in your hundred and sixty acres of farmland, would cause 234 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: people to shirk their religious and civic duties. Okay, but 235 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: at least that's kind of like your classic Versailles sort 236 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: of model on a small scale. It's this next point 237 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 1: that really sort of did him in. In eighteen fifty three, 238 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: he made a law that women should dress in knee 239 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,679 Speaker 1: linked smocks worn o her pantaloons, because he thought that 240 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 1: the typical dress of women at the time was impractical 241 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 1: and it was unhealthy. And most of his women followers 242 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: went along with that. They were okay switching to the pantaloons, 243 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: but a few, including Mrs Thomas Bedford, refused to comply. 244 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: She she wouldn't wear the new styles, and as a result, 245 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: her husband received thirty nine lashes with a willow whip 246 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 1: and became obsessed, absolutely obsessed with getting revenge on his king. Yeah, 247 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: and he started conspiring with Alexander Wentworth, who also had 248 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: a beef with the king. It's kind of unclear why. 249 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: Maybe also because his wife wouldn't comply with the dress code. 250 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: Maybe he had been punished for some other reasons too, 251 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: but regardless, the two of them started conspiring with a 252 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: couple of other rebels who encouraged them and supplied them 253 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: with pistols, and on June six, eighteen fifty six, Bedford 254 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: and Wentworth ambush Strang at St. James wharf. They shot 255 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: him twice in the head and once in his left 256 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: side and spine, and miraculously Strang survived the attack and 257 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: lived for ten days after that, but he refused to 258 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: name a successor, and panic really started almost as soon 259 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: as he as he was attacked. He was taken to 260 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: his parents home in Wisconsin, and he died there on 261 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: July nine, eighteen fifty six, which was six years and 262 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: a day after his coronation. Yeah, and as for Bedford 263 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: and Wentworth, they were brought to trial, but they were 264 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: only fined a dollar twenty five for court costs. Yeah, 265 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: and I think he said so people considered them heroes. 266 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 1: Even that's true rebels, I guess. But strength kingdom did 267 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: not last. It did not live beyond Strang himself. It 268 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: dissolved pretty quickly, and some of the residents left on 269 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: their own immediately. As I mentioned a minute ago, right 270 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: after he was shot, things started disintegrating, and for those 271 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: who didn't get out on their own, a lot of 272 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: them were herded onto ships by armed groups of non 273 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: Mormons who stormed the island headed towards random destinations. They 274 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: didn't know where they were going exactly, and a lot 275 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: of former Strangites just rejoined the general population after that 276 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: when they ended up wherever they ended up, and they 277 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: became members of other churches. UM. As of the late nineties, 278 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 1: there were only about three hundred practicing Strangites still around, 279 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: but there are still some around. Yeah. And as for 280 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: Beaver Island, once Strength's Kingdom was gone, the Irish fishermen 281 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: came back. They started to show up. A lot of 282 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: them came from County Donegal in Ireland, and eventually some 283 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: came to call this area America's Emerald Isle because it 284 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: had the look and it had the population, and Gaelic 285 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: was commonly spoken on the island until the nineteen thirties. 286 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 1: So that almost seems like too quiet and serene an 287 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: end for a podcast that has had some sort of 288 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: unusual stories in it. It's been a very unusual podcast. Yeah, 289 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: and I think the same island. Beaver Island continued to 290 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: have some sort of interesting characters and stories throughout its 291 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: history even after the Strangites left. UM. If you know 292 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: of any of them and would like to share them 293 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: with us, or if you have another personal story concerning 294 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: monarchs or anything else that you'd like to share, you 295 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: should hit us up at our email address, which is 296 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: History Podcast at how staff works dot com, or you 297 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: can look us up on Facebook or on Twitter at 298 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: miss in History. Yeah, most of our other selections we 299 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: picked for the Royalty contest involved mistaken identities of British royals. 300 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: They were pretty entertaining. And if you want to learn 301 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: any more about polygamy, one of the themes we talked 302 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 1: about today, we have an article on the website. You 303 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,680 Speaker 1: can search for how Polygamy works by typing in polygamy 304 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: on our homepage at www dot how staff works dot com. 305 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff 306 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: from the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we 307 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:25,119 Speaker 1: explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The 308 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works iPhone app has a rise. Download it 309 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:29,120 Speaker 1: today on iTunes.