WEBVTT - The Wild West 5: Mountain Meadows Massacre 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:07.960 They called it the burned Over District. It's a nod 0:00:08.039 --> 0:00:11.760 to a statement by revivalist preacher Charles Grandison Finney, who 0:00:11.800 --> 0:00:14.680 felt that the Hydesville, New York area had been consumed 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:18.159 by a forest fire of holy fervor. It was a 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:22.239 condition that left residents hardened to religious authority. When those 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:25.360 flames died down and the ashes cooled, the ground became 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:29.320 fertile for new religious beliefs. During the harsh winter of 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.640 eighteen forty seven into eighteen forty eight, for example, the 0:00:32.720 --> 0:00:36.479 Fox family, John, Margaret, and their daughters Kate and Maggie 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:39.320 moved to an unassuming house there, hoping to find a 0:00:39.360 --> 0:00:42.240 place to live out their days in peace. But peace 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:45.880 would prove to be elusive. In March of eighteen forty eight, 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:49.320 wrapping sounds seemed to come from the girl's bedroom. A 0:00:49.360 --> 0:00:52.320 search of the home turned up nothing. On March thirty first, 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:56.400 Kate imitated the sound by snapping her fingers and clapping 0:00:57.120 --> 0:00:59.959 through a series of questions, requiring the spirit to tell 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:03.320 twice for yes and once for no. The family learned 0:01:03.320 --> 0:01:05.360 that this ghost was that of a thirty one year 0:01:05.360 --> 0:01:08.200 old man. He had been murdered in their house and 0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:11.160 buried in the cellar. It seemed that Hydesville had a 0:01:11.200 --> 0:01:15.720 haunted house, and through them, America had found a new obsession. 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:19.840 When Kate and Maggie eventually moved away, the spirit went 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:23.319 with them, helping them blaze a career that lasted decades. 0:01:23.640 --> 0:01:25.679 Only later did the pair admit that all of it 0:01:26.040 --> 0:01:29.360 had been a hoax. Surprisingly, though their confession did little 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:34.000 to stem the popularity of spiritualism, that's probably because people 0:01:34.040 --> 0:01:37.679 weren't really looking for a new religious experience. What they'd 0:01:37.680 --> 0:01:41.959 actually been searching for were answers, and knowing the history 0:01:42.040 --> 0:01:47.119 of the American West, that's easy to understand why I'm 0:01:47.240 --> 0:01:58.600 Aaron Mankee and welcome to the Wild West. From its 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:01.919 very beginnings, the idea of the New World and America's 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:06.559 westward expansion were closely intertwined with religious conviction. The belief 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:10.520 that western expansion represented the fulfillment of a divine mission, however, 0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:16.080 known as manifest destiny, did not appear until eighteen forty five. Still, 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:18.480 its roots can be traced back to Europe and the 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:22.080 idea that God had appointed English settlers for a special purpose. 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:26.000 The Spanish and French monarchs, and later the British settlers 0:02:26.000 --> 0:02:30.079 themselves believed their mission was to spread Christianity to America's 0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:34.400 indigenous people. This belief that God had chosen the British 0:02:34.400 --> 0:02:39.000 colonies for an extraordinary destiny received a major overhaul during 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:42.360 the American Revolution and the creation of the United States 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:46.919 as a new and unique, independent nation. By seventeen eighty nine, 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:51.120 Americans considered their new country a blessed entity, charged to 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:54.080 develop and maintain itself as the beacon of liberty and 0:02:54.120 --> 0:02:57.600 democracy to the entire world. In the decades following the 0:02:57.600 --> 0:03:01.600 American Revolution, the population of the Nited States exploded, and 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:06.680 with it, American Christianity became a massive enterprise. The number 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:09.840 of Christian ministers in the country skyrocketed from less than 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:13.440 two thousand and seventeen seventy five to nearly forty thousand 0:03:13.560 --> 0:03:18.000 in eighteen forty five. Competition between different denominations was fierce, 0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:20.720 with upstarts like the Free Will Baptists nipping at the 0:03:20.720 --> 0:03:24.960 heels of more established groups like the Episcopalians. New movements 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:29.200 like the Methodists, Baptists and the Mormons shared a common characteristic, 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:33.080 a tireless work ethic, a drive for expansion, a rejection 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:36.880 of orthodox beliefs, and styles, and an unyielding zeal for 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:42.520 religious reconstruction. These changes led to confusion and heated debates 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:45.360 over the purpose and function of the church, and at 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:48.680 the same time, a new style of religious leadership, often 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:53.360 seen as untutored or irregular, started to gain overwhelming success, 0:03:53.760 --> 0:03:56.680 and through it all ministers vied for the role of 0:03:56.760 --> 0:04:01.160 divine spokesperson. Now, it's important to step back and remember 0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:04.440 that the American Revolution and the ideas it propagated had 0:04:04.480 --> 0:04:08.040 sparked a cultural upheaval around the meaning of the word freedom. 0:04:08.440 --> 0:04:11.280 People had been empowered to think for themselves about issues 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:16.480 of equality, sovereignty, representation, and liberty. As a result, overall 0:04:16.520 --> 0:04:21.080 respect for ideas like authority, tradition, and education started to dwindle. 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:25.160 The traditional authorities of the church had very few resources 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:28.120 to hold back the surge of these new movements. By 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:31.440 the time of Jefferson's election in eighteen hundred, the notion 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:34.720 of dissent in America had become outdated, as if there 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:37.960 were still a commonly recognized center against which all new 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:41.839 or innovative religious movements could be measured. In the midst 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:45.039 of all of this, one man, Lorenzo Dow emerged as 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:49.320 a notable example of populist religious fervor, Dow played a 0:04:49.360 --> 0:04:52.719 significant role in the growth of American Methodism. He traveled 0:04:52.800 --> 0:04:56.680 thousands of miles yearly to preach tirelessly at hundreds of meetings, 0:04:57.080 --> 0:05:01.760 and he had a particular disdain for traditional author including clergymen. 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:06.480 As the country expanded westward, religious life became less centralized 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:10.080 than in the established East Coast cities. Clerics and pioneer 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:14.040 rabbis took to the road to serve their scattered congregations. 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:17.320 In the West, religion took on a unique path compared 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:21.640 to the East. In the process, churches and synagogues became 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:25.920 central in forging the social boundaries that Western settlers needed. 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:30.159 Religious identity became the lens through which most Western settlers 0:05:30.360 --> 0:05:34.040 viewed their world, and regardless of their denomination, clergy were 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:36.960 among the most highly educated people out there and were 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:41.000 sought after for everything from spiritual guidance to farming advice. 0:05:41.520 --> 0:05:44.520 But nowhere in the nation did religious fervor and upheaval 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:48.440 seem as prevalent as in western New York. This was 0:05:48.480 --> 0:05:52.960 the tumultuous religious environment that Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:56.440 was born into in eighteen oh five. Now, the Smith 0:05:56.480 --> 0:05:59.520 family of eleven was poor, and years of hardship and 0:05:59.600 --> 0:06:02.520 illness forced them to move from Vermont to New York. 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:06.320 Along the way, an unscrupulous land agent swindled the family 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:10.280 out of their property, leaving Smith's parents destitute. In their 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:13.520 time of need, the devoutly religious Smith family turned toward 0:06:13.600 --> 0:06:16.880 the Church, but Joseph had become disillusioned by the sheer 0:06:17.000 --> 0:06:20.359 number of religions out there, so he started exploring the 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:23.680 more unusual beliefs at the time, things like folk magic 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:28.479 and superstition, and looking back, that wasn't surprising. Dreams and 0:06:28.560 --> 0:06:32.280 visions were actually pretty common within the Smith family. Joseph 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:34.640 even claimed that he could talk to angels. But he 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:38.200 also began to look outside Christianity at more occult sciences 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:41.320 to find the religious truth that he was After he 0:06:41.400 --> 0:06:44.600 was so convincing that his family believed his gift would 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:49.040 lead them to financial security. Instead, the authorities arrested Joseph 0:06:49.760 --> 0:06:58.119 for disturbing the peace. Joseph Smith was just a teen 0:06:58.200 --> 0:07:01.640 when he had his first spiritual vision. It was eighteen twenty, 0:07:01.720 --> 0:07:03.680 and he was struggling to make sense of the way 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:06.960 the many sects competed against each other, dividing the people 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:09.840 they converted. He also struggled with what he believed was 0:07:09.960 --> 0:07:13.960 a wickedness within himself. Smith gave various accounts of what 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:17.440 happened next. In one telling, distressed and convicted of his 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:20.480 sins and fearing for his soul, he went into the 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.400 woods to pray, and there a pillar of lights appeared, 0:07:23.600 --> 0:07:26.760 and Jesus came and spoke to him and forgave his sins. 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:31.280 In another version, Joseph said, a darkness surrounded him, and 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:34.000 he called out to God. A burst of lights appeared, 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:36.680 and within it stood God the Father and Jesus the Son. 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:40.120 Smith asked them which church he should join. The two 0:07:40.160 --> 0:07:43.200 divine personages, as he referred to them, forbade him to 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:46.440 join any existing sect, for not only were they all wrong, 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:49.640 but they were all corrupt. On the night of September 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:53.480 twenty first of eighteen twenty three, another personage, this time 0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:57.040 an angel named Moroni, appeared before him with the message 0:07:57.040 --> 0:07:59.840 that God had chosen Smith to translate a book written 0:07:59.840 --> 0:08:03.960 on gold plates that contained his gospel. Smith was warned 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:06.360 not to use the plates to obtain wealth, though, or 0:08:06.400 --> 0:08:09.440 even show them to anyone or else he would be destroyed. 0:08:10.240 --> 0:08:12.520 Smith claimed that he found the plates in a box 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:15.840 under a large rock on a hillside near Manchester, New York. 0:08:16.200 --> 0:08:18.720 He wrote that many others wanted the books, but he 0:08:18.800 --> 0:08:22.400 hid them, and once he finished the translations, he returned 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:25.400 the golden book to the Angel. While the Book of 0:08:25.440 --> 0:08:28.400 Mormon would become the basis of a brand new religious faith, 0:08:28.480 --> 0:08:31.920 it also served as a document of social protest against 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:36.440 traditional and complacent figures and structures of power. Smith believed 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:39.120 that the clergymen were the primary source of these sins. 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:41.960 In his eyes, the Book of Mormon suggested that God 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:46.439 would restore the ancient order of things and empower the underprivileged. 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:50.079 Upon the publication of the book, Smith and a small 0:08:50.080 --> 0:08:53.720 group of followers promoted this newfound religion. Drawing from his 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:57.120 own life experience, He emphasized people's rights to shape their 0:08:57.160 --> 0:09:00.720 own faith and take charge of their religious destiny. His 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:06.280 earliest disciples were poor, uprooted, unschooled, and unsophisticated people a 0:09:06.320 --> 0:09:10.600 lot like him. The Mormon Church began evangelizing and growing 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:13.680 rapidly in April of eighteen thirty. The Latter day Saints 0:09:13.679 --> 0:09:18.559 were first organized on the Whitmer farm with approximately fifty attendees. Eventually, though, 0:09:18.600 --> 0:09:22.400 they moved farther west, focusing their operations in Ohio. By 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:25.920 eighteen thirty seven, they were even expanding into England. The 0:09:25.960 --> 0:09:28.640 Mormons were generally not welcomed by the locals in the 0:09:28.640 --> 0:09:31.880 places that they settled. Most folks didn't share their beliefs 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:35.560 in communalism and complete submission to the prophet. Then they 0:09:35.640 --> 0:09:38.200 especially did not take the Mormon claims that God had 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:42.319 consecrated to them the land belonging to their non Mormon neighbors. 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:46.120 As you might imagine, this tension inevitably led to violence. 0:09:46.600 --> 0:09:49.560 In eighteen thirty eight, Smith and many other Mormons moved 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:52.880 their home base from Ohio to Missouri, but friction between 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:56.319 his followers and the locals there persisted, in part because 0:09:56.360 --> 0:10:00.000 the Mormons insisted on settling anywhere they wished, even if 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:03.240 the land was already owned by someone else. So Smith 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:06.040 organized a private army of men who ended up in 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:09.520 an altercation with non Mormons, beating in the skulls of 0:10:09.679 --> 0:10:14.120 nine men. Tensions between Mormons and their neighbors only continued 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:16.800 to get worse, so bad that the state of Missouri 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:20.200 issued a warrant for Smith's arrest and the governor issued 0:10:20.200 --> 0:10:23.040 in order that all Mormons must leave the state or 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:26.680 face consequences. After losing what was called the Mormon War, 0:10:26.880 --> 0:10:31.160 Smith's followers agreed to leave Missouri, eventually settling in Illinois 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:33.840 in a town they named Navu, which they saw as 0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:38.240 a kind of autonomous theocracy ordained by God. Smith's ever 0:10:38.360 --> 0:10:41.720 changing theology, though included the belief that his followers should 0:10:41.720 --> 0:10:45.440 not be restrained from using acts of violence. Such unorthodox 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:48.720 ideas couldn't help but lead to conflict at many points, 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:51.720 which is why, for example, in eighteen forty two, his 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:56.440 bodyguards attempted to assassinate the governor. In eighteen forty four, 0:10:56.559 --> 0:11:00.000 he unsuccessfully ran for president, and amidst all of these things, 0:11:00.440 --> 0:11:03.880 relations with their non Mormon neighbors and even some dissenting 0:11:03.920 --> 0:11:08.839 Mormon groups once again deteriorated. Tensions reached a boiling point 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:12.560 that same year when Mormons destroyed the Navu Expositor, which 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:18.280 had printed stories the Mormons considered unfair persecution. Smith eventually surrendered, though, 0:11:18.320 --> 0:11:21.000 and was taken into custody at the Carthage Jail in 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:24.160 Illinois A short time later, on June twenty seventh, of 0:11:24.160 --> 0:11:27.480 eighteen forty four, a mob of approximately two hundred men 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:31.320 barged into that jail and murdered Joseph Smith and his brother. 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:35.480 Newspapers wrote that the Mormons would soon cease to exist. 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.760 They were wrong about that, though members voted to replace 0:11:38.760 --> 0:11:41.840 Smith with one of his devout followers, a man named 0:11:41.880 --> 0:11:45.480 Brigham Young. After that, Smith's followers moved on, and by 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:48.760 December of eighteen forty seven, around two thousand of them 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:52.320 began settling in Salt Lake City, Utah. Within just three years, 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:55.800 their community reached a population of nearly twelve thousand members, 0:11:56.320 --> 0:11:58.719 and it was here that they sought to establish their 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:03.360 own recognized territory. Brigham Young did one other significant thing 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:06.760 early on. He added something called the Oath of Vengeance 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:11.400 as part of the church's initiation rights translation. The hostilities 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:16.200 between Mormons and outsiders were about to reach a tipping point. 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:26.160 Many of the Mormon beliefs created distrust among the other settlers. 0:12:26.520 --> 0:12:29.600 They established the act of lying for the Lord, which 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:32.760 meant followers could lie to protect each other, and the church. 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:35.959 Insiders who wanted to leave were reluctant to do so, 0:12:36.360 --> 0:12:38.960 as the land that they bought had been consecrated to 0:12:39.080 --> 0:12:42.880 the church. Private land ownership was prohibited, and stewards of 0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:45.920 the church had that property taken away if they sinned. 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:49.800 Followers had specific jobs within the communal hive, as they 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:53.720 called it, from working fields to hunting and gathering. Trade 0:12:53.760 --> 0:12:57.040 outside the community was strongly discouraged. For the most part, 0:12:57.200 --> 0:13:01.800 the Mormons craved isolation. Bigham Young portrayed the United States 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:04.439 government as an enemy, claiming that they'd had a hand 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:07.840 in Joseph Smith's death. He also appointed church officials to 0:13:07.880 --> 0:13:12.240 certify elections, attempts from US federal agents to uphold laws 0:13:12.280 --> 0:13:16.439 the Mormons disagreed with or met with threats of violence. Now, 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:19.200 these actions and beliefs alone might have been the reason 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.000 for the distrust, but it was the Mormons proclivity to 0:13:22.080 --> 0:13:25.560 violence that worried outsiders. The most Young and some other 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:29.400 church leaders advocated a doctrine referred to as blood atonement, 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:32.280 which held that certain sins could only be atoned for 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:35.520 by shedding that sinner's blood. It was only meant to 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:38.040 apply to Mormons, by the way, but some took it 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:41.440 as a license for violence toward anyone they felt as 0:13:41.480 --> 0:13:44.640 a threat. So when the gold rush kicked off. It 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:47.240 brought up a lot of questions about the Mormons relationship 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:51.679 with the US government. Most outsiders traveling to California needed 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:54.640 to cross through the Salt Lake area, and for Young 0:13:54.679 --> 0:13:58.400 and his highly indoctrinated followers, this just would not do. 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:02.160 The culture that Young created led followers to believe that 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:05.560 they had a religious right to kill criminals and hostile 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:09.720 outsiders who had harmed or persecuted them to the US government, 0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:13.280 though Young was a religious dictator with a stranglehold on 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:17.320 his followers. In April of eighteen fifty seven, a group 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:20.760 of farming families totaling roughly one hundred and thirty five people, 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:25.720 met in Caravan Springs, Arkansas. The group set out toward California, 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:28.920 taking their livestock with them. To the Mormons, this was 0:14:28.960 --> 0:14:32.920 considered a hostile force due to an unrelated incident is 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:37.080 He a popular Mormon apostle named Parley Pratt had recently 0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:40.920 been killed in Arkansas. As a result, Young had declared 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:44.800 martial law in Utah forbidding any outsider to pass through 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:49.040 without a permit. Mormon apostle George Smith made the rounds 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:52.280 to warn others of the impending traveler's arrival and to 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:56.200 not trade with them, reportedly suggesting that these outsiders' bones 0:14:56.400 --> 0:14:59.960 would make really good fertilizer for their crops. He found 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:02.920 and the flames even more by telling the local Pyute 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:07.160 tribe that the US military was following those travelers, planning 0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:10.400 to kill everyone they encountered, and let's just make sure 0:15:10.440 --> 0:15:13.400 that we're clear on this. George Smith and other Mormons 0:15:13.600 --> 0:15:16.240 lied to the Piute, claiming that they were at risk 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:19.160 of being attacked, putting them on edge and dragging them 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:22.960 into the upcoming conflict. Unaware of their impending doom, the 0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:26.640 travelers from Arkansas pressed onward. When they reached the area 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:30.600 of Mountain Meadows, those Pyute, dressed in warpaint were already 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:34.880 waiting for them. Brigham Young's adoptive son, John Lee, had 0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:38.080 orders to round up other local Native Americans and supply 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:42.000 them with weapons to help kill the travelers. Apostle George 0:15:42.000 --> 0:15:45.200 Smith also delivered a letter to the native tribes urging 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:47.760 them that they could either help the Mormons or be 0:15:47.920 --> 0:15:51.960 killed by the US military alongside them. The massacre happened 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:55.600 just before daybreak. The travelers fought off their attackers as 0:15:55.640 --> 0:15:59.600 best they could and sent a messenger back to get help. Unfortunately, 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:03.640 a more Mormon outrider shot and killed that messenger. Young 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:06.640 men informed another writer that the Mormons should encourage the 0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:10.160 Native Americans to handle the problem without their interference. Some 0:16:10.440 --> 0:16:14.920 historians believe many Mormons even disguised themselves as Native Americans 0:16:15.200 --> 0:16:18.640 and then joined in on the attack. Surrounded and running 0:16:18.720 --> 0:16:23.040 out of ammunition, the travelers surrendered, but surrender wasn't enough. 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:27.680 Mormon Major John Higbee ordered his men to kill the survivors. 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:31.560 The native tribes and the Mormons took to hatchets and knives, 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:35.360 brutally slaughtering the men and women. Even children were dragged 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:38.640 from their hiding places and killed. Mormon leader John Lee, 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:42.560 according to many witnesses, behaved like a demon. In the slaughter. 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:47.640 Only seventeen people, all children, were left alive and placed 0:16:47.680 --> 0:16:51.080 into Mormon homes. Historians put the final death toll at 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:55.360 roughly one hundred twenty innocent lives. On the morning of Saturday, 0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:58.480 September twelfth, Lee and other local leaders rode out to 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:01.480 the field and spent a moment gazing upon the scattered 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:04.720 bodies of their victims. Then after the dead were thrown 0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:07.320 into ravines and covered with a light layer of dirt. 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:11.399 The killers gathered together for prayer. They gave thanks to 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:14.800 God for delivering their enemies into their hands. Using the 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:18.080 practice of lying for the Lord. They all agreed that 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.680 the blame for the massacre should be shifted away from 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:24.119 the Mormons, who planned, organized and led it, and the 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:27.680 lie they spread to say themselves. The Indians, they said, 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:39.120 did it alone. Every decision has an impact, like ripples 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:42.200 in a pond. The birth of the United States, for example, 0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:45.800 had far reaching effects, even extending into the religious world. 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:49.159 It helped create a crisis of authority in religious life 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:52.879 that called for prophets who could give guidance. New religious 0:17:52.880 --> 0:17:56.160 movements such as the Mormons, the Shakers, and the Oneida 0:17:56.240 --> 0:18:00.080 community emerged as a result, but not all leaders were 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:04.440 entirely happy with a peaceful existence. Brigham Young, for example, 0:18:04.520 --> 0:18:08.159 waged a decade's long struggle for Mormon autonomy in the 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:13.560 face of federal sovereignty. He demonized his enemies, employed violent rhetoric, 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:18.720 and encouraged murder. US President James Buchanan, convinced that Young 0:18:18.840 --> 0:18:22.120 was leading a rebellion against the federal government, even sent 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:25.760 an army to Utah along with a replacement for Governor. 0:18:26.240 --> 0:18:28.960 Young eventually learned to live with the presence of US 0:18:29.000 --> 0:18:32.280 soldiers and officials, and in other ways, though he defended 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:35.760 his kingdom with growing desperation for the rest of his life. 0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:39.480 But the most shocking event in Mormon history was the 0:18:39.520 --> 0:18:44.440 Mountain Meadows massacre. Although Young blamed Native Americans for the atrocity, 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:49.240 the actual evidence suggested otherwise, and despite the perpetrators packed 0:18:49.240 --> 0:18:51.919 to keep their involvement in the massacure a secret, the 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:56.200 truth eventually came out. In eighteen fifty nine, several US 0:18:56.320 --> 0:18:59.080 government officials were sent to investigate what they thought were 0:18:59.480 --> 0:19:03.840 Indian depredations at the massacre site. Instead, they discovered a 0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:07.400 different story. Entirely, those who died in the initial attack 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:10.080 had been shot through the skull, and only those who 0:19:10.200 --> 0:19:14.320 surrendered had met a different fate. Native Americans weren't known 0:19:14.359 --> 0:19:17.199 to use guns with any regularity at that time and 0:19:17.240 --> 0:19:21.280 weren't typically such expert marksmen. After noting their findings, these 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:24.840 investigators collected the bones of thirty four victims and buried 0:19:24.880 --> 0:19:28.560 them in a common grave. Over the remains, they erected 0:19:28.560 --> 0:19:33.240 a monument surmounted by a twelve foot cross. Sometime later, 0:19:33.320 --> 0:19:36.399 when Brigham Young saw the monument, he ordered his men 0:19:36.480 --> 0:19:39.000 to rip it down. As more and more of the 0:19:39.040 --> 0:19:42.840 story was revealed, though, protests spread and outrage grew. The 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:45.760 tragedy even threatened to put an end to Utah's efforts 0:19:45.840 --> 0:19:49.840 to achieve statehood. Surprisingly, though, when pressure for an investigation 0:19:49.880 --> 0:19:53.520 and punishment arrived, it came from within the faith itself. 0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:57.280 In the end, one man was eventually chosen to pay 0:19:57.320 --> 0:20:01.840 the price for the massacre, Young's adopted son, John Lee. 0:20:01.920 --> 0:20:06.280 He was taken to mountain meadows and killed by firing 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:15.960 squad guns. God and greed. There are a lot of 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:19.359 ideas and concepts that found their intersection in the wild West, 0:20:19.480 --> 0:20:22.280 but these were some of the most volatile. I hope 0:20:22.320 --> 0:20:25.639 today's exploration of one violent religious groups clash with the 0:20:25.640 --> 0:20:28.359 world around them helped you see just how difficult it 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:31.520 was to find peace in an expanding world. But it's 0:20:31.520 --> 0:20:34.280 not the only example of such a challenge. In fact, 0:20:34.280 --> 0:20:37.359 my teammate Ali Stead has one more tale to tell you. 0:20:37.800 --> 0:20:40.920 Stick around after this brief sponsor break to hear all 0:20:40.960 --> 0:20:41.440 about it. 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:50.840 During the eighteenth century, the United States engaged in a 0:20:50.880 --> 0:20:54.960 fierce conflict known as the Northwest Indian War, lasting from 0:20:55.000 --> 0:20:58.000 seventeen eighty five to seventeen ninety five. It revolved around 0:20:58.000 --> 0:21:04.920 the control of the Northwest Territory, encompassing modern day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, 0:21:05.280 --> 0:21:09.280 and parts of Minnesota. George Washington sought US control over 0:21:09.320 --> 0:21:13.040 the region and dispatched the army, but the American forces 0:21:13.080 --> 0:21:17.679 suffered significant defeats, notably the devastating Saint Clair's defeat in 0:21:17.760 --> 0:21:23.080 seventeen ninety one. Undaunted, Washington appointed General mad Anthony Wayne 0:21:23.119 --> 0:21:26.840 to take charge. This time. The US was victorious at 0:21:26.880 --> 0:21:30.200 the Battle of Fallen Timbers in seventeen ninety four, forcing 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:33.200 local tribes to sign the Treaty of Greenville in seventeen 0:21:33.240 --> 0:21:37.360 ninety five. According to its terms, Native American tribes were 0:21:37.400 --> 0:21:41.040 to relinquish all claims to present day Ohio and parts 0:21:41.080 --> 0:21:44.480 of Indiana, and for their part, the Americans agreed to 0:21:44.520 --> 0:21:48.280 relinquish any claims they had to land north and west 0:21:48.280 --> 0:21:52.120 of the territory that had been the heart of the dispute. However, 0:21:52.400 --> 0:21:57.040 there was a catch. The Native tribes must allow Americans 0:21:57.080 --> 0:22:01.800 to establish trading posts within Native territory. Where one American went, 0:22:02.240 --> 0:22:05.600 others were sure to follow. Plenty of Americans were willing 0:22:05.600 --> 0:22:09.399 to ignore the treaty and infringe on native lands. Hunters 0:22:09.400 --> 0:22:12.840 and fur traders depleted game resources, making it difficult for 0:22:12.960 --> 0:22:16.919 Natives to provide for their families. For the Shawneese, the 0:22:16.920 --> 0:22:21.840 treaties aftermath prompted deep introspection. Some believed that dark powers 0:22:21.840 --> 0:22:25.360 were at play and that the Americans represented evil forces 0:22:25.400 --> 0:22:28.840 disrupting their harmonious way of life. That's when a Native 0:22:28.840 --> 0:22:33.359 American prophet emerged. But he didn't start out with power. 0:22:33.720 --> 0:22:37.959 In fact, he lived in the shadow of his oldest brother, Tacumsa, 0:22:38.359 --> 0:22:41.879 a renowned Shawnee warrior chief, had always been regarded as 0:22:41.920 --> 0:22:45.760 a hero by Americans, particularly during the War of eighteen twelve. 0:22:46.280 --> 0:22:49.120 On the other hand, his younger brother seemed to get 0:22:49.119 --> 0:22:52.399 the short end of the stick at every turn. Born 0:22:52.480 --> 0:22:56.680 in eastern Ohio in seventeen seventy five, lala Itika, whose 0:22:56.760 --> 0:23:00.480 name means the noisemaker, struggled to find his place in 0:23:00.520 --> 0:23:04.320 the family. He didn't excel as a hunter or warrior, 0:23:04.480 --> 0:23:08.359 and had developed a drinking problem in adolescence. But then 0:23:09.119 --> 0:23:13.120 everything changed. One April day in eighteen o five, while 0:23:13.160 --> 0:23:16.959 sitting in his lodge, lighting his pipe, he suddenly collapsed. 0:23:17.240 --> 0:23:20.240 When he regained consciousness, he told those who gathered around 0:23:20.280 --> 0:23:23.840 him that he died and visited heaven. This vision had 0:23:23.840 --> 0:23:27.040 a profound effect on Lalla Witika, and he vowed to 0:23:27.280 --> 0:23:32.080 never drink whiskey again. For months, the visions continued. He 0:23:32.160 --> 0:23:34.679 claimed that the Great Spirit had called on him to 0:23:34.720 --> 0:23:37.960 deliver the Shawnee from their bad habits and promote peace 0:23:38.040 --> 0:23:41.160 with all mankind. In addition to taking on this new 0:23:41.160 --> 0:23:44.920 prophetic role, he also took on a new name, tens Quattaua, 0:23:45.359 --> 0:23:49.720 meaning the open door. Ten's Quattua advocated for a return 0:23:49.800 --> 0:23:55.080 to traditional tribal culture. He emphasized communal living, sharing possessions, 0:23:55.359 --> 0:24:00.399 monogamous marriages, peace among warriors, and respectful treatment of wives 0:24:00.400 --> 0:24:03.640 and children. While guns could still be used in defense, 0:24:03.960 --> 0:24:06.720 hunting was to be done with bow and arrow. Except 0:24:06.800 --> 0:24:11.800 for weapons, all American made items were to be abandoned. Additionally, 0:24:12.080 --> 0:24:15.680 tense Quatauwa taught his followers prayers and rituals that he 0:24:15.760 --> 0:24:18.560 believed would restore the favor of the Master of Life 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:22.080 upon the Shawnee. He said that his people, the British, 0:24:22.320 --> 0:24:25.320 the French, and the Spanish, were created by the Master 0:24:25.400 --> 0:24:29.080 of life, but Americans who took native land were children 0:24:29.200 --> 0:24:32.840 of the Great Serpent. He deemed those who disagreed with 0:24:32.880 --> 0:24:36.040 his philosophy as misguided, fools or in league with the 0:24:36.040 --> 0:24:40.160 Great Serpent, who spread disorder among the tribes. Those who 0:24:40.200 --> 0:24:45.280 opposed him, particularly among the Lenape tribes, faced grave consequences. 0:24:45.960 --> 0:24:51.520 Tens Quatua examined captives, condemning some and exonerating others. Converted 0:24:51.600 --> 0:24:55.080 Christians were especially at risk, and several individuals were burnt 0:24:55.080 --> 0:24:59.680 at the stake for witchcraft. Moravian missionaries who had connections 0:24:59.680 --> 0:25:02.960 with the l Lennape tribe promptly reported the situation to 0:25:03.000 --> 0:25:08.480 the government. Governor William Henry Harrison challenged tens Quatua, suggesting 0:25:08.520 --> 0:25:11.000 that a true prophet should be able to control the 0:25:11.040 --> 0:25:15.280 movements of celestial bodies, including the Sun and moon. Little 0:25:15.280 --> 0:25:18.840 did Harrison know that his challenge played right into tens 0:25:18.880 --> 0:25:23.040