The Mountain Meadows Massacre (book) facts for kids
First edition
|
|
| Author | Juanita Brooks |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Mountain Meadows massacre |
| Publisher | University of Oklahoma Press |
|
Publication date
|
1950 (1st Edition) |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) & (Paperback) |
The Mountain Meadows Massacre is a famous book written in 1950 by Juanita Brooks. It was the first complete and detailed study of a terrible event called the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Juanita Brooks was a historian who belonged to the Mormon faith. She was trained in how to study history carefully. Even though some people in her community didn't want her to research this topic, she went ahead. After her book was published, some fellow Mormons treated her badly.
However, other historians praised her work very highly. They recognized her as an excellent historian of the American West and Mormonism. Over time, the leaders of the Mormon church also accepted her findings about the massacre.
What the Book Explains
The Mountain Meadows Massacre was the first book to fully show that Mormons were involved in the massacre. In her book, Brooks clearly proved that a Mormon group was responsible for the terrible event. She also showed that John D. Lee, who was the only person punished for the massacre, was unfairly blamed.
Brooks wrote that church leaders decided to blame Lee only when they realized they couldn't clear his name without taking some blame themselves.
The book stated that Brigham Young did not directly order the massacre. However, it did say that his strong speeches and the social conditions he created made the event possible. Brooks wrote, "While Brigham Young and other church authorities did not specifically order the massacre, they did preach sermons and set up social conditions that made it possible."
In her honest story, Brooks described the massacre as an extreme reaction by the Mormon group. It was a tragedy for everyone involved. Many settlers died, and the good name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was damaged.
Brooks also thought about her own grandfather, Dudley Leavitt, and his role. She wrote, "We can only wonder as to Dudley's relation to the Massacre."
