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Belle Époque, &c.
{1837—1914}
(Source: collective-history, via captain-finland) 
“Bloody” Brigham Young, here bearing a distinct similarity to Javier Bardem’s character inNo Country for Old Men, is perhaps best remembered among non-Mormons for his legacy of brutality. A proud polygamist, Young is largely responsible for turning Mormonism from a much maligned New Age interpretation of Christianity into a militarized, highly insular sect which was unofficially at war with the United States of America. 1857’s infamous Mountain Meadow Massacre took place in a pre-apocalyptic atmosphere. President Buchanan had sent federal troops west in order to determine to what extent Mormon claims of sovereignty were a reality. Mormons, long used to popular persecution, having been uprooted for various reasons from New York, Illinous, and Missouri, feared that the United States government was preparing for all-out war. Young did what he could to nurture paranoid sentiment, rallying his followers ever further into a stance of antagonism towards the United States. When a wagon train of pioneers, mainly from Arkansas, stopped in Salt Lake City on their way to California, its members could not have known that they would be raising the suspicions of the locals. As they arrived in Mountain Meadows, they decided to stop to rest, and were attacked by a Mormon militia whose members had disguised themselves as Indians. A five-day siege ensued, after which the emigrants, low on supplies, surrendered, with the militia promising to keep them alive and safe effectively as prisoners of war. These promises were an absolute fallacy, and, in order to prevent the existence of any witnesses, the militiamen massacred about 120 men, women, and children. Seventeen children, all under the age of 7, were spared, with the rationale being that they were too young to testify that their group had been attacked by Mormons. young-r-a-p-u-n-z-e-l said: i love your blog..honestly it's so good.
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(via truthofmasks) |
