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James Strang

James Jesse Strang (March 21, 1813 – July 9, 1856) was an American religious leader, attorney, and politician who founded a splinter faction of the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 assassination of Joseph Smith.^[1] Baptized into the church by Smith himself earlier that year, Strang rapidly advanced to claim prophetic succession through a letter purportedly from Smith dated June 18, 1844, and by producing metal plates unearthed at Voree, Wisconsin, which he translated as the Book of the Law of the Lord.^[1]^[2] These artifacts, witnessed by supporters including some of Smith's family members initially, formed the basis for his establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) in 1844, rejecting the leadership of Brigham Young and others.^[2] Strang relocated his growing followers to Beaver Island in Lake Michigan during the late 1840s, where by 1850 he orchestrated his coronation as king of a theocratic domain, enforcing tithing, communal labor, and strict moral codes while initially opposing polygamy before adopting it via revelation.^[2] His regime expanded to around 2,500 adherents, secured political influence including his election to the Michigan state legislature in 1852, and involved printing presses for doctrinal works, but engendered fierce local animosities through land disputes, economic dominance, and perceived piracy-like activities.^[2] Controversies swirled around the authenticity of his succession documents—later analyses suggesting forgery despite a genuine postmark—and his authoritarian rule, which included public whippings and property seizures, culminating in escalating violence known as the Beaver Island Mormon War.^[2] On June 16, 1856, Strang was shot and beaten by two disaffected followers near the island's docks, lingering for weeks before succumbing to his wounds in Voree, Wisconsin; the assailants faced no punishment, and federal intervention soon expelled the Strangites from Beaver Island, dissolving the kingdom.^[2]^[1] Though his movement dwindled to a few hundred by the Civil War, Strang's audacious blend of legal acumen, charismatic revelation, and monarchic ambition marked one of the most eccentric schisms in American religious history, with lingering debates over his prophetic legitimacy informed by primary documents like his diaries and the disputed artifacts.^[2]

Early Life and Conversion to Mormonism

Childhood and Education in New York

James Jesse Strang was born on March 21, 1813, in Scipio, Cayuga County, New York, to Thomas Strang, a farmer, and Mary James Strang.^[3]^[4] The family resided on a modest farm, and Strang was the second of three children.^[3] His parents, originating from Saratoga and Washington Counties, later moved the family to Chautauqua County in western New York, where Strang spent much of his formative years.^[5] In childhood, Strang was perceived by contemporaries as mentally deficient, a characterization that concealed his underlying precocious intelligence and restless energy.^[6]^[7] He exhibited early struggles in formal schooling and harbored outsized ambitions, expressing in personal writings by age 19 a frustration at not yet achieving roles such as general or state legislator, and envisioning himself as a figure of historical magnitude akin to Napoleon or Julius Caesar.^[5] This period was marked by a compulsive drive for knowledge, channeled into voracious reading rather than conventional academic success.^[6] Strang's formal education began with the limited instruction available in rural district schools, followed by a short term at the Fredonia Academy in Chautauqua County, established in 1823.^[3]^[6] These experiences provided basic literacy and arithmetic but did little to temper his self-directed intellectual pursuits, which later extended to legal studies; he was admitted to the New York bar in 1836 after self-study and practical apprenticeship.^[6]^[3]

Intellectual Development and Initial Skepticism

Strang demonstrated early intellectual ambition beyond his rural upbringing, pursuing self-directed studies in law after rejecting his father's farming occupation. Lacking formal higher education, he immersed himself in legal texts and gained admission to the New York bar in 1836 at age 23, establishing a foundation for his analytical and argumentative skills.^[6] ^[8] His subsequent roles as a schoolteacher, journalist for local papers, and postmaster in Randolph, New York, further honed his capacity for research, writing, and public discourse, traits evident in his later theological writings and legal defenses of his movement. Raised in a Baptist household and baptized at age 12, Strang soon embraced religious skepticism, aligning with freethinking currents of the era that questioned orthodox Christianity. By age 18, he recorded personal doubts culminating in atheistic conclusions, viewing organized religion as unsupported by evidence and preferring rational inquiry over faith.^[9] This phase reflected a broader deistic or materialistic outlook, prioritizing empirical reasoning and self-reliance, which shaped his independent character but left him open to new paradigms if substantiated. His initial encounter with Mormonism in the early 1840s, amid reports of the Nauvoo community's growth, elicited similar scrutiny rather than immediate acceptance. Strang investigated the movement's doctrines and Joseph Smith's prophetic claims through correspondence and printed materials, approaching them as a detached observer skeptical of supernatural assertions.^[10] This methodical evaluation, consistent with his legal training, preceded his baptism on February 25, 1844, marking a shift from doubt to conviction after deeming the evidence compelling.^[11]

Encounter with Mormonism and Baptism

James Jesse Strang, shaped by deistic influences and a skeptical disposition toward established religions, initially encountered Mormonism around 1836 shortly after his marriage but dismissed it amid his broader philosophical doubts.^[12] In his early adulthood, while working as a postmaster and newspaper editor in western New York, Strang immersed himself in rationalist texts such as Constantin François de Volney's The Ruins, which critiqued supernatural claims and reinforced his reluctance to embrace sectarian Christianity without empirical warrant.^[10] By late 1843, after relocating to Burlington in the Wisconsin Territory to serve as postmaster, Strang acquired a copy of the Book of Mormon and subjected it to rigorous scrutiny, ultimately deeming its historical and doctrinal assertions persuasive enough to prompt a reevaluation of his prior skepticism.^[13] Convinced of the book's authenticity through personal study rather than external proselytizing, he resolved to affiliate with the Latter Day Saint movement and traveled approximately 200 miles to Nauvoo, Illinois, arriving in early February 1844.^[14] In Nauvoo, Strang met church founder Joseph Smith, who baptized him on February 25, 1844, in the partially constructed baptismal font of the Nauvoo Temple—a site intended for vicarious ordinances but used here for living baptisms amid the city's ongoing temple preparations.^[14]^[13]^[5] This immersion marked Strang's formal entry into the church, after which he was promptly ordained an elder on March 3, 1844, and tasked with organizing a mission in Wisconsin to gather converts and establish a stake at Voree.^[14]^[5]

Rise Within the Latter Day Saint Movement

Relocation to Nauvoo and Association with Joseph Smith

In 1843, Strang relocated from New York to Burlington in the Wisconsin Territory, where he practiced law and engaged with local Mormon converts. Accompanied by Aaron Smith, he undertook an approximately 175-mile journey on foot to Nauvoo, Illinois, the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, arriving in early 1844.^[12]^[5] There, Strang met Joseph Smith, the church's founder and prophet, who personally baptized him into the church circa February 1844 in the unfinished baptismal font of the Nauvoo Temple. Shortly following his baptism, Strang was ordained an elder by church authorities in Nauvoo, marking his rapid integration into the Mormon hierarchy despite his recent conversion.^[1]^[5]^[15] Strang's association with Smith was limited in duration, as he returned to Wisconsin shortly after his ordination to manage personal affairs, just months before Smith's assassination on June 27, 1844. During his brief stay in Nauvoo, Strang observed Smith's leadership firsthand, including public preaching, and expressed admiration for the prophet's intellectual and spiritual authority, though he held no prominent administrative roles within the church prior to departing.^[1]^[10]^[16]

Roles and Contributions Prior to Smith's Death

James Jesse Strang, a lawyer and former postmaster from Burlington in Wisconsin Territory, traveled to Nauvoo, Illinois, in February 1844 to investigate the Latter Day Saint movement. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Joseph Smith circa February 25, 1844, in the Nauvoo Temple font.^[1]^[15] Following his baptism, Strang was ordained an elder shortly thereafter, marking his entry into church ministry as a neophyte convert.^[1] With his background in law and education, he engaged in initial proselytizing activities, leveraging his rhetorical skills to defend and promote Mormon doctrines among acquaintances in the Midwest.^[13] Strang's contributions prior to Joseph Smith's death on June 27, 1844, were limited by the brief four-month span of his active involvement, consisting mainly of returning to Wisconsin to establish local branches and gather converts, including family members and associates, without holding formal administrative roles in Nauvoo.^[15] His efforts laid preliminary groundwork for a regional stake of Zion, as later referenced in communications from Smith, though no such organization was formalized before the martyrdom.^[1]

The Succession Claim

Alleged Letter of Appointment from Joseph Smith

James Strang claimed to have received a letter from Joseph Smith dated June 18, 1844, from Nauvoo, Illinois, which he presented as evidence of his appointment as Smith's successor to lead the Latter Day Saint church if misfortune befell Smith.^[14] The document responded to Strang's epistle of May 24, 1844, proposing the establishment of a stake of Zion in Voree, Wisconsin Territory, affirming divine approval through a heavenly messenger and Hyrum Smith's endorsement, and directing Strang to plant the stake there as a gathering place for the saints.^[17] It instructed apostles, priests, and elders to proclaim Strang's authority publicly and gather the church under his direction, concluding that Strang would become the "Shepherd, the Stone of Israel" to lead the flock in Smith's stead.^[17] Strang stated the letter arrived by mail after Smith's death on June 27, 1844, bearing a postmark dated June 19 from Nauvoo, and he first published it in his 1846 pamphlet The Diamond.^[14] He cited witnesses including Aaron Smith, Joseph's cousin, and Edward Whitcomb, who purportedly examined the document and affirmed its validity, while some of Smith's relatives, such as William Smith and Lucy Mack Smith, initially supported Strang's claim partly on the letter's basis.^[17] Strang, a former postmaster and attorney with typesetting experience, argued the postmark proved timely dispatch amid the church's June 1844 crises, including Smith's imprisonment.^[14] The letter's authenticity has been rejected by most historians. Examination shows the body text in printed lettering inconsistent with Smith's characteristic cursive handwriting, while the signature deviates from verified examples, suggesting tracing.^[14] Antiquarian Charles Eberstadt, after analyzing the manuscript, declared it a forgery, a view echoed by Yale University's archival assessment of the signature.^[17] Paper stock differences and the absence of corroborating Nauvoo records during Smith's final preoccupied days further undermine its provenance, with scholarly analysis attributing the fabrication to Strang himself to exploit the succession vacuum.^[14]^[18]

Discovery of the Voree Plates and Prophetic Validation

In September 1845, following his public assertion of succession to Joseph Smith via an alleged letter of appointment, James Strang reported an angelic visitation at Voree, Wisconsin (near Burlington), which directed him to unearth ancient brass plates as validation of his prophetic authority.^[19]^[20] On September 1, Strang claimed the angel—identified in some accounts as akin to Moroni—revealed the location of the plates buried under an oak tree's roots on a hillside known as the Hill of Promise, and provided a seer stone or Urim and Thummim for translation.^[21]^[2] This event built on a prior vision Strang described in June 1845, positioning the plates as empirical confirmation of divine endorsement amid rival succession claims by figures like Brigham Young.^[22] On September 13, 1845, Strang led four witnesses—Nathaniel Miller, Edward McLellin (briefly), Aaron Smith, and George Miller—to the site, where they excavated three small brass plates, each about 2 by 2.5 inches, bound with three rings and inscribed with characters resembling modified Hebrew or Egyptian hieroglyphs.^[20]^[23] The plates, dubbed the Voree Plates or Record of Rajah Manchou of Vorito, were presented as an ancient record from an Asian prince's lost tribe, predating European settlement.^[24] Strang restricted direct handling to himself and the witnesses, who later signed testimonies affirming the plates' ancient appearance and the circumstances of discovery, though McLellin soon defected and questioned the authenticity.^[25] Strang translated the plates within days using the provided seer instrument, publishing the text in The Voree Herald and later works like The Prophetic Controversy.^[26] The translation, spanning about 20 lines, lamented the destruction of an ancient people ("My people are no more. The mighty are fallen"), prophesied Joseph Smith's death as "the forerunner," and heralded a "mighty prophet" to succeed him in translating further records—implicitly Strang himself.^[20] It also designated Voree as the divinely appointed gathering place for the Saints, countering migrations to Utah.^[27] This discovery served as Strang's primary prophetic validation, mirroring Joseph Smith's golden plates in method and purpose, thereby attracting converts like John C. Bennett and William Smith by fulfilling a purported test of authenticity: producing tangible artifacts akin to biblical precedents.^[28] Critics, including mainstream Latter-day Saints, dismissed the plates as a forgery due to their rapid production and linguistic inconsistencies, but Strang's adherents viewed the event as causal proof of his apostolic mantle, enabling recruitment and doctrinal authority until the plates vanished around 1900.^[29]

Ordination and Recruitment of Key Allies

Strang maintained that an angel ordained him to the office of prophet, seer, and revelator on June 27, 1844, at 5:30 p.m., precisely coinciding with the martyrdom of Joseph Smith over 200 miles away in Carthage, Illinois; this purported event occurred privately without corroborating witnesses, depending entirely on Strang's personal account recorded in his revelations.^[30]^[22] To establish legitimacy amid competing succession claims, Strang actively recruited endorsements from established church authorities by circulating copies of the June 18, 1844, letter purportedly from Smith designating him successor and, later, the translated Voree plates unearthed on September 1, 1845.^[17] Prominent recruits included Nauvoo Stake President William Marks and Bishop George Miller, who traveled to Voree, Wisconsin, in December 1844 to scrutinize Strang's documents and the plates' authenticity; both affirmed his prophetic mantle, with Miller defecting from Brigham Young's faction to join Strang's group, providing early organizational structure through his experience as a high councilor. Apostles John E. Page and William Smith—Joseph Smith's younger brother and holder of patriarchal and apostolic offices—likewise aligned with Strang, Page after his June 26, 1846, excommunication from the main body for opposing Young, and Smith offering familial ties to Smith's legacy despite his own prior inconsistencies in allegiance. These alliances conferred doctrinal weight, as Page and Smith represented surviving quorum members whose support implied ratification of Strang's angelic ordination via apostolic confirmation, though both later departed by 1847 amid internal disputes.^[31]^[32] Strang's recruitment efforts yielded a core cadre numbering around 2,500 adherents by 1846, concentrated in eastern branches like Kirtland, Ohio, where skepticism toward Young's westward exodus facilitated conversions; key allies facilitated missionary outreach, with Page dispatched to proselytize in Canada and the East, leveraging their prior stature to challenge rival claimants like Young and Sidney Rigdon. Empirical assessments of source documents, including handwriting analysis of the appointment letter, have yielded mixed results on authenticity, with some experts noting stylistic similarities to Smith's but lacking definitive provenance, underscoring the reliance on faith-based validation among recruits.^[31]^[17]

Theological Framework and Innovations

Core Revelations and Scriptural Additions

Strang's initial scriptural addition came through the Voree plates, three brass plates unearthed on September 13, 1845, in a hillside near Voree, Wisconsin, beneath the roots of an oak tree, as directed by an angelic vision reported by Strang.^[24] The plates, measuring approximately 7 by 9 inches, bore engravings including alphabetic characters and symbolic imagery such as a landscape and a crowned figure with a scepter; Strang translated them using the Urim and Thummim, yielding a brief prophetic record titled "The Record of Rajah Manchou of Vorito," which lamented the destruction of an ancient people and affirmed Strang's divine appointment as prophet, seer, and revelator.^[24] Four witnesses—Aaron Smith, Jirah B. Wheelan, James M. Van Nostrand, and Edward Whitcomb—testified to excavating the plates, and Strang publicly displayed them to additional observers, including three more who later signed a supporting affidavit, paralleling the witness model for the Book of Mormon plates.^[24] ^[10] Subsequent revelations, received between 1844 and 1849 and compiled as authoritative scripture akin to the Doctrine and Covenants, addressed foundational doctrines including prophetic succession, tithing, and gathering. A revelation dated January 17, 1845, mandated tithing as one-tenth of one's time and labor rather than mere income, emphasizing stewardship and self-sufficiency for the gathered saints at Voree, designated as a new stake of Zion.^[33] Another, from September 1, 1845, explicitly commanded translation of the Voree plates and warned of judgment on dissenters, reinforcing Strang's authority through ancient validation.^[33] Further revelations outlined priesthood ordinances, such as building a house of the Lord in Voree by July 1, 1846, for endowments and baptisms for the dead (detailed August 9, 1849), and the Order of Enoch on January 7, 1849, promoting communal unity, strict consecration, and inheritance laws favoring primogeniture to preserve covenant lines.^[33] The most substantial scriptural expansion was the Book of the Law of the Lord, published in 1851 as a translation from ancient brass plates—allegedly the Plates of Laban from the Book of Mormon—revealed to Strang by an angel on April 5, 1850, near White Rock Springs, Wisconsin.^[34] Spanning over 250 pages across 41 chapters, it purportedly chronicled laws from Adam through Moses, integrating biblical-style commandments on governance, with additions like prohibitions on usury, detailed inheritance protocols prioritizing eldest sons, and prophetic tests requiring dual witnesses for divine claims.^[34] The text incorporated Strang's own revelations, such as those from July 8, 1850, on ecclesiastical courts and restitution, prefaced by testimonies from 11 witnesses who viewed the plates, positioning it as a restored Mosaic code binding Strangite practice and authority.^[34] These additions collectively emphasized a return to patriarchal, theocratic order, distinct from contemporaneous Latter Day Saint developments.^[33]

Distinctive Doctrines on Prophecy and Authority

Strang asserted that legitimate prophetic succession required a direct, written appointment from the predecessor prophet, interpreting Doctrine and Covenants sections 43:2–4 as mandating such confirmation by "the voice of him who hath appointed him" to avoid unauthorized claims. He presented a letter purportedly signed by Joseph Smith on June 18, 1844—two days before Smith's death—designating Strang as successor and instructing him to establish a stake in Voree, Wisconsin, which Strang argued fulfilled biblical patterns of prophetic installation seen in Moses' appointment of Joshua.^[35]^[36] This contrasted with quorum-based models, emphasizing individual divine designation over collective priesthood keys held by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.^[2] Central to Strang's validation of prophetic authority was the requirement for seers to produce and translate ancient, buried records as empirical proof of their calling, a criterion he derived from scriptural precedents like Joseph's translation of the golden plates and Moses' reception of engraved tables. In 1845, following a revelatory vision, Strang unearthed the three Voree Plates—brass artifacts buried near White River, Wisconsin—along with instructions to translate them using the Urim and Thummim, yielding a short record prophesying Smith's martyrdom and Strang's rise as the "mighty prophet" to translate further sealed records.^[26]^[28] This act, he contended, distinguished true prophets from false claimants, as ongoing revelation demanded tangible scriptural additions rather than mere administrative continuity.^[33] Strang's framework vested comprehensive authority in the living prophet as seer, revelator, and translator, who alone held the keys to bind or loose on earth and in heaven, with revelations serving as binding law when canonized. He claimed angelic ordinations—by John the Baptist and others—affirmed his mantle but subordinated them to Joseph's appointment, enabling him to issue revelations from 1844 to 1856 that guided church polity, including theocratic governance and ritual practices.^[12]^[33] Under this doctrine, the prophet's voice equated to God's, subjecting all teachings to his measurement, though Strang warned against blind obedience without miraculous corroboration, positioning his authority as causally rooted in verifiable divine signs rather than institutional consensus.^[35]

Liturgical and Communal Practices

The Strangite church observed the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as the Sabbath for worship services, pursuant to a revelation received by James Strang declaring Sunday observance a corruption instituted by the Catholic Church to alter the biblical mandate.^[37] Services on this day focused on rest, scriptural study, prayer, and fostering communal unity, while permitting practical labors such as animal care deemed necessary for sustenance.^[37] This practice distinguished Strangites from contemporaneous Latter Day Saint groups adhering to first-day worship and reflected Strang's emphasis on restoring Mosaic law elements within a Christian framework.^[38] Ordinances included baptism by immersion for both the living and the dead, the latter conducted under special dispensation owing to the absence of a dedicated temple and limited initially at Voree, Wisconsin, and later on Beaver Island, Michigan.^[39] Sacrificial rites, detailed in Strang's Book of the Law of the Lord (published 1851), mandated offerings of first fruits and animal victims, with male priests exclusively authorized to perform the slaying as part of Aaronic priesthood duties.^[40]^[38] Women were ordained to select Aaronic offices, such as teacher or priest, but prohibited from sacrificial killings, underscoring gendered restrictions within the priesthood hierarchy.^[41] Priesthood vestments featured prescribed robes of fine linen in specific colors and styles—gold for the Melchizedek priesthood symbolizing endless life, silver for lesser orders—with additional ornaments like ephods for high priests during rituals.^[42] A prominent liturgical innovation was the monarchical coronation of Strang as king on July 8, 1850, in Beaver Island's open-air log tabernacle, where his twelve apostles anointed him amid an assembly of about 300 adherents; Strang donned a scarlet robe, paper crown, and scepter in a ceremony evoking biblical precedents for divine kingship.^[2] Unlike endowments in other Latter Day Saint traditions, Strangites eschewed secret temple rituals, reserving authoritative ordinances solely to prophets like Strang.^[43] Communal practices integrated liturgical elements into daily theocratic governance on Beaver Island, where Strang's monarchy enforced tithing of produce and labor, communal resource allocation for industries like fishing and printing, and adherence to the Book of the Law's statutes on morality and Sabbath observance to sustain group cohesion and self-reliance.^[40] This structure prioritized prophetic direction over democratic processes, with apostles and a royal guard aiding enforcement, though internal schisms later arose over polygamy's introduction in 1852.^[2]

Publications and Written Works

Major Texts and Their Content

Strang's primary doctrinal texts consisted of claimed divine revelations and translations from purported ancient metal plates, which he presented as scriptural additions to Mormonism. These works emphasized prophetic authority, succession from Joseph Smith, restoration of Mosaic law, and establishment of a theocratic order. Collections of his revelations, compiled posthumously in volumes such as The Revelations of James J. Strang (editions including 1939 and 1990), documented communications purportedly received from God between September 1844 and 1849.^[44]^[45] These addressed church governance, condemnation of rival succession claimants like Brigham Young, directives for gathering saints to Voree, Wisconsin, and validations of Strang's prophetic mantle through angelic ordination and plate discoveries.^[26] The Voree Plates, unearthed on September 1, 1845, under an oak tree in Whitewater, Wisconsin (later named Voree), comprised three small brass plates measuring about 3 by 4 inches each, with engraved alphabetic characters on one side and symbolic illustrations on the other.^[24] Strang asserted their translation, achieved via the Urim and Thummim within five days, yielded The Voree Record, a brief prophetic narrative from ancient American inhabitants (Rajah Manchou of Vorito) foretelling Joseph Smith's role as a "forerunner" prophet, his martyrdom by conspirators, apostasy in the church, and the rise of a "mighty prophet" successor at Voree tasked with translating lost records and enacting God's law.^[24]^[20] Most substantively, The Book of the Law of the Lord (first edition 1851; revised 1856) derived from larger brass plates Strang claimed were delivered by an angel in 1849 near the site of the Voree Plates, purporting to contain an Egyptian transcription of Mosaic law inscribed at Sinai and preserved through Israelite history.^[34] The text, spanning over 200 pages with notes and references, adapted Pentateuchal commandments into a comprehensive theocratic code, mandating the prophet's dual role as ecclesiastical head and hereditary king, detailed inheritance laws favoring male primogeniture, tithing as one-tenth of increase, priestly ordinances including washings and anointings, and communal practices like insular dress codes and Sabbath observance.^[34] It incorporated brief additional revelations on topics such as prophetic translation gifts and church courts, positioning the work as a constitutional blueprint for a restored Israelite kingdom under Strang's leadership.^[46]

Role in Proselytizing and Doctrinal Dissemination

Strang established a printing operation in Voree, Wisconsin Territory, shortly after claiming prophetic authority in 1846, enabling the production of periodicals and tracts that served as primary tools for proselytizing and doctrinal outreach.^[21] The Voree Herald, launched in April 1846, functioned as an official organ for announcing revelations, validating the Voree Plates through witness testimonies, and countering rival succession claims by Brigham Young and others.^[47] These publications targeted disaffected Latter Day Saints seeking continuity with Joseph Smith's original church structure, emphasizing Strang's alleged appointment via a letter from Smith dated June 18, 1844.^[48] Strangite missionaries, numbering around a dozen in the initial phase from 1846 to 1850, distributed these materials during travels to Mormon settlements in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and even England, where figures like Martin Harris endorsed Strang's claims while promoting the Herald and related revelations.^[49] The efforts yielded several hundred converts, including high-profile defectors such as apostles John E. Page and William E. McLellin, by framing Strang's doctrines—such as angelic ordination and scriptural fulfillment—as restorations of primitive Christianity untainted by polygamy or centralized hierarchy.^[31] Publications like the Revelations of James J. Strang (compiled 1845–1849) were reprinted for missionary use, providing textual evidence of ongoing prophecy to differentiate Strangite theology from Brighamite innovations.^[47] By 1850, Strang shifted production to Beaver Island, Michigan, where he published The Book of the Law of the Lord in 1851, a purported translation from Laban's plates that codified monarchical authority, tithing laws, and prophetic succession, with prefaces featuring affidavits from four witnesses to bolster evidentiary claims.^[48] This text, alongside proselytizing tracts such as The Diamond (circa 1850s), explicitly linked Old Testament prophecies to Strang's kingship, urging readers to recognize him as the prophesied "rod of Jesse's stem" for doctrinal legitimacy.^[13] Distribution via mail and missionary networks sustained recruitment amid growing isolation, though doctrinal rigidity and failed prophecies contributed to membership stagnation after 1850.^[47] Later periodicals like Zion's Reveille and Gospel Herald continued this dissemination until Strang's death in 1856, prioritizing textual authority over oral preaching to embed Strangite distinctives like Sabbath observance on Saturday and rejection of plural marriage.^[21]

Shift to Polygamy and Internal Reforms

Initial Opposition and Doctrinal Stance

Upon assuming leadership of his faction of the Latter Day Saint movement in 1844, James Strang publicly denounced plural marriage as a corruption alien to the original doctrines of Joseph Smith.^[50] He characterized it as the "spiritual wife system" first promulgated by John C. Bennett and later agitated by other dissidents, labeling such practices as "doctrines of devils."^[51] This stance aligned with Strang's emphasis on scriptural fidelity and rejection of what he viewed as post-Smith innovations by Brigham Young's Nauvoo faction. At the August 1846 conference in Kirtland, Ohio, Strang's followers passed a resolution unanimously condemning polygamy and the "spiritual wife system" as practiced in Nauvoo, declaring refusal of fellowship with its adherents.^[50] In church publications, Strang reinforced this position; for instance, in the Zion's Reveille of July 22, 1847, he argued in "Polygamy not Possible in a Free Government" that plural marriage was incompatible with republican principles and divine order.^[52] He further affirmed on August 12, 1847, that he had "uniformly and most distinctly discarded and declared heretical the so-called ‘spiritual wife system,’" grounding his opposition in biblical monogamy and established church discipline rather than new revelations.^[50] Strang's doctrinal framework prioritized prophetic authority derived from angelic ordination and ancient records like the Voree Plates, which he claimed validated exclusive monogamous marriage as the divinely sanctioned norm.^[53] Prior to 1848, he excommunicated adherents such as James M. Adams and Benjamin C. Ellsworth for promoting polygamy, enforcing doctrinal purity to consolidate his movement against competitors like Young.^[50] This opposition attracted disaffected Mormons wary of Nauvoo's rumored practices, bolstering Strang's recruitment in Wisconsin and Michigan by positioning his church as a return to Smith-era orthodoxy.^[54]

Adoption of Plural Marriage and Justifications

Strang privately adopted plural marriage on July 13, 1849, by wedding Elvira Eliza Field as his second wife; to maintain secrecy, Field adopted the male persona of "Charley Douglas" and posed as Strang's secretary during an eastern proselytizing mission from 1849 to 1850.^[31] This union preceded public endorsement, with Strang formalizing the practice after the birth of his first child with Field around 1850–1851.^[54] He subsequently entered three additional plural marriages, resulting in five wives total by the time of his assassination on June 16, 1856, four of whom were pregnant.^[55] The doctrinal foundation for plural marriage appeared in Strang's Book of the Law of the Lord, published in 1851 after he claimed to translate it from golden plates revealed to him in April 1850 near White Rock, Wisconsin.^[56] The text sanctions the practice as an ancient institution present from biblical times—citing Lamech's polygamy in Genesis 4:19 and patriarchs like Abraham (with Sarah and Hagar), Jacob (with four wives), David (who received additional wives from God), and Hosea (commanded to marry two)—asserting it was required by divine commandment in specific cases, affirmed in the Old Testament, and unforbidden in the New.^[56] Justifications emphasized regulated polygamy's benefits for societal and genetic improvement: enabling superior men and women to produce more righteous offspring, accelerating population growth amid gender imbalances from war, preserving conquered women through marriage to righteous men as an act of mercy, and elevating participants by expanding blessings and virtuous rewards beyond monogamy's constraints.^[56] Restrictions mitigated abuses, prohibiting excessive wives beyond one's financial capacity, replacement of existing spouses, or multiplication by kings lest it divert attention from divine law or foreign influences.^[56] Unlike broader implementations in other Latter Day Saint factions, Strangite polygamy remained limited, applied primarily to the prophet-king via revelation rather than encouraged churchwide.^[57]

Impact on Church Unity and Membership

Strang's initial public denunciation of plural marriage in the mid-1840s distinguished his movement from Brigham Young's emerging Utah faction and attracted converts wary of the practice, including members of Joseph Smith's family and other dissenters from Nauvoo.^[58] However, by 1850, influenced partly by associates like John C. Bennett, Strang privately entered into plural unions and publicly justified the doctrine through revelations recorded in The Book of the Law of the Lord, published in 1851, which portrayed plural marriage as a divine commandment akin to ancient patriarchal practices.^[59] This reversal, formalized by his marriage to Mary Perce in February 1852 and subsequent unions, directly contradicted his earlier assurances and eroded trust among followers who had joined expecting monogamous fidelity to Smith's original teachings.^[57] The adoption of plural marriage precipitated immediate schisms, with prominent leaders and congregants defecting to anti-polygamy groups such as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) under Joseph Smith III, who explicitly rejected the practice as a post-martyrdom corruption.^[60] Dissenters, including early Strangite apostles like Aaron Smith and William Marks, publicly condemned the shift as opportunistic and spiritually adulterous, leading to excommunications and the formation of splinter cells that further fragmented the Voree and Beaver Island communities.^[61] Membership, which had swelled to an estimated 2,000–5,000 adherents by the late 1840s through aggressive proselytizing, experienced notable attrition in the early 1850s, as the doctrine alienated monogamy advocates and intensified internal debates over prophetic authority and doctrinal consistency.^[48] These divisions compromised church unity by fostering factions that prioritized opposition to polygamy over loyalty to Strang's theocratic claims, contributing to a broader decline that left only a remnant faithful by his 1856 assassination.^[9] While some core supporters integrated plural marriage into communal life on Beaver Island, viewing it as a test of obedience, the policy's unpopularity among rank-and-file members—many of whom had fled Nauvoo to escape similar rumors—undermined recruitment and cohesion, hastening the movement's marginalization relative to larger Mormon successors.^[57] Posthumously, Strangite leaders discontinued new plural unions, allowing the practice to fade by attrition and reinforcing the schism's lasting damage to organizational stability.^[57]

Migration and Establishment on Beaver Island

Settlement in Voree and Move to Michigan

In 1844, following Joseph Smith's death and Strang's assertion of succession through a purported letter from Smith and angelic ordination, Strang directed his nascent followers to establish a settlement at Voree in Walworth County, Wisconsin, near Burlington.^[62] This site, which Strang identified via revelation as a gathering place, became the initial headquarters for his reorganization of the church, drawing converts disillusioned with Brigham Young's leadership in Nauvoo.^[1] By late 1845, the community had formalized, with Strang organizing ecclesiastical structures and communal practices amid growing numbers from 1845 to 1848.^[62] On September 13, 1845, Strang led four designated witnesses to a specific oak tree in Voree, where they unearthed three buried brass plates, which he subsequently translated using seer stones as the "Record of Rajah Manchou of Vorito," a narrative allegedly confirming ancient American prophets and his own prophetic role.^[63] These plates, along with witnesses' affidavits, served as evidentiary claims to validate Strang's authority against rival Mormon factions.^[64] The Voree settlement included construction of a simple meetinghouse and basic infrastructure, fostering a self-contained Mormon enclave despite local skepticism and limited arable land.^[65] Facing interpersonal disputes, external hostilities from non-Mormon neighbors, and resource constraints, Strang received a reported vision in 1847 directing relocation to Beaver Island in Lake Michigan for greater isolation and defensibility.^[66] He began transporting followers and goods northward that year, establishing initial outposts on the largely uninhabited island in Michilimackinac County, Michigan.^[67] Between 1847 and 1850, the bulk of the Voree congregation migrated, shifting church operations fully to Beaver Island by the late 1840s, where the population expanded to support sustained communal agriculture and fishing.^[68] This transition marked a strategic pivot from continental frontier tensions to insular self-reliance, enabling Strang's doctrines to consolidate without immediate Nauvoo-aligned interference, though it introduced new maritime and territorial challenges.^[2]

Economic Self-Sufficiency and Community Building

Following their relocation to Beaver Island in 1848, James Strang's followers purchased land from the Odawa Native Americans and initiated efforts to create an economically independent settlement.^[69] The group, numbering around 300 initial settlers and expanding to approximately 1,500 by the mid-1850s, focused on communal development to achieve self-reliance amid isolation from mainland resources.^[70] This involved clearing forested areas for habitation and infrastructure, constructing homes, roads, and a printing house in 1850 to support both doctrinal publication and local operations.^[66]^[71] Economic activities centered on island resources to foster self-sufficiency, with fishing and lumbering as primary industries.^[72] Lumber production ranked as the second most significant pursuit for the Strangites, leveraging the island's timber for export via Great Lakes trade routes, which enhanced the community's financial stability and strategic position.^[73] Fur trapping supplemented these efforts, drawing on pre-existing Native American practices, while limited agriculture likely supported basic food needs through small-scale farming on cleared plots.^[72] The settlement's neatly organized layout and land improvements reflected a deliberate push toward communal efficiency, reducing dependence on external supplies.^[74] Strang's doctrines, including revelations emphasizing collective welfare akin to the law of consecration, reinforced economic cooperation by directing resources toward shared prosperity and spiritual objectives.^[2] This system aimed to bind members through mutual labor and tithing-like contributions, enabling the community to sustain growth despite external hostilities and logistical challenges of island life.^[75] By the early 1850s, these practices had transformed Beaver Island from a sparsely populated outpost into a functional theocratic enclave, though vulnerabilities in supply chains persisted due to regional tensions.^[66]

Legal and Political Maneuvering for Land Control

Strang directed his followers to settle on Beaver Island starting in 1848–1849, amassing approximately 250 adherents by the end of 1849, and asserted claims to federal lands as the rightful domain of his church, precipitating disputes with non-Mormon settlers.^[2] To consolidate control, Strang and his group acquired properties through sheriff auctions of lands seized from non-Mormon "Gentiles" for unpaid taxes, thereby expanding Strangite holdings amid ongoing property conflicts.^[2] Leveraging the growing Strangite population as a voting bloc, Strang secured local offices, including election as justice of the peace and township supervisor in 1851, positions that enabled him to adjudicate land disputes in favor of his followers.^[2] These roles facilitated enforcement of state laws, such as prohibitions on selling liquor to Native Americans, which targeted non-Mormon traders and indirectly supported Strangite economic and territorial dominance by weakening rivals.^[2] Despite facing arrest in 1851 for unlawful occupation of lands, Strang represented himself at trial and secured acquittal on July 9, 1851, bolstering his legal authority on the island.^[2] At the state level, Strang capitalized on his followers' votes to win election to the Michigan House of Representatives in the fall of 1852, followed by re-election in 1855.^[2] ^[54] During his first term, he authored four laws reorganizing northern Michigan's political boundaries to the advantage of Strangites, including the dismantling of Michilimackinac County and the creation of Emmet County with St. James—Strang's settlement—as the county seat, incorporating the Beaver Archipelago and parts of the northwest Lower Peninsula.^[54] In January 1853, Act No. 18 further organized Emmet County by annexing Beaver Island and other islands from Cheboygan County while subordinating former Charlevoix County as a township, redirecting county administration to St. James and installing Mormons in key official roles.^[76] By 1855, Strang persuaded the legislature to establish Manitou County, isolating the Beaver Archipelago with its own court system, which enhanced local judicial autonomy and land governance for his theocracy.^[54] These maneuvers shifted administrative power toward Strangite control, though they intensified resentments leading to later reversals, such as Emmet County's 1855 reorganization detaching the islands.^[76]

Theocratic Rule and Coronation

Proclamation as King and Ceremonial Aspects

On April 11, 1850, Strang received and published a revelation asserting his divine mandate to assume the kingship over the church, interpreting biblical prophecies such as those in the Book of Daniel and Doctrine and Covenants as requiring a literal monarch in Zion to fulfill God's covenant with Israel.^[2] This proclamation positioned Strang not as a temporal ruler but as a theocratic king under ecclesiastical authority, distinct from secular governments, with authority derived from translated ancient records like the Book of the Law of the Lord, which he claimed foretold such a figure.^[77] The formal coronation occurred on July 8, 1850, on Beaver Island, attended by approximately 200 to 300 Strangite adherents who gathered for the outdoor ritual amid the island's pine groves.^[78] George J. Adams, a former Mormon apostle who had joined Strang's faction, conducted the ceremony, crowning Strang as "King in Zion" while followers fashioned and presented royal regalia including a crown of metallic plates inscribed with Hebrew characters, a scepter, and a red velvet robe embroidered with gold symbols representing priesthood orders.^[79] ^[80] The event included oaths of allegiance, hymns, and declarations echoing Old Testament coronations, emphasizing Strang's role as a lawgiver and restorer of ancient Israelite governance, though no explicit anointing with oil was recorded in contemporary accounts.^[77] This ceremony solidified Strang's theocratic hierarchy, mandating tithing and labor contributions to sustain the kingdom's insular economy, while July 8 thereafter became a mandated high holy day in Strangite observance, commemorating the event as a pivotal restoration of divine order.^[78] The regalia and rituals drew from Strang's interpretations of Mosaic law and Joseph Smith's temple endowments, blending American frontier improvisation with claimed ancient precedents, yet elicited immediate scorn from rival Mormon factions and non-Mormon settlers who viewed it as blasphemous pretension.^[2]

Implementation of Theocratic Governance

Following his coronation on July 8, 1850, James Strang established a theocratic monarchy on Beaver Island, ruling as king with authority derived from divine revelations and ancient plates he claimed to have translated. The foundational legal document was the Book of the Law of the Lord, published in 1851, which outlined the structure of the kingdom as a hereditary monarchy led by Strang and his successors, supplemented by a priesthood hierarchy of apostles, high priests, and elders responsible for spiritual and temporal administration.^[30] This text incorporated the Ten Commandments alongside additional statutes prohibiting practices such as usury, slavery, and oath-taking, while mandating tithing and Sabbath observance as core obligations. Strang integrated theocratic rule with local civil structures by securing positions such as justice of the peace in 1850 and township supervisor in 1851, through which he rigorously enforced moral codes, including Michigan's liquor prohibition laws, applying them selectively to align with Strangite doctrines against alcohol and tobacco.^[2] He also leveraged his election to the Michigan state legislature in 1852 and 1854 to pass legislation reorganizing northern Michigan townships, consolidating land control and political influence for his followers numbering around 2,500 by 1856. Administrative enforcement relied on a standing guard, initially small but expanded to approximately 60 men by the mid-1850s, functioning as both a protective militia and police force to maintain internal order and deter external threats.^[54]^[70] Policies emphasized communal self-sufficiency and religious conformity, requiring non-Mormon residents to convert, pay taxes to the church, or depart the island, thereby creating a homogeneous theocratic society. Revelations issued by Strang served as supplemental law, dictating everything from dress codes—such as women's requirement to wear bloomers—to ecclesiastical discipline, with dissenters facing excommunication or physical expulsion by the guard. This system blended priestly oversight with monarchical decree, prioritizing divine will over secular statutes where conflicts arose, though Strang publicly affirmed loyalty to U.S. and state laws to mitigate federal scrutiny.^[70]^[2] Strang's theocratic governance on Beaver Island established a rigid hierarchical social order, with himself as absolute monarch following his coronation on July 8, 1850, supported by a council of apostles and prophets drawn from loyal followers. Community members were required to swear oaths of personal allegiance to Strang and consecrate one-tenth of their possessions as tithing, which funded communal enterprises and reinforced economic dependence on the leadership.^[2]^[58] This structure extended to family roles, where polygamous households under Strang's five wives exemplified patriarchal authority, while lesser priesthood offices were occasionally extended to women as teachers or deacons, a practice unique among contemporaneous Mormon factions.^[2] Internal discipline was maintained through ecclesiastical courts and civil offices held by Strang, including justice of the peace and township supervisor, enabling swift enforcement of both religious doctrines and local statutes derived from the Book of the Law of the Lord, a text Strang claimed to have translated from ancient plates in 1849. Violations of communal norms, such as failure to pay tithing or adhere to doctrines like plural marriage after its 1850 adoption, resulted in excommunication or banishment, as seen in the expulsion of dissenters like Mary Abigail Perce.^[58]^[2] By 1847, approximately 600 of Strang's roughly 1,000 followers had been excommunicated or voluntarily departed due to such measures, though the Beaver Island colony stabilized around 2,500 adherents by the mid-1850s under intensified loyalty demands.^[9] A notable example of social control was the 1855 dress reform mandate requiring women to adopt bloomers—loose trousers under knee-length smocks—for practicality and health, departing from prevailing fashions; non-compliance by wives could lead to corporal punishment, including whipping of their husbands.^[81]^[70] This policy, enforced via public scrutiny and ecclesiastical pressure, underscored Strang's authority over personal conduct but fueled internal resentment, contributing to assassination plots by disaffected members like Thomas Bedford and Alexander Wentworth, both previously excommunicated.^[2]^[82] Overall, order relied on Strang's charisma and political dominance, including control of county elections, but proved brittle against sustained dissent.^[2]

External Conflicts and Tensions

Clashes with Non-Mormon Settlers

As Strang's followers settled Beaver Island starting in 1847, they came into competition with established non-Mormon inhabitants, including Irish fishermen who maintained seasonal shanties for Great Lakes fishing operations and traded whiskey with Native Americans for pelts and other goods. The Strangites, adhering to temperance doctrines, viewed the alcohol trade as exploitative and immoral, particularly as it involved bartering substandard or counterfeit whiskey with indigenous populations, leading to early disputes over economic activities and land use.^[83]^[84] These tensions escalated in 1850 during the "War of Whiskey Point," a confrontation at a fishing camp where drunken non-Mormon fishermen, angered by Strangite encroachments and enforcement of prohibition, threatened Mormon settlers; in response, Strang ordered a cannon fired toward the group to disperse them, resulting in no reported deaths but solidifying Strangite territorial claims without full-scale battle. The incident highlighted broader frictions, as Strangites began seizing or repurposing abandoned fishermen's properties and nets, further alienating the gentiles who relied on the island's resources for livelihood.^[85]^[78]^[86] By 1851–1852, political maneuvering allowed Strangites to dominate local offices, enabling tax enforcement and land seizures from non-Mormons for alleged delinquencies, which provoked retaliatory violence. In July 1852, at Pine River on the mainland nearby, gentiles ambushed a Strangite sheriff and deputies collecting fees, firing shots and forcing their flight to a boat; though the Strangites initially retreated, the gentiles soon abandoned the outpost amid ongoing pressure. These events, combined with Strangite numerical growth to over 2,000 adherents by mid-decade, prompted an exodus of non-Mormons, with only about eight remaining by fall 1852, effectively ending large-scale settlement clashes but fostering enduring resentment among displaced fishermen.^[2]^[2]

Accusations of Violence and Piracy

Non-Mormon settlers and regional newspapers accused James Strang's followers, known as Strangites, of systematic theft and piracy on Lake Michigan, claiming they plundered shipwrecks for cargo, stole fishing nets and boats from Irish fishermen, and rustled horses from mainland farms to sustain their insular economy.^[87]^[54] These acts were often rationalized by Strangites under the Mormon doctrine of consecration, which interpreted communal property laws as justifying seizure of "gentile" (non-Mormon) goods, though contemporary accounts from anti-Mormon sources like the Grand Traverse Herald portrayed them as outright banditry without legal salvage rights.^[54]^[87] Historians have noted that while some thefts occurred amid economic rivalry over fishing grounds, exaggerated tales—such as extinguishing lighthouse beacons to lure vessels ashore—likely stemmed from hearsay and prejudice against the theocratic enclave, lacking direct corroboration.^[72] A pivotal violent clash occurred on July 13, 1853, at Pine River (modern-day Charlevoix, Michigan), dubbed the "Battle of Pine River," where approximately 15 armed Strangites arrived by rowboat to serve legal summonses for jury duty and arrest alleged fugitives, escalating into a gunfight with 30 local fishermen and settlers who refused cooperation.^[88]^[54] The skirmish resulted in six Strangites and one gentile wounded, with no fatalities, but it intensified mutual distrust; Strangites viewed it as enforcement of county authority under their political control of Emmet County, while settlers decried it as an armed invasion by a militant sect seeking to dominate mainland resources.^[88]^[78] Regional press amplified the incident as evidence of Strangite aggression, contributing to calls for federal intervention, though records indicate the Strangites withdrew after the exchange.^[54] Further accusations included sporadic harassment of non-Mormons, such as cursing and pelting with stones during a trader's funeral on Beaver Island, and broader claims of sawmill arson and cargo theft, which fueled 1855 newspaper labels of Strangites as "desperate bands of pirates" preying on Great Lakes commerce.^[54]^[72] These stemmed from the Strangites' near-monopoly on island resources after non-Mormons were economically pressured to leave by 1852, but evidence for organized piracy remains circumstantial, often conflated with legitimate salvage or defensive actions amid settler boycotts and blockades.^[72] Strang himself denied systemic criminality, attributing conflicts to gentile provocations, yet the cumulative allegations eroded public tolerance and presaged his kingdom's downfall.^[87]

Federal and State Interventions

In 1851, James Strang and several associates faced federal charges including trespassing on public lands, obstructing the mail, cutting timber from federal property, tax irregularities, and counterfeiting, arising from their occupation and development of Beaver Island, which included unsurveyed federal territory.^[89]^[19] The U.S. District Court trial in Detroit, held from late June to July 9, 1851, ended in acquittal for Strang and the defendants on the primary counts, with Strang conducting his own defense; subsequent indictments were dropped.^[2]^[90] Michigan state and local authorities also pursued repeated arrests against Strang and his followers, particularly through the Mackinac County sheriff, on allegations tied to land disputes, theft, and related disturbances with non-Mormon settlers, though most cases were dismissed for lack of probable cause or evidentiary failures.^[87] These efforts reflected broader state concerns over the Strangites' theocratic control and economic practices, including claims of piracy and counterfeiting, but judicial outcomes generally favored the defendants due to procedural issues and Strang's legal expertise.^[2] Federal presence extended to naval patrols, with the USS Michigan deployed to Lake Michigan to monitor escalating tensions around Beaver Island, though direct interventions remained limited to legal proceedings until after Strang's assassination.^[87] Despite these actions, Strang secured election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1852 and 1854, indicating mixed state tolerance amid ongoing hostilities.^[2]

Assassination and Collapse of the Kingdom

Events Leading to the Assassination

In the years preceding 1856, internal dissent within the Strangite church escalated due to James Strang's authoritarian governance, which imposed severe penalties for violations of moral and communal codes, including public whippings for offenses like adultery and Sabbath-breaking.^[91] These measures, enforced through Strang's theocratic courts, alienated some followers who chafed under the loss of personal autonomy and the prophet-king's demands for strict conformity, such as mandatory "bloomers" for women.^[92] A key figure in the brewing unrest was Thomas Bedford, a former adherent who faced public flogging on Strang's orders for adultery, an act that ignited profound personal animosity toward the leader.^[93] In early March 1856, Bedford endured further violence when Strang's enforcers beat him for exposing the prophet-king's alleged complicity in stealing a boat from Gull Island, compounding grievances over perceived hypocrisy and theft within the community.^[92] Bedford allied with Alexander Wentworth and other dissidents in a conspiracy to eliminate Strang, motivated by these humiliations and broader opposition to his unchecked power; local physician Daniel McCullough reportedly supplied pistols and encouraged the plot amid factional rivalries.^[92] ^[2] Strang, informed of the threats from Bedford's group, refused to act preemptively, citing church laws that prohibited excommunication without a formal trial.^[94] By mid-June 1856, the plot crystallized as Bedford and Wentworth positioned themselves at the St. James harbor dock, where Strang intended to board a docked vessel, setting the stage for the confrontation.^[95]

Immediate Consequences and Strang's Death

Following the shooting of James Strang on June 16, 1856, by disaffected followers Thomas Bedford and Alexander Wentworth on Beaver Island, the would-be assassins immediately sought refuge aboard the USS Michigan, where they received protection from the crew.^[95]^[2] Strang, wounded by a gunshot to the back and subsequent bludgeoning to the head, was left paralyzed from his injuries and initially remained on the island amid rising tensions with non-Mormon residents.^[95] The assailants were transported to Mackinac Island, where they faced a brief hearing before a justice of the peace, resulting in minimal fines and local celebration rather than severe punishment, reflecting broader anti-Strangite sentiment in the region.^[95]^[2] Strang was transported by boat approximately twelve days later to Racine, Wisconsin, and then by rail to his parents' home in Voree, his earlier headquarters, where he lingered in severe pain for the final weeks of his life.^[21] His condition deteriorated without effective medical intervention, and he died on July 9, 1856, at the age of 43, reportedly in a state of relative abandonment by many followers as internal divisions deepened.^[95]^[2] Without designating a successor prior to his death, Strang's passing created an immediate leadership vacuum within the Strangite church, exacerbating factionalism and accelerating the collapse of centralized authority on Beaver Island.^[2]

Mob Expulsion of Strangites from Beaver Island

Following the assassination attempt on James Strang on June 16, 1856, anti-Strangite sentiment among non-Mormon settlers in northern Michigan erupted into organized violence against the Beaver Island community. Even prior to Strang's death on July 9, 1856, in Voree, Wisconsin, groups of armed men from Mackinac Island and the mainland began raiding Strangite settlements, looting homes and destroying property in retaliation for years of theocratic rule, land seizures, and alleged depredations by Strang's followers.^[2]^[6] By early July, these incursions escalated into a full-scale mob expulsion. On July 3, 1856, a large force of approximately 200-300 non-Mormon residents, including Irish fishermen displaced earlier by Strangites, landed on the island with boats and weapons, systematically burning homes, mills, and other structures while driving families toward the shore.^[87] The Strangites offered little organized resistance, as leadership had fragmented without Strang's direction; instead, they were herded onto commandeered vessels and chartered steamers, often with only minimal personal belongings allowed.^[6]^[83] The expulsion affected nearly the entire Strangite population on Beaver Island, estimated at 2,500 to 2,600 individuals, who were dispersed to ports such as Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit, many arriving destitute after surrendering claims to island property and improvements valued in the thousands of dollars.^[83]^[71] This forced removal, characterized by historians as a "terrible tragedy" involving widespread property confiscation and hardship, effectively dismantled Strang's theocratic kingdom, with non-Mormon settlers reclaiming the island by mid-July 1856.^[70]^[6] No prosecutions followed for the mob's actions, reflecting the prevailing view among authorities that the Strangites' prior aggressions justified the response.^[87]

Legacy and Ongoing Debates

Historical Assessments of Achievements and Failures

Strang's establishment of a self-sustaining Mormon enclave on Beaver Island from 1847 onward represented a primary achievement, as his followers cleared land, developed agriculture and fishing industries, and constructed infrastructure including homes, a printing press, and the Northern Islander newspaper, fostering economic interdependence among approximately 2,000-2,600 adherents by the mid-1850s.^[78] His election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1852 and reelection in 1854 enabled legislative advocacy for harbor improvements and resource allocation that bolstered the island's viability, demonstrating political acumen derived from his prior legal career.^[78] These efforts created a functional theocratic society with its own courts, militia, and social order, which historians like Roger Van Noord credit for providing stability amid frontier hardships, though sustained primarily through Strang's charismatic recruitment of converts including former associates of Joseph Smith such as John C. Bennett.^[96] Yet assessments highlight failures in governance that eroded this foundation, particularly Strang's shift toward absolutism after his self-coronation as king on July 8, 1850, which imposed strict tithing, mandatory military service, and hierarchical titles, alienating moderates and inviting charges of tyranny from both followers and outsiders.^[97] Internal strife intensified with the secretive introduction of polygamy around 1850, which sparked scandals and defections when exposed, as Strang initially defended monogamy publicly before revelations in the Book of the Law of the Lord (translated from alleged plates in 1849-1850) mandated plural marriage, leading to at least five wives and familial discord.^[78] External tensions, fueled by Mormon expansion displacing non-Mormon fishermen and farmers, escalated into violent clashes like the Whiskey Point skirmish in 1850 and persistent accusations of theft and piracy, which federal investigations in 1851 partially substantiated but failed to resolve, culminating in Strang's assassination by two disaffected lieutenants on June 16, 1856.^[78] Scholars such as Lawrence Foster attribute the movement's collapse to Strang's intellectual rigidity and overambition, contrasting his precise but uninspiring legalistic revelations with Joseph Smith's broader appeal; Foster notes Strang's decoded diary reveals "dreams of empire" akin to Napoleonic visions, yet his failure to secure enduring alliances or succession—leaving no viable heir after his death on July 9, 1856—doomed the kingdom, resulting in a Mormon exodus by February 1857 amid mob violence. Van Noord's analysis portrays Strang as a visionary lawyer whose courtroom victories against U.S. authorities preserved the community temporarily but whose authoritarian edicts and resource disputes proved causally destructive, as empirical records of taxation disputes and settler grievances document escalating causal chains toward expulsion.^[96] More recent evaluations, including Miles Harvey's, frame these shortcomings through a lens of manipulative confidence artistry, emphasizing how Strang's media savvy built initial momentum but hubris in prophetic claims—like the unverified Voree plates unearthed in 1845—undermined credibility when scrutinized, leading to institutional fragility absent Smith's organizational genius.^[98] Collectively, these assessments underscore causal realism in Strang's trajectory: early empirical successes in community-building yielded to failures rooted in unchecked power consolidation and unresolved conflicts, rendering his kingdom a transient experiment in American theocracy.^[97]

Continuation of the Strangite Church Today

Following the assassination of James Strang on July 16, 1856, the Strangite church faced immediate disarray due to the absence of a designated prophetic successor, leading to leadership attempts by figures such as William Smith, brother of Joseph Smith, who was ultimately rejected by core adherents.^[99] Many former Strangites dispersed or affiliated with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints under Joseph Smith III, reducing the group's numbers from an estimated 5,000 at its peak to a much smaller remnant.^[100] Despite multiple schisms in the ensuing decades, including disputes over authority and doctrine, a faithful core persisted, reorganizing institutionally and legally incorporating as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) in 1961.^[38] The modern Strangite church maintains continuity with Strang's teachings, viewing him as the divinely appointed successor to Joseph Smith via a purported 1844 letter of appointment and an angelic ordination at White Cloud, Michigan (now Wisconsin), while rejecting subsequent prophetic claims by others.^[60] It rejects polygamy, attributing its brief endorsement under Strang to personal error rather than revelation, and emphasizes adherence to the Book of the Law of the Lord, a text Strang claimed to have translated from ancient plates.^[101] As of recent self-reporting, the church numbers approximately 130 active members, predominantly in Wisconsin, with scattered adherents across the United States including Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado.^[102] Contemporary activities center on a small meetinghouse in Voree, Wisconsin, near the site of Strang's original settlement, where services, publications, and preservation of historical records occur.^[103] The group publishes doctrinal materials and maintains an official website outlining its roles, history, and FAQ, positioning itself as the unaltered remnant awaiting divine restoration of prophetic leadership.^[101] Membership remains stable but minuscule, with no significant growth reported since mid-20th-century reorganizations, reflecting doctrinal isolation from larger Latter Day Saint denominations.^[38]

Evaluations of Succession Legitimacy and Prophetic Claims

James Strang's claim to succeed Joseph Smith as prophet of the Latter Day Saint movement rested primarily on a letter purportedly from Smith, dated June 18, 1843, which instructed Strang to establish a stake in Wisconsin if Smith were killed or rejected by the church.^[14] Modern historical analysis has identified this letter as a forgery, noting inconsistencies such as the main body written in printed lettering rather than Smith's characteristic cursive script, along with discrepancies in phrasing and lack of corroborating records from Smith's associates.^[14] Contemporary critics, including Brigham Young's faction, dismissed the document's authenticity due to its delayed presentation—postmarked after Smith's death on June 27, 1844—and absence of witnesses to its creation or delivery.^[16] While Strangite adherents maintain its validity, supported by endorsements from figures like William Smith (Joseph's brother), the letter failed to garner broad acceptance among Nauvoo leaders, who prioritized the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles' organizational continuity under Young.^[104] Strang supplemented the letter with a claim of angelic ordination on the night of Smith's death, asserting that John the Baptist and unnamed angels conferred prophetic authority upon him near Burlington, Wisconsin.^[30] This mirrored Smith's own reported angelic encounters but lacked independent verification, relying solely on Strang's testimony and that of a few early followers.^[58] Historians evaluate this claim skeptically, viewing it as a strategic emulation of Smith's foundational experiences to legitimize Strang's leadership amid the 1844 succession crisis, where no clear mechanism for prophetic transfer existed beyond doctrinal ambiguity in Doctrine and Covenants Section 107.^[105] Empirical assessments note that while Strang attracted up to 12,000 adherents temporarily—bolstered by endorsements from some Book of Mormon witnesses like Martin Harris—most defected within years, citing unfulfilled prophecies and doctrinal shifts, such as his introduction of polygamy under the guise of "spiritual wifery" in 1849.^[106] To substantiate his prophetic mantle, Strang unearthed brass plates at Voree, Wisconsin, on September 1, 1845, which he translated as the Record of Rajah Manchou of Vorito, accompanied by eight witnesses divided into two groups: four who testified to an angelic burial vision and four who claimed to have physically excavated the plates.^[107] Critics, including rival Mormon factions, accused Strang of manufacturing the artifacts from a brass tea kettle, a charge unsubstantiated by metallurgical analysis but reinforced by the plates' rudimentary engravings and lack of archaeological context, contrasting with the golden Book of Mormon plates' reported divine origin without physical retention.^[11] Later, on Beaver Island in 1849, Strang produced additional plates yielding the Book of the Law of the Lord, but these too faced dismissal for inconsistencies with Smith's revelations and failure to produce testable miracles or widespread spiritual confirmations.^[105] Overall, evaluations of Strang's claims emphasize their causal dependence on unverifiable supernatural assertions rather than institutional consensus or empirical validation, leading to his movement's contraction after his 1856 assassination, from thousands to a remnant of fewer than 300 members today.^[105] LDS historians, such as those affiliated with Brighamite traditions, frame Strang as a "false prophet" per biblical warnings (Deuteronomy 18:20-22), citing failed predictions like unmaterialized translations of ancient records.^[9] Neutral academic assessments, however, attribute his initial success to exploiting Mormonism's charismatic vacuum post-Smith, while his ultimate failure stemmed from internal schisms, external persecutions, and the absence of enduring doctrinal innovations or evidential proofs beyond testimonial parallels to Smith.^[58]

References

[1]
James J. Strang – Biography - The Joseph Smith Papers
Founded Voree, Walworth Co., Wisconsin Territory, as headquarters of religious movement known as Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (also known as ...Missing: achievements controversies<|control11|><|separator|>
[2]
King of Beaver Island - BYU Studies
Four months before the assassination of Joseph Smith, James J. Strang, formerly a professed atheist, hitched his wagon to Joseph Smith's star.
[3]
A Moses of the Mormons - Wikisource, the free online library
His mother's maiden name was James. On a farm in the town of Scipio, N. Y., owned by his father. James Jesse Strang was born March 21, 1813. He was but ...
[4]
James Jesse “King” Strang (1813-1856) - Find a Grave Memorial
This is a marker that was erected by the Burlington Historical Society. It says: OLD VOREE, STRANGITE MORMON SETTLEMENT; and has a map of the historic town ...<|separator|>
[5]
The Strange Life of James Jesse Strang, New York's Other Mormon ...
Dec 22, 2021 · The Strange Life of James Jesse Strang, New York's Other Mormon Leader ... He was born March 21, 1813, in Scipio, Cayuga County, NY. He ...Missing: education | Show results with:education
[6]
Strang, James Jesse 1813-1856 | Wisconsin Historical Society
Strang, James Jesse 1813-1856. Religious Leader, Politician and Self-proclaimed Monarch. Strang, James Jesse 1813-1856 | Wisconsin Historical Society.Missing: early life education
[7]
Strang, James Jesse 1813 - 1856 | Wisconsin Historical Society
Strang, James Jesse 1813 - 1856 | Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Historical Society ... Strang studied law in New York, was admitted to the bar in ...Missing: early life education
[8]
james j. strang - Mormon Beliefs
James J. Strang was identified by God as a deliverer of both Gentiles and the House of Israel. His dual missions were first identified by Joseph Smith in the ...
[9]
The CES Letter Rebuttal — Part 49 - FAIR Latter-day Saints
Feb 24, 2022 · All quotes are taken from The King of Confidence, since it's my main source for the timeline of his life. James Strang was born in Western ...
[10]
Who Was James Strang? - Saints Unscripted
Jan 28, 2022 · James Jesse Strang was born in New York, in 1812. He grew up on a farm and is described as having “A desperate thirst for knowledge” as a youth.Missing: achievements | Show results with:achievements
[11]
The story behind James Strang and his sect - Deseret News
Jun 9, 2011 · Though little remembered today, James Jesse Strang campaigned seriously to lead the LDS Church after Joseph Smith's 1844 assassination.
[12]
History - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)
James Jesse Strang (1813-1856), lawyer schoolteacher, postmaster, and newspaper editor, became acquainted with Mormonism in 1836 when he married Mary Perce.
[13]
[PDF] Copyright © 2021 Kyle Robert Beshears
James Strang's Conversion to Mormonism ... As implausible as Strang's claim sounded to skeptical Mormons, such an appointment was technically possible ...
[14]
The Forged Letter that Began a Mormon Succession Crisis
Jul 15, 2020 · If the letter was to be believed, 31-year-old James Strang—who had ... successor.” Whether this version of events, recounted more than ...
[15]
Contributions to the Succession and Exodus, 1844–1847
Strang was the strongest rival to Brigham from 1845 to 1855. In the spring of 1844 Strang visited Joseph in Nauvoo and was baptized by him. Strang then returned ...
[16]
Question: Who was James Strang? - FAIR Latter-day Saints
James Strang claimed that Joseph wrote a letter appointing him as president of the Church after Joseph's death. James Jesse Strang was a Latter-day Saint ...Question: Who was James... · James Strang claimed that...Missing: primary sources
[17]
Strang's Letter of Appointment | Mormon Heretic
Feb 6, 2011 · Just 9 days prior to Joseph Smith's death, he sent a letter to James Strang. Strang believed that this letter showed Joseph's intentions ...
[18]
James J. Strang: The Prophet Who Failed - jstor
was forged, and almost surely forged by Strang himself.5 Evidence which ... concludes that the letter was probably a forgery by Strang. I have carefully ...Missing: handwriting | Show results with:handwriting<|control11|><|separator|>
[19]
Seeing The Light - Jesse James Strang - Terry Pepper
Strang and his group of dissident followers went to Voree Wisconsin (later to become known as Spring Prairie.) Strang took leadership of his new Church to ...
[20]
The Miraculous Plates of Voree Examined - By Common Consent
Jun 23, 2008 · On September 13, 1845, four Mormons acting at the call of the prophet James J. Strang went to a certain hill near Burlington, Wisconsin, and ...<|separator|>
[21]
[PDF] The Amazing Life of James Jesse Strang
Historical Society. Thank you for inviting me to speak today. If I may, I am ... Jesse James Strang was born in Scipio, Cayuga County, in central New York.Missing: education | Show results with:education
[22]
James Strang movement - FAIR Latter-day Saints
Jan 22, 2006 · James Jesse Strang was a Latter-day Saint leader in Nauvoo who established a breakaway Mormon sect after the murder of Joseph Smith, Jr.Missing: bar 1833
[23]
https://www.deseret.com/2011/6/9/20373219/the-story-behind-james-strang-and-his-sect
[24]
The Voree Plates - Mormon scriptures - brass plates
Strang is a rare facsimile of the brass plates, which in 1845 Strang purportedly discovered buried in a hillside beneath the roots of a giant oak tree at Voree, ...Missing: date | Show results with:date
[25]
"Inspired Fiction" v. The Plates & The Witnesses - Page 12
Sep 23, 2017 · Strang showed him Post the plates and he confirmed they "contain hieroglyphics and appear to be of ancient workmanship and of this God knows." ...Missing: validation | Show results with:validation
[26]
Section 9 (The Revelations of James Strang)
Jan 2, 2025 · The Translation made by the Prophet James J. Strang of the Voree Plates, using the Urim and Thummim by the Gift and Power of God on ...Missing: validation | Show results with:validation
[27]
"The Voree plates, also called The Record of Rajah Manchou of ...
May 9, 2023 · Strang, a leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, in Voree, Wisconsin, United States, in 1845. ... The plates also lent credence to Strang's ...Mormon Settlement near Burlington, Wisconsin, and James J ...History of Old Voree Mormon Settlement in Wisconsin - FacebookMore results from www.facebook.com
[28]
Strang's Prophetic Role as Translator (Part 3 of 6)
May 13, 2020 · James Strang claimed to translate the Voree Plates and the Book of the Law of the Lord. Historian Bill Shepard tells more about Strang's ...Missing: validation | Show results with:validation
[29]
The CES Letter Rebuttal — Part 50 - FAIR Latter-day Saints
Mar 2, 2022 · The Twelve are not the appointed of God, to lead the church. James J. Strang has the appointment, and we have evidence of it. The whole ...Missing: conclusion | Show results with:conclusion
[30]
James Strang - Wikipedia
Media related to James Strang at Wikimedia Commons · Clarke Historical Library: Strangite Mormons – Brief biography from Central Michigan University, which has a ...Church of Jesus Christ of... · Beaver Island (Lake Michigan) · Voree plates
[31]
James Strang – The “Other Mormon” Prophet - Wheat & Tares
May 11, 2020 · James Strang claims an angel appeared and ordained him prophet the night Joseph Smith was killed. He gained many converts in Kirtland.
[32]
Shadows on the Sun Dial: John E. Page and the Strangites
In his post-Strang years, Page associated himself successively with two other claimants to Joseph Smith's authority, James C. Brewster and Granville Hedrick.
[33]
Shadows on the Sun Dial: John E. Page and the Strangites | Dialogue
Apr 1, 2008 · 1846 High Council trial at Voree,” Doc. 6, Strang Collection. William Smith, along with Page, was the only other apostle to accept Strang; but ...<|separator|>
[34]
Revelations of James J. Strang - Doctrine and Covenants
Consisting of the revelations given of God through the prophet James J. Strang from 1844 to 1849 together with other important records.
[35]
Book of the Law of the Lord
The first three sections of Chapter XLI. are a revelation from God, given to James J. Strang, July 8th, 1850. With these five exceptions all the other chapters ...
[36]
Prophetic Controversy - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day ...
Study the words of the vision for it tarrieth not. And now behold my servant James J. Strang hath come to thee from far for truth when he knew it not, and hath ...Missing: biography | Show results with:biography
[37]
James J. Strang Legal Successor
James J. Strang was the true successor to Joseph Smith. There is a pattern and order to be followed pertaining to the things of God that have been established ...
[38]
Strangite Worship & Teachings - Wheat & Tares
May 25, 2020 · Strangites would say that it is only after he is resurrected, the only person Christ would resurrect.Missing: authority | Show results with:authority
[39]
The Strangites: Another Mormon Group
Jun 12, 2010 · Vickie Speek, “There's something we didn't mention is the fact that according to Strangite belief, the lesser cannot ordain the higher. So they' ...
[40]
Baptism for the Dead
1. Baptism for the dead is an ordinance of the Temple, and it is only by special dispensation, in consequence of the poverty of the Saints, that it ...
[41]
Priests - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)
2. They are the regular Sacrificators. No one below them in the Priesthood is authorized to slay a victim as a sacrifice. And though those above them really ...<|separator|>
[42]
Strangite/LDS Theological Differences - Wheat & Tares
Jul 7, 2014 · Hedge, #6, the Strangites do ordain women to the AP as priests and teachers. The functions of women in the office of Priest are limited (they ...
[43]
Apparel and Ornaments - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day ...
The style of these robes will be given from time to time ... Gold is the proper colour for the Priesthood of an Endless Life, and silver for the Priesthood ...Missing: liturgy | Show results with:liturgy
[44]
Strangite - Mormonism, The Mormon Church, Beliefs, & Religion
Oct 14, 2021 · The church believes in seventh-day worship, sacrificial ordinances, ordains women to some offices of the priesthood, practices baptism for the ...Missing: services rituals
[45]
The Revelations of James Strang - Google Books
The Revelations of James Strang: Consisting of the Revelations Given of God Through the Prophet James J. Strang from 1844 to 1849 Together with Other Important ...
[46]
Revelations of James Strang Archives - Doctrine and Covenants
Strang, given on June 18, 1844. 1 On the eighteenth day of June, eighteen hundred and forty-four, James J. Strang was in the Spirit, and he was in the grove ...
[47]
[PDF] The Book of the Law of the Lord
The first three sections of Chapter XLI. are a revelation from God, given to James J. Strang, July 8th, 1850. With these five exceptions all the ...
[48]
Gleaning the Harvest: Strangite Missionary Work, 1846-1850
Jul 15, 2005 · This thesis studies Strangite missionary work, initially successful due to desire for a prophet, but ultimately failed due to internal ...Missing: publications | Show results with:publications
[49]
[PDF] Gleaning the Harvest: Strangite Missionary Work, 1846-1850 - BYU ...
Born in 1813, Strang grew up in New York as an ... essay of Strang's life in “King James Strang ... Magazine of the Historical Society of Michigan 27 no.
[50]
[PDF] Martin Harris and the Strangite Mission - BYU ScholarsArchive
Sep 1, 2005 · The three declared that an angel of God had shown them the golden plates.3 After years of selfless service, Harris distanced himself from the ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[51]
[PDF] The Factions On Polygamy And Spiritual Wifery No. 30
Strang did teach and practt~e polygamy years afterward, it is evident that he did not so do before 1848. It was not claimed by him, nor is it claimed by his ...<|separator|>
[52]
Sample text for Library of Congress control number 89006222
... doctrines of devils, as first introduced by John C. Bennett, under the name of 'spiritual wife' doctrine; and still agitated by the Pittsburg Seer, and his ...
[53]
James J. Strang Faction - Restoration Bookstore
James J. Strang was the leader of one of the factions organized after Joseph Smith's death. He was comparatively unknown during the life of Joseph Smith, ...
[54]
Book Review: The Polygamist King – James J. Strang
Jan 6, 2016 · Strang started by renouncing polygamy and spiritual wifery at a time when Brigham Young and Heber Kimball were continuing Joseph Smith's secret ...Missing: initial | Show results with:initial
[55]
Beaver Island's Mormon King, James Strang - MyNorth.com
Mar 20, 2014 · In 1850 Mormon renegade James Strang was crowned king of his Beaver Island colony. His reign lasted just six years, but tales of his five ...
[56]
Women's History Month at JI: Vickie Speek on Elvira Field/Charley ...
Mar 23, 2011 · Initially opposed to polygamy, James eventually took four plural wives, and all of them were pregnant when he was murdered in 1856.<|separator|>
[57]
[PDF] THE LORD,
Strang has the plates of the ancient Book of the Law of the Lord given to Moses, from which he translated this law, and has shown them to us. We examined them ...
[58]
Changing Marriage Practices Among the Strangites - jstor
Vickie Speek offers compelling evidence that Mary's forced departure also stemmed from her attempt to kill Elvira's first son, Charles J. 51. Northern ...
[59]
“God Has Made Us a Kingdom” - BYU Studies
James Strang and the Midwest Mormons. ... First, she relied extensively on primary sources, some of which were unavailable to earlier biographers.
[60]
An Inside View of Polygamy in the Midwest | Vickie Cleverley Speek ...
Vickie Speek is a fifth-generation Mormon whose progenitors were pioneers in Idaho. An award-winning journalist, she received the Award of Excellence from ...
[61]
Meet a Strangite Mormon (Gary Weber 2 of 6) - Gospel Tangents
Jul 10, 2025 · Strangite Women Hold Priesthood, Saturday Worship (Gary Weber 4 of 6) · Strangite Mormon Beliefs on Polygamy, Baptism for the Dead & More ...Missing: services rituals
[62]
Aftermath of the Martyrdom: Aspirants to the Mantle of the Prophet ...
Sep 13, 2024 · James J. Strang: letter from Joseph Smith authorizing the authority and a confirming manifestation ... It was dated 18 June 1844, only ten ...
[63]
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Wisconsin
The followers of James Jesse Strang arrived in Wisconsin in 1844 and settled in Voree. Their numbers increased rapidly between 1845 and 1848, and the bulk of ...Missing: sources | Show results with:sources<|control11|><|separator|>
[64]
James Jesse Strang: Prophet of the Wisconsin Frontier
Apr 18, 2017 · The Burlington Historical Society has erected markers to commemorate the site's role in history. A handful of Strangite Mormons, estimated ...Missing: childhood education
[65]
James H. Strang papers [photocopies], 1844-1849 - Archives West
The James H. Strang papers consist of photocopies of meeting minutes, transcribed statements, and other records of James Strang's church in Voree, Wisconsin.Missing: Herald doctrinal dissemination
[66]
4207 MORMON RD | Property Record | Wisconsin Historical Society
Strang was converted to Mormonism the following January. In February of 1844, he traveled to the headquarters of Mormon Church in Nauvoo, Illinois, with Aaron ...Missing: details | Show results with:details<|separator|>
[67]
How a Mormon king shaped a sleepy island in Lake Michigan
Nov 4, 2015 · James Strang took his disciples first to Voree, Wisconsin. Then, in 1847, Strang reported he'd had a vision, as Van Noord quotes here: “I ...
[68]
https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog/ehll--churchofjesuschriststrangite_al_2835b02055b58158e4a97c17589c12d8ae74ad72.xml
[69]
Church of Jesus Christ (Strangite) Collection, 1843-1982, and undated
Strang was carried by ship to Wisconsin, where he died on July 9. His murderers were never punished. The Strangites regrouped near Black River Falls, Wisconsin, ...
[70]
Kingdom of Beaver Island - IBWiki - frath.net
Oct 25, 2019 · In 1848 they purchased land on Beaver Island from a group of Odawa Natives and established their new community there. From Beaver Island, Strang ...Missing: building | Show results with:building
[71]
James Strang's Kingdom on Beaver Island - Wheat & Tares
Aug 11, 2025 · James Jesse Strang was fatally shot and clubbed by two of his disgruntled followers while walking towards the dock to meet the captain of the ...Missing: birth | Show results with:birth
[72]
Exploring Beaver Island (3 of 3) - Gospel Tangents
Jul 28, 2025 · The growing friction within Beaver Island's Mormon community reached a violent climax in 1856. James Jesse Strang was fatally shot and clubbed ...Missing: communal | Show results with:communal
[73]
The Rise and Fall of the Mormon King of Beaver Island - Atlas Obscura
Aug 28, 2023 · Strang's “kingdom” lasted only six years, and disappeared just as quickly—and dramatically—as it had arrived. But the legacy of the pirate ...
[74]
How Many People Lived on Beaver Island? - jstor
1852 map of Beaver Island by James Greig showing the location of Strangite land ... Lumbering was the second most important industry for the Strangites on Beaver.
[75]
King James Jesse Strang and the Strangite Church on Beaver Island
Aug 29, 2019 · ... Strangites improved the land, building roads and turning it into a neatly-run community. For those non-believers that remained on the island ...
[76]
https://emmetcounty.org/about/the_history_of_emmet_county.php
[77]
The History of Emmet County
In 1852, King Strang, by a brilliant political maneuver, managed to become a member of the House of Representatives of the State Legislature. By January of 1853 ...
[78]
For His Was The Kingdom, And The Power, And The Glory … Briefly
... James Jesse Strang became the crowned, polygamous ruler of a Mormon “empire ... He was born on a small farm near the town of Scipio in Cayuga County, New York, in ...
[79]
The King of Beaver Island | Northern Michigan History
In 1843, James Strang began his rise from lawyer to prophet to crowned King of Beaver Island—America's only monarchy.
[80]
Strang Crowned King James on Beaver Island - Michigan Day by Day
Jul 9, 2018 · Strang's autocratic tendencies reached their zenith on July 8, 1850, when he was crowned King in an elaborate ceremony on the island – ...
[81]
Did You Know a Michigan Island Once Had a King? - 9&10 News
May 6, 2023 · With a flourish, Adams crowned Strang and declared him king of his Beaver Island Mormon kingdom. As the ceremony closed the crowd cheered, “Long ...Missing: proclamation details
[82]
From the Archives: Mormon Women and Pants, circa 1856
Dec 13, 2012 · By the time Strang and his followers were living on Beaver Island, the women regularly wore a modified version of the bloomer. Several ...
[83]
The Strange Life of Michigan's Only "King" of Beaver Island
Jul 11, 2023 · James Strang, a Mormon splinter leader, called himself "King" of his church on Beaver Island, not the island itself, and used a cannon to ...
[84]
The Bizarre Story of the Mormon Pirate King of Beaver Island
Apr 17, 2023 · Strang would take five wives throughout his life, four of which he married during his reign over the kingdom on Beaver Island. Though unlike ...
[85]
Was there once a king of Beaver Island? - Buy Michigan Now
Jul 24, 2021 · This is especially true of a time when it was the site of a theocratic monarchy ruled by James Strang, a religious leader who broke away from ...<|separator|>
[86]
The Mormon Pirate King, James Strang
Oct 15, 2016 · Strang was a Mormon who declared himself the true prophet after Joseph Smith's death. He proclaimed himself king of Beaver Island and came into conflict with ...
[87]
Beaver Island's Historical Divide | Features - The Northern Express
Apr 22, 2016 · The struggle's crescendo came in the early 1850s with the “War of Whiskey Point,” when Strang used a cannon to register his disapproval of the ...
[88]
The Murder of James Jesse Strang, Ruler of the Mormon Colony at ...
Nov 1, 2015 · The story of James Jesse Strang's murder is told here in the style of nineteenth century journalism to describe the brutality of the scene.
[89]
Battle of "Pine River" - The Historical Marker Database
A party of Mormons acting on orders from their leader, King James Jesse Strang who headed the Mormon colony on Beaver Island, had come by rowboats to the ...
[90]
United States of America vs James J. Strang, Samuel E. Graham ...
This file consists of a criminal case against residents of Beaver Island, Michigan for trespassing on public lands. The main defendant, James J Strang, was a ...Missing: charges outcome
[91]
Uncle Dale's Old Mormon Articles: Michigan: J. J. Strang: 1850-55
Solomon Spaulding was educated at Plainfield Academy and Dartmouth College, and had studied Law and Divinity, and preached several years. (Howe's History of ...
[92]
Michigan Pirates of the Great Lakes
One of these, Thomas Bedford, had been flogged for adultery on Strang's orders, and felt considerable resentment toward the "king." Another, Dr. H.D. ...
[93]
Beaver Island The Man who shot Strang
But Bedford, whose pistol only held a single shot, ordered him back and forced him to fire another shot at point-blank range.
[94]
James Jesse Strang (The King of Beaver Island) - Exequy's Blog
Nov 28, 2010 · James Jesse Strang (March 21, 1813 – July 9, 1856) was one of three major contenders for leadership of the Latter Day Saint movement during ...
[95]
Rev. James Jesse Strang, Esq. (1813 - 1856) - Genealogy - Geni
Feb 26, 2025 · Childhood, education and conversion to Mormonism. James Jesse Strang was born March 21, 1813, in Scipio, Cayuga County, New York.[9] He was ...
[96]
James Strang's Assassination | Northern Michigan History
On June 16, 1856, self-proclaimed Mormon king James Strang was gunned down on Beaver Island in a brazen attack—ending a wild chapter in Michigan history.Missing: birth achievements
[97]
Book Reviews, Sites, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction | Kirkus Reviews
READ REVIEW. KING OF BEAVER ISLAND: The Life and Assassination of James Jesse Strang. by Roger Van Noord ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 3, 1988. From a Michigan ...
[98]
James J. Strang and the Amateur Historian | Doyle C. Fitzpatrick ...
The King Strang Story: A Vindication of James J. Strang, the Beaver Island King. By Doyle C. Fitzpatrick. Lansing, Michigan: National Heritage, 1970.Missing: schooling verifiable
[99]
Meet the Man Who Spun the Media, Scammed Followers and ...
Jul 14, 2020 · Miles Harvey's “The King of Confidence” recounts the fascinating history of the 19th-century grifter who ruled over a breakaway religious ...
[100]
https://mormondialogue.org/topic/73514-a-very-strang-finding/
[101]
https://www.ldsstrangite.com/
[102]
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Strangite
No readable text found in the HTML.<|control11|><|separator|>
[103]
FAQ - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)
We believe in obeying the laws of the land and as such polygamy is not lawful to practice. In order to practice polygamy we believe that a Prophet of God has to ...
[104]
Exploring Unique History of Strangite Mormons in Wisconsin
Jul 14, 2025 · James Strang, who had been sent on a mission to Wisconsin by Joseph Smith, claimed that an angel ordained him on June 27, 1844, the very day ...
[105]
Who Supported James Strang ... Really?
Feb 24, 2022 · In the letters he claims that he, his mother (Lucy Mack Smith), and his 3 sisters (Lucy, Catherine, and Sophronia), all supported Strang.Missing: authenticity | Show results with:authenticity
[106]
James J. Strang: The Prophet Who Failed | Church History
Jul 28, 2009 · One of the most remarkable religious failures in nineteenth- century America was James J. Strang, the schismatic Mormon prophet who set up a ...
[107]
James Strang And False Prophets - LDS Gospel Discussion - AddFaith
Jan 6, 2006 · He claimed to be the next prophet following Joseph Smith's assassination, and he had this whole competition going with Brigham Young. He formed ...
[108]
57 James Strang's 7 Wintnesses - Witnesses - The CES Letter
Every single living Book of Mormon witness besides Oliver Cowdery accepted Strang's prophetic claim of being Joseph's true successor and joined him and his ...