"In 1843, James Strang, a charismatic young lawyer and avowed atheist, converted to a burgeoning religious movement known as Mormonism. He persuaded hundreds to follow him to Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, and declared himself a divine king. He controlled a fourth of the state of Michigan, practiced plural marriages, and established a pirate colony where he perpetrated thefts, corruption and frauds of all kinds. His assassination made front-page news across the country. Harvey tells Strang's . . . forgotten story, an account of one of the country's . . . con men and the boisterous era that allowed him to thrive"--OCLC.
year: 2020
call number/section: 920
subjects: strang, james jesse, 1813-1856, church of jesus christ (strangites), history, 19th century, swindlers and swindling, biography, mormons, beaver island (mich.), biographies