Charleston County Public Library

The king of confidence, a tale of utopian dreamers, frontier schemers, true believers, false prophets, and the murder of an American monarch, Miles Harvey

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 377-386) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The king of confidence

bibliography

1117628990

Miles Harvey

a tale of utopian dreamers, frontier schemers, true believers, false prophets, and the murder of an American monarch

In 1843, James Strang, a charismatic young lawyer and avowed atheist, converted to a burgeoning religious movement known as Mormonism, persuaded hundreds to follow him to Lake Michigan, and declared himself a divine king. This book presents an account of one of the country's boldest con men and the boisterous era that allowed him to thriveIn 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 fascinating but largely forgotten story, an account of one of the country's boldest con men and the boisterous era that allowed him to thrive. -- adapted from jacket