Episode 43: Historian Joe Geisner and Violent 1850’s Utah
Join Lindsay as she interviews historian Joseph Geisner about 1850’s Utah including stories about Bill Hickman and Porter Rockwell. This episode contains strong themes of violence. This is part one of a two-part episode.Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Tags: 1850's utah, brigham young, Mormon Violence, polygamy, Porter Rockwell, Steptoe Expedition, The Utah Expedition, Utah War, War, Wild Bill Hickman, Will Bagley, year of polygamy
Comments (3)
mleheaton
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Interesting stuff, Lindsey & Joseph! Speaking of being indebted to the Church initially, my ancestors came from Italy (Waldensian) to Utah. When they converted, they sold their land in Italy and were going to use it to pay their way over to Utah. The missionaries instead convinced them to donate that money to the Church coffers and use the Perpetual Emigration Fund to pay their way over. When the three 3 out of 6 who survived the journey arrived in Salt Lake, they were indentured servants and made to work off their “debt” (essentially) alone on Antelope Island. Absolutely ridiculous.
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Joe Geisner
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Thank you mleheaton for sharing this history of your family. Unfortunately I have read these kind of experiences too many times. The missionaries seemed to have been instructed on two things, get the money and convert women. The Church needed both, maybe it still does! 🙂
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Noell Hyman
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It’s just unreal. Did they not know they were going to be indentured servants when they chose to use the Perpetual Emigration Fund?
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