The Murder of Joseph Smith - The Political Prelude to the Assassination

For the first time a historian has given us a national matrix into which we can place the life of Joseph Smith and Nauvoo, and in that context make better sense of it all. This book presents a comprehensive look at the short period preceding the Prophet's martyrdom. It is ground-breaking for these 1) It examines the Anti-Mormon network that planned the murders of Joseph and Hyrum; 2) It identifies key players, including Governor Ford, and their involvement in the murders; 3) An extensive legal analysis of the charges of treason against Joseph Smith, and concludes that they were completely without foundation; 4) a detailed analysis of the "freedom of the press" issue, often mis-represented by historians, that arose over the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor. Contrary to what has previously been written the question of freedom of the press was not an issue of the time; 5) It examines about 250 newspapers throughout the United States to demonstrate the real mood of the nation regarding Joseph Smith and the Saints; 6) It examines Joseph Smith's candidacy for President of the United States and shows that it was taken quite seriously; 7) Contains an exhaustive look at obituaries published in newspapers throughout the country after the martyrdom. The depth of this research reveals quite a different picture than what has been claimed by historians in the past.