Mountain Meadows Massacre

Sept 11, 1857. As tensions grew between the US government and Governor Brigham Young of the Utah Territory, a wagon train of 140 emigrants bound for California from Arkansas was attacked. On this date, the emigrants surrendered to local Mormon leader John Doyle Lee but were then massacred. Seventeen small children were parceled out to Mormon families. Despite the ensuing national uproar, federal prosecution didn’t happen until 1875. Lee was executed in 1877.

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