Hello and welcome to This Day, a history show from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Avergan.

This day, July 8th, 1850.

First off, I want to say listener Tim Galloway sent this story our way, and it is a real doozy,

as they say.

Let me see if I can't set this up

and talk about what Tim has gotten us into. It all centers around a man named James Strang. He is from

upstate New York, and in 1843, James Strang moves to the Great Lakes region and takes up with

a relatively new group of religious followers of Joseph Smith, author

of the Book of Mormon. Strang joined the Latter-day Saints, became quite active in the church

in that region, and then when Joseph Smith dies just a year later, Strang sees his opportunity.

Over the next few years, Strang would mount a case that he was the true inheritor of the Mormon Church,

and he would come to challenge Brigham Young for that title.

When Brigham Young seemed poised to win and took many of his followers out west,

Strang stuck around in Michigan with a small but mighty splinter group of followers.

And within a couple of years, they established a theocratic colony on a

remote island where he ruled with an iron fist and mounted raids on the local population

and developed a reputation as a gruesome pirate king while also becoming a Michigan elected

legislator. You know, that classic old American tale. But seriously, this is quite a ride.

I really want to dive in right now into the story of the king of Beaver Island here. But seriously, this is quite a ride. I really want to dive in right now into the story of the

King of Beaver Island here. As always, Nicole Hammer of Vanderbilt and Kelly Carter Jackson

of Wellesley. Hello there. Hello, Jody. Hey there. No, many a fratboy has declared himself

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