The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 33, July 1929 - April, 1930 Page: 246
344 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
understanding on both sides. President Buchanan was led to be-
lieve that the Mormans were opposed to the Federal government,
while the Mormons believed that the Federal government aimed at
their extermination. The Mormons were fighting for the right of
local self-government. At no time were the Mormons actually
disloyal. The loyalty of the Mormons was proved by the patriotic
achievement of the Mormon Battalion in the Mexican War. More-
over, the fact that the Mormons constantly pleaded for statehood
and adequate means of communication with the Eastern States
would indicate that their intentions were to enter into closer rela-
tions with the rest of the United States. For years Utah pleaded
for statehood, and from the point of view of population and sta-
bility she was entitled to this privilege.
The "war" of 1857 did a great deal to incite the Indians and
increase the hostility toward the white men, hence it was a con-
tributory cause to the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The author
discusses this tragedy at some length, showing that the Mormons
were unjustly blamed for the crime committed by an individual
Mormon, John D. Lee, and by hostile Indians. Like many other
investigators of the Indian question, Dr. Creer believes that the
Federal government lacked interest and courage in handling this
problem.
The chapter dealing with the overland mail is very interesting
and the least controversial. The study comes to a close with the
establishment of the overland mail in 1861, for the author believes
that this ended the period of isolation and the frontier era for the
Far West. The reviewer is inclined to believe that while the over-
land mail helped to relieve somewhat the feeling of isolation, it was
not until the completion, in 1869, of the transcontinental railroad,
which bound the East and the West with the shining bars of steel,
that the Pacific Coast became an integral part of the Union and
only then did the frontier era of the Far West come to an end.
This is an excellent study based on source material, well anno-
tated, with excellent bibliographies. This study is a contribution
not only to the history of Utah, but also to the larger field of Amer-
ican history, particularly to the history of the West. For while
Utah was in some respects a unique community, with peculiar prob-
lems, she was in many other respects a typical frontier country,
with the usual frontier needs and demands.
J. ELLISON.246
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 33, July 1929 - April, 1930, periodical, 1930; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101090/m1/266/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.