Carthage Conspiracy: The Trial of the Accused Assassins of Joseph Smith

by Dallin H. Oaks and Marvin S. Hill

Book Overview

Carthage Conspiracy deals with the general problem of Mormon/non-Mormon conflict, as well as with the dramatic story of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, and their alleged assassins. It places the infamous event at the Carthage jail (1846) and the subsequent murder-conspiracy trial in the context of Mormon and American legal history, and deals with the question of achieving justice when crimes are politically motivated and popularly...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 025200762X
• ISBN13: 9780252007620
• Release Date: May 1979
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Understanding Joseph Smith's martyrdom...

At the time it was written, Carthage Conspiracy, was the authoritative work on the martyrdom of the LDS Prophet, Joseph Smith. Now if you add to your study... Murder of the Mormon Prophet by LeGrand L. Baker, you will have the most information available on the tragic death of this religious leader. The murder of Joseph Smith was not just a Mormon Church issue, it was an "American" issue that is better understood after reading Carthage Conspiracy.

A great, objective legal history

First of all, this is not a Mormon-propaganda book. It is a scholarly work, a study of law. It is an account of the legal proceedings that took place as a result of the murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith at Carthage, Illinois in June of 1844. This book makes no attempt to convert anyone to Mormonism--in fact it doesn't even focus on the Smiths. Instead, it critically examines the trial of five men accused of participating in the murder of these two men.I cannot praise this book enough for its objectivity. The authors remain completely aloof from bias, and focus instead on an analysis of the trial. One should not read this book with the intent of learning every detail about the Smiths' murder. For those interested in knowing about the legal proceedings that followed their deaths, however, this book will be a valuable tool.This book is an invaluable resource--it unearths many facts and circumstances that I have not encountered anywhere else, and manages to make sense of just what happened inside the Carthage jail on that fateful summer day. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Mormon history.

Meticulous research on Mormon and American legal history

The footnotes in this book are extensive and as insightful as the contents. The legal actions and procedings surrounding the trial are given attentive details. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about Mormon history, American legal history, or history of the 1840's in Illinois.

Excellent book! Thorough documentation!

I found this book to be thoroughly researched and documented. Oaks and Hill have written this book in a way that the reader can understand the legal process of the trial of the alleged assassins of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith. With many footnotes to back up their research, Oaks and Hill have effectively given the reader a clear picture of the events that led to the assassination of Joseph and Hyrum and the subsequent trial, without getting too carried away with "legalese" language. My complements to the authors on this excellent book!I recommend this book to anyone who has interest in Trial Law, as well as Mormon History.

Humanity has not changed over time!

Highly documented, as are all Mormon writings, it tells what happened at Carthage, Illinois. The murder of Joseph Smith and his brother Hiram told minute by minute, identification of many personalities, and clear reporting of the courst case. The atmosphere and surroundings of this incident has been repeated before and after, within societies that feel threatened by something they do not understand. Reading of this book will bring sorrow to your heart, and a rememberance of Waco and other unfair reactions to supposed threats. Very good book, reporting in detail what happened.