Miles Harvey

Shortly before this, I had read Jack Kelly's "Heaven's Ditch." That one wasn't very good in my opinion, but "The King of Confidence" picks up right where that left off, and is a far better read. The construction of the Erie Canal connected western New York to a whole new world of beyond its traditional borders. It created new opportunities for ambitious individuals looking to "test radical ideas" or beliefs or break tradition. Joseph Smith was among those who participated in the “spiritual show more wildfire” of that era, eventually creating a new sect called Mormonism. But after Smith’s death in 1843 there was a power vacuum. The militant Brigham Young stepped up, but then so does wanted shyster James Jesse Strang.

Strang, a known fraud and former U.S. postmaster, was traveling the states looking for the next get rich quick scheme or job. Then, “miraculously” in 1844, he shows a letter from “Joseph Smith” naming him heir to the Mormon Church. He also produces three clay tablets, with unknown symbols etched on them that only he can “translate.” Before Young can dismiss this rival, he has to flee with his followers to Utah to escape federal charges of counterfeit. This leaves Strang to consolidate the scraps utilizing the tricks of “a confidence man.” Through the most outlandish methods you will ever read, Strang takes over Beaver Island in Lake Michigan and sets himself up as self-proclaimed King – with diadem and scepter- of a Mormon colony. To maintain control, Strang encourages his followers to steal from, attack and oust “the gentiles.” At one point he is even captured in a night raid, but the court fails to convict without sufficient proof. He becomes judge and jury, and is even elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, because of course the votes were unanimous. But it’s still not enough for Strang’s ego, and he fights for the governorship of Utah to oust Brigham Young. But just like Young, Strang’s life will end in the most violent way.

“King of Confidence” is incredibly engaging, and you will not want to put it down. Thankfully the author didn't spend chapter upon chapter on the formation of the Church. Smith is dead by this time, and Young is leading a whole other branch of Mormonism. The two appear only as needed, and Strang’s escapades are so wild that there’s no need for filler. We also get to know Mary, his wife, who has the patience of a saint and refuses to let her children join the Church. She is often left destitute by her husband and is eventually kicked off the island. But not before Strang marries Elvira Field and 3 others to replace her. Strang’s hypocrisy of practicing polygamy and preaching against it rankles his followers as you can imagine. You get to know Strang’s cronies as well, which include outcasts like “Dr.” Atkyn, con artists like John C. Bennett and violent muscle men like Jonathan and Isaac Pierce. Overall an amazing read and before you think to yourself, "how could anyone fall for this?" One can easily draw similarities between Strang's "confidence man" image and certain political personalities of today. show less

My experience with Mormon splinter groups is limited to reading the "Latter-Day Saints Family" section of J. Gordon Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions (I take that back; I've also read Ruth Wariner's The Sound of Gravel). Nonetheless, it seems to me that their leaders are noted for their grandiosity. Such a one was James J. Strang, the founder and ruling figure of The Church of Latter Day Saints (Strangite). This former atheist established his church in the power vacuum left by the show more assassination of Joseph Smith in 1844. He persuaded his followers to move first to the tiny Wisconsin hamlet of Voree, then to inhospitable Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. Along the way, Strang gained many enemies, especially when he embraced polygamy after his initial rejection of it. The self-proclaimed prophet and "king" was murdered by two of his foes in 1856.

Author Miles Harvey fits Strang and his followers into the pre-Civil War era, when religious zeal was at a height and the end of the world was seen as being just around the corner. Even hapless U.S. President Millard Fillmore makes a cameo appearance. Harvey rejects the notion that Strang was a true believer, and instead is of the opinion that the "king" was nothing more than a confidence man (or "con man") from the beginning of his career as a prophet.

I had been looking forward to reading this book, but I found it an odd experience. The narrative, while informative and populated by a cast of colorful characters, dragged in places and didn’t really grip me until the end. The illustrations, which were interspersed throughout the text, seemed random. There are no maps of either Voree or Beaver Island. Still, this book will appeal to history buffs. show less

A very readable, sometimes irreverently told history of "King James", the mid-nineteenth century confidence man and self-proclaimed King of Beaver Island.

James Strang "ruled over" a Mormon splinter community on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. The book details his conversion from a youthful atheist confidence man to the supposedly anointed successor to Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion. He convinced a group of Mormon faithful to follow him to Beaver Island in Lake Michigan show more where they established what they thought of as a Mormon colony.

Strang however, tried to use the colony as a springboard, combined with criminality and corruption, to achieve his life long dream of royalty and power. Proclaiming himself "King of Heaven and Earth" in a ceremony on the island, he had grandiose visions of one day ruling as King over all of the United States.

Instead, as you might guess, it all ended badly for Strang.

Miles Harvey has done a good job of conveying the broader context of America before the Civil War. It was a time of fervent religiosity (the Second Great Awakening), of fervent conflict over abolition versus slavery (including the rise of John Brown), and of fervent "hucksterism" (including the rise of PT Barnum).

And yet, I ended reading this book with mixed thoughts. While I did enjoy all of that context, it didn't fully become part of the flow of the main story, at points seeming more like "padding".

I give The King of Confidence 3 Stars ⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book despite my issue above. Having grown up in Michigan I have heard of the King of Beaver Island before, but never knew the full story until reading this book. show less

When we lived along Lake Michigan people would ask me if I knew about the King of Beaver Island. I had never heard of him. All I knew was that quilter Gwen Marston lived on Beaver Island. I had seen photos of her home and studio and the classes she held there. A lovely place.

Then along comes Miles Harvey's The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch, finally my chance to learn about this Michigan show more king.

I'll cut to the chase: Harvey's book is rollicking, page-turning, riotous good fun...and a sobering reminder of the American penchant to be taken in by quacks, con-men, and self-aggrandizing wannabes.

As a boy, J. J. Strang dreamed of the big achievements awaiting him--like marrying the girl Victoria who was destined to become queen of England. He wanted to be king.

Over his life, Strang reinvented himself, from teacher to lawyer, from atheist to the heir to Mormon founder Joseph Smith, from self-proclaimed king to pirate to legislator. And from husband to one wife to husband to a harem.

Harvey could have given us a somber, and perhaps tedious, exploration of Strang's place in American history, with insights into our current political craziness as well as Strang's antebellum social, economic, and political craziness.

OK; he did cover these themes. But with pizazz and ironic fun to create an entertaining narrative that makes one want to keep reading.

Chapters have lively titles and chapter quotations. Such as,"In which one charlatan is run out of town, only to be replaced by an even greater scoundrel", the following quote being a discussion between the Duke and the King from Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Yes, this is a book that Michiganders must read, but also those interested in how Americans gravitate to extremes during troubled times. Harvey's insights into human nature and society transcends time and place.

I was given a free ebook by the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased. show less