The Murder of Joseph Smith: What Led to Carthage Jail and Why
Explore the escalating tensions, legal battles, and political conflicts that culminated in the assassination of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith in 1844.
- Joseph Smith's murder in 1844 was the culmination of years of religious, political, and economic conflict in Illinois.
- His destruction of the critical *Nauvoo Expositor* newspaper led to charges of riot and treason.
- Smith surrendered to state authorities in Carthage, Illinois, under assurances of protection.
- A mob stormed Carthage Jail, killing Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum while they awaited trial.
Joseph Smith, the founder and first prophet of the Latter Day Saint movement, was killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, on June 27, 1844, while awaiting trial on charges including riot and treason. His brother, Hyrum Smith, was also killed in the attack. This event marked a violent climax to years of escalating conflict between the Latter-day Saints and their neighbors in Illinois.
Escalating Tensions in Nauvoo
By the early 1840s, Nauvoo, Illinois, the Latter-day Saint settlement, had rapidly grown into one of the largest cities in the state. Joseph Smith wielded significant power, serving as mayor, commander of the Nauvoo Legion (a large, well-armed militia), and prophet of a rapidly expanding religious movement. This concentration of religious, political, and military authority, combined with the Saints' tendency to vote as a bloc, generated considerable friction with non-Mormon residents and state politicians. Accusations of polygamy (which Smith practiced but was not publicly acknowledged by the church at the time), economic competition, and Nauvoo's semi-autonomous legal status further fueled resentment and suspicion.
The *Nauvoo Expositor* and Its Destruction
The immediate catalyst for Smith's arrest and subsequent murder was the establishment of the *Nauvoo Expositor*. This newspaper was founded by a group of disaffected former Latter-day Saints and other critics who sought to expose what they considered to be Smith's abuses of power, including the practice of polygamy and his political ambitions. Its first and only issue, published in June 1844, contained harsh condemnations of Smith and the church leadership. Viewing the paper as libelous and a public nuisance that threatened the peace of Nauvoo, Joseph Smith, acting as mayor, ordered the city marshal to destroy the *Expositor*'s printing press. This act was widely condemned by outsiders as an attack on freedom of the press and solidified public opinion against Smith.
Arrest, Surrender, and Mob Violence
The destruction of the *Nauvoo Expositor* led to warrants being issued for Joseph Smith and several associates on charges of riot. Initially, Smith resisted arrest, but after Illinois Governor Thomas Ford promised protection and a fair trial, Smith and his brother Hyrum, along with other leaders, surrendered to state authorities. They were taken to Carthage Jail, the county seat, to await trial. Despite the governor's assurances, on June 27, 1844, a large mob of armed men, many with blackened faces, stormed the jail. Overpowering the small guard, they burst into the room where the Smith brothers were held. Joseph and Hyrum Smith were both shot and killed during the attack. John Taylor and Willard Richards, two other church leaders present, were wounded but survived.
The murder of Joseph Smith was a watershed moment in American religious history. It plunged the Latter-day Saint movement into a succession crisis and directly led to the fracturing of the church into various denominations. The majority of the Saints, under the leadership of Brigham Young, eventually embarked on their epic westward migration to the Great Salt Lake Valley in what is now Utah. The event profoundly shaped the Latter-day Saint identity, cementing a narrative of persecution and sacrifice, and marked the end of the church's initial attempts to establish itself within existing American society before seeking refuge in the unorganized territories of the West.
