Episode 661: James Strang: The King of Beaver Island!

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one or the boldest cult leaders to ever live—James Strang. He proclaimed himself the King of Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, and from there, he ran an empire of lumber theft, polygamy, and even piracy across The Great Lakes. He wrote diaries in a made up language (that took a century to decode), forged documents and holy artifacts to help take power within the Mormon Church, and even became a member of the House of Representatives. Oh, and there was that one time he hid his second wife by dressing her as a boy and saying she was his cousin. If you like cults, this one has it all!

Visit Our Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Strang

https://leelanau.com/remembering-king-strang-of-beaver-island/

https://www.michiganradio.org/arts-culture/2020-07-24/new-book-documents-the-life-of-james-jesse-strang-self-professed-mormon-monarch-of-beaver-island

https://mynorth.com/2009/03/beaver-islands-king/

https://www.ranker.com/list/james-strang-mormon-king-of-beaver-island/genevieve-carlton

https://www.wpr.org/most-audacious-con-man-youve-never-heard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voree_plates#Script_used_on_the_plates