Item Detail
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11983
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0
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0
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English
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A Comparative Study of Religious Violence in Frontier America
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Kirksville, Missouri
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Truman State University
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Master's thesis
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'Violence characterized the frontier period of American history. As westward expansion occurred, religious fervor grew from the Second Great Awakening. Many new religious groups formed and old ones thrived, yet some disappeared. This thesis examines the violence that occurred as frontier America and religious fervor met. Three religions experienced the most violence: Irish-Catholics, who flooded American cities after the Irish potato famine; Jewish settlers, who were moving to avoid persecutions in Europe; and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), a new frontier religion. These three groups experienced greater violence against them because their beliefs and communal lifestyles differed significantly from those of their more individualistic neighbors. A case study of each religion details their encounters with violence. Violence ranged from individual to group clashes, but was typical of the frontier. Their religions made these people different, so that communalism, political and economic power, and resistance to persecution were causes of violence. Government interactions with these religious groups ranged from helping them to fomenting violence against them. The frontier period was difficult for these religions, but they each survived and have been assimilated into American culture.' (author's abstract)