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2002 Not the First Time Mormons Have Played Host to An International Race for Gold
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK -- A new documentary film by History Channel
veteran Scott Tiffany reveals the historic saga of an overlooked sea
trek. Forgotten Voyage relates the exodus of a clan of Mormon
families who fled persecution in 1846 on an unprecedented sea
journey-six months crammed into a ship with just two square feet of
space per person. Aboard the ship Brooklyn, they became the first
civilian families to sail the nearly 20,000-mile journey from New
York to California, rounding the treacherous tip of South America at
Cape Horn. These Mormons survived horrific storms, buried loved ones
at sea, and-accidentally-settled San Francisco for America.
The harrowing voyage was led by a controversial Mormon elder and
newsman named Samuel Brannan. He and nearly 250 Mormons fled American
soil seeking religious freedom in the Mexican whaling village of
Yerba Buena. After arriving July 31, 1846, the Mormons tripled the
population and transformed the village. Its name was changed to San
Francisco and it became "largely a Mormon town." And the Mormon town
was about to play host to an international race for gold.
In January 1848, foreman Jack Marshall and a group of Mormons
building a sawmill found flakes of gold in the American river. Using
the printing press he brought with him on board the ship Brooklyn,
Sam Brannan printed a story about the discovery and sent copies of
his paper East. When newspapers on the Atlantic seaboard picked up
the story, an international rush for gold began.
Since they set sail 156 years ago next week, the sea pioneers of the
Brooklyn have been largely overlooked. Written and directed by Scott
Tiffany, Forgotten Voyage resurrects their saga using rare
photographs, archival footage and expert interviews.
For more information, see the film's web site at
http://www.ForgottenVoyage.com .
Fact Sheet
Written and Directed by: Scott Tiffany
Running Time: Approximately 55 minutes
Website: http://www.ForgottenVoyage.com
Summary:
In 1846, a clan of families fleeing religious persecution left New
York City on an unprecedented sea journey-six months crammed into a
ship with just two square feet of space per person. Aboard the ship
Brooklyn, these Mormons survived horrific storms and suffocating heat
on the first civilian sea trek to the West. At the time, only
experienced seamen and merchants dared travel the sea route from the
East Coast around Cape Horn at the extreme tip of South America.
These passengers ran out of food, buried loved ones at sea, and
settled San Francisco for America. Under the controversial
leadership of newsman Samuel Brannan, these Mormons helped spark the
California Gold Rush of 1849.
- Date of Departure: February 4, 1846 (New York City)
- Date of Arrival: July 31, 1846 (Yerba Buena/San Francisco)
- Number of Passengers: Approximately 238: 70 Men, 68 Women and 100 children
- All but about 10 crew &half a dozen passengers were Mormon
- Duration of Journey:
- Five months and 27 days; one stop at "Robinson Crusoe's island" and one stop in Hawaii
- Voyage Supervised by: Samuel Brannan, 26 years old, a controversial leader who was a personal friend of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith; Brannan abandoned the faith after the discovery of gold in 1848.
Summary Points &Highlights:
- 20,000 miles from New York City to present-day San Francisco
- During the voyage, 10 passengers and one crewmember died from disease and exhaustion
- These Mormons were fleeing America for Mexico to seek religious freedom. As the Mexican-American war broke out during their voyage, they were shocked to find themselves back on American soil when they arrived in California.
- On January 24, 1848, Jack Marshall and a handful of Mormons discovered gold in the American River. The Mormons' leader, Sam Brannan, sparked the California Gold Rush when he printed the news in his newspaper printed on a press brought over on the Brooklyn.
About the Participants
Scott Tiffany
Director &Senior Producer
Scott Tiffany is an historical documentary film writer, director and
producer. He has worked on more than 40 hours of television
programming for The History Channel, including the groundbreaking
series, History's Lost &Found, the flagship series This Week in
History, several two-hour specials and the "historical aftermath"
mini-series What Happened After? In addition to writing and producing
Forgotten Voyage, he is also currently supervising production of a
business mini-series titled Big Deals (wt) for The History Channel.
Mr. Tiffany attended Brigham Young University where he studied and
worked in journalism and public relations. He began work in
non-fiction programming at Capstone Entertainment in Salt Lake City
in 1994. Three years later, he moved to with his wife to New York City. There, he learned about the voyage
of the Ship Brooklyn and began researching and developing the story
for a documentary film.
Film Interviewees
Will Bagley
Historian
Mr. Bagley is the author of the award-winning historical biography,
Scoundrel's Tale: The Sammuel Brannan Papers. He is a respected
historian on Western America with an emphasis on Mormon history. He
is also a columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune in Utah.
Dale Goodwin
Passenger Descendant
Mr. Goodwin is a descendant of Isaac and Laura Goodwin. Laura Goodwin
was the last of 10 passengers to die on the trek. Pregnant with her
eighth child, she slipped on a stairwell and was buried on the Juan
Fernandez Island. Dale Goodwin has written more than a dozen
genealogical books tracing his family history.
Lorin Hansen
Historian
Mr. Hansen has been nearly twenty years researching and writing about
the Brooklyn. His work is largely responsible for any recognition the
ship receives. He is currently preparing a book about the voyage.
Richard Bullock
President, Utah Ship Brooklyn Association
Mr. Bullock has spent nearly a decade researching and writing about
the ship Brooklyn. He and a small task force have located more than
150 passenger gravesites. Mr. Bullock is preparing an historical book
on the voyage.
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Source:
2002 Not the First Time Mormons Have Played Host to An International Race for Gold
Time Frame Films Press Release 28Jan02 A2
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