Beckwourth was born into slavery in Virginia, but sources differ as to the year: 1798 or 1800. His father was Sir Jennings Beckwith, a descendant of Irish and English nobility, and his mother was an enslaved African-American mulatto woman held by Beckwith.
Where did James Beckwourth grow up?
Jan 22, 2020 · James Pierson Beckwourth was born April 26, 1798 or 1800, in Frederick County, Virginia to an African American slave mother and English father, Sir Jennings Beckwith. Although his father raised him as his own son, according to the law, Jim Beckwourth was still legally considered a slave.
Who was Jim Beckwourth and what did he do?
James Beckwourth was born on this date in 1798. He was a Black explorer who played a major role in the early discovery and settlement of the American West. James Pierson Beckwourth was born in Frederick County, Virginia to an African slave mother and white-English father, Sir Jennings Beckwourth. Beckwourth's family moved to Missouri in the early 1800s, and he was …
Where can I find a book about James Beckwourth?
James Pierson Beckwourth was born in 1798 in Frederick County, Virginia to an African American slave mother and English father, Sir Jennings Beckwith. Although his father raised him as his own son, according to the law, Jim Beckwourth was still legally considered a slave.
Was William Beckwourth slavery?
James P. Beckwourth, from a daguerreotype c. 1855. Jim Beckwourth was an African American who played a major role in the early exploration and settlement of the American West. Although there were people of many races and nationalities on the frontier, Beckwourth was the only African American who recorded his life story, and his adventures took ...
Who was James Beckwourth family?
James Pierson Beckwourth was born in 1798 in Frederick County, Virginia to an African American slave mother and English father, Sir Jennings Beckwith. Although his father raised him as his own son, according to the law, Jim Beckwourth was still legally considered a slave.
Was Jim Beckwourth black?
James was born in 1798 or 1800 into slavery in Frederick County, Virginia. Of mixed race, he had an enslaved, African-American mother. His white father was their owner, Sir Jennings Beckwith, a descendant of English nobility.
Where is James Beckwourth from?
Frederick County, VAJames Beckwourth / Place of birthFrederick County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,419. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. It is Virginia's northernmost county. Wikipedia
Did James Beckwourth have a wife?
Beckwourth learned the Crow language, customs, and ways of living, and he married at least two Crow women and fathered several children. Beckwourth later claimed that he became a powerful chief among the Crow, though historians have questioned whether this was another of his exaggerations.
Why is James Beckwourth important to Utah?
Beckwourth became a “war chief” and participated in many battles, events that he gives great weight to in his life's account. Others have noted, however, that “chief” was an unofficial and common enough title. Beckwourth's adventurous spirit led him to participate in the Seminole War of 1837-38.Apr 20, 2016
How many wives did James Beckwourth have?
Beckwourth had as many as ten Crow wives at one time -- he had almost as many wives as he did names. By his own account, he was smitten by the young warrior woman, Pine Leaf.
Who was Jim Beckwourth and what role did he have in Western exploration?
Jim Beckwourth was a fur trapper, explorer, mountain man, innkeeper, author, storyteller, scout, guide, and more.Feb 19, 2020
When and where was James Beckwourth born?
April 26, 1798, Frederick County, VAJames Beckwourth / Born
What job did Beckwourth have in the US military?
Beckwourth found employment as a scout and mule driver for the U.S. Army in its war against the Seminole tribe of Florida. He took part in the Battle of Okeechobee that was fought on December 25, 1837, but after the war settled into routine, Beckwourth became bored and returned to Missouri and the fur trade.
Does Jim Bridger have a nickname?
James Felix Bridger (March 17, 1804 – July 17, 1881) was an American mountain man, trapper, Army scout, and wilderness guide who explored and trapped in the Western United States in the first half of the 19th century. He was known as Old Gabe in his later years.
What did Jedediah Smith do?
Jedediah Smith, in full Jedediah Strong Smith, (born January 6, 1799, Bainbridge, New York, U.S.—died May 27, 1831, near the Cimarron River), trader and explorer who was the first American to enter California from the east and return from it using an overland route.
What did John Beckwourth do for the Indians?
Beckwourth soon joined an expedition led by Colonel Richard M. Johnson that was setting out to negotiate a treaty with the Sac Indians for access to lead mines on their land. Camped along a bluff of the Mississippi River, the band of men spent over a week with the Sac and Fox tribes. Beckwourth joined the Indians' hunting parties and grew to appreciate Indian culture and religion. He spent nearly eighteen months in the area and earned his first real money working in the mines.
What did Jim Beckwourth learn about the frontier?
The boy learned a variety of skills, including how to hunt and fish and track animals in the woods. He also learned that the frontier was sometimes a harsh and violent place.
What is the restless youthful mind?
"The restless youthful mind, that wearies with the monotony of peaceful every-day existence, and aspires after a career of wild adventure and thrilling romance, will find, by my experience, that such a life is by no means one of comfort."
Was Beckwourth a man?
And many of his acquaintances considered the book something of a joke. But Beckwourth was a man of his times , and for the early fur trappers of the Rockies, the ability to "spin a good yarn" was a skill valued almost as highly as marksmanship or woodsmanship.
Did Beckwourth exaggerate numbers?
And while Beckwourth certainly had a tendency to exaggerate numbers or to occasionally make himself the hero of events that happened to other people, later historians have discovered that much of what Beckwourth related in his autobiography actually occurred.
Who was Jim Beckwourth?
James P. Beckwourth, from a daguerreotype c. 1855. Jim Beckwourth was an African American who played a major role in the early exploration and settlement of the American West. Although there were people of many races and nationalities on the frontier, Beckwourth was the only African American who recorded his life story, ...
Who was the pioneer of the Southwest in the 1840s?
And to discover the truth of what life was like for the fur trappers of the 1820's, the Crow Indians of the 1830's, the pioneers of the Southwest in the 1840's, or the gold miners of California in the 1850's, you can find no better source than the life of Jim Beckwourth.
What was the name of the war that Beckwourth participated in?
Others have noted, however, that “chief” was an unofficial and common enough title. Beckwourth’s adventurous spirit led him to participate in the Seminole War of 1837-38. Returning to the West, he earned a substantial sum selling whiskey to the Cheyenne and operating saloons in New Mexico. In the 1840s he crisscrossed California, playing cards, ...
What is the West mythology?
The West has always fascinated Americans. For much of the nation’s history people have believed that the West meant opportunity and adventure. Independence, strength, hard work, and sometimes a willingness to use violence have been the perceived ingredients of western success.
How tall was Beckwourth?
Six feet tall and strongly built, he wore his dark hair to his waist and frequently sported braids, ribbons, earrings, gold chains, and Crow leggings. The “facts” of Beckwourth’s life are impressive enough. Simply to endure in this unforgiving region implied that his hunting and survival skills were excellent.
Why did Jim and his family move to Missouri?
The family moved to Missouri, perhaps for the relative freedom that the frontier gave to the interracial liaison. Jim learned to hunt with his father and soon demonstrated a love of adventure that would last throughout his eventful life.
Who said "Gaudy liar"?
Bernard DeVoto and others, however, note that exaggerated storytelling was a valued skill among mountain men and that the “autobiography” dictated to Bonner was an extension of that oral tradition. “Gaudy liar” may well have been a compliment bestowed upon Jim by his friends. Beckwourth also looked and dressed the part.
Was Beckwourth a braggart?
Many historians, on reading contemporary opinions of Beckwourth and analyzing his “autobiography,” have concluded that he was an audacious braggart and prevaricator.
Who were the mountain men recruited by the explorers?
The group recruited was a veritable who’s who of future mountain men: Jedediah Smith, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Etienne Provost, William Sublette, Jim Bridger, and David Jackson joined the company in its first years. Jim Beckwourth joined, too, perhaps as a blacksmith. Beckwourth may have played a role in the early exploration ...
Where was James Beckwourth born?
James Beckwourth, one of only a handful of early mountain men to emerge from the system of slavery, is born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The exact year of Beckwourth’s birth is in dispute. Some historians suggest it may have been 1800 rather than 1798. The uncertainty arises both from Beckwourth’s notorious reputation for exaggerating ...
Was Beckwourth a slave?
During his childhood, Beckwourth may have been enslaved.
Who was the chief of the Crow?
Beckwourth later claimed that he became a powerful chief among the Crow, though historians have questioned whether this was another of his exaggerations. In the mid-1830s, Beckwourth left his adopted home with the Crow and joined the Missouri volunteer military force as a scout.
Who was the general that fought in the Seminole War?
He saw action in the Seminole War in Florida, fighting under General Zachary Taylor. Beckwourth left the army in 1840 and spent the next decade wandering around the West, occasionally making some quick cash by stealing horses.
Overview
James Pierson Beckwourth (born Beckwith, April 26, 1798 or 1800 – October 29, 1866 or 1867), was an American mountain man, fur trader, and explorer. Beckwourth was known as "Bloody Arm" because of his skill as a fighter. He was mixed-race and born into slavery in Virginia. He was freed by his white father (and owner) and apprenticed to a blacksmith so that he could learn a trade.
Early life
James was born in 1798 or 1800 into slavery in Frederick County, Virginia. Of mixed race, he had an enslaved, African-American mother. His white father was their owner, Sir Jennings Beckwith, a descendant of English nobility. Little is known about Beckwourth's mother, but James was said to be third of her thirteen children.
Jennings Beckwith moved to Missouriaround 1809, when James was young, taking his mother a…
Career
In 1824 as a young man, Beckwourth joined General William Ashley's Rocky Mountain Fur Company. He worked as a wrangler during Ashley's expedition to explore the Rocky Mountains. In the following years, Beckwourth became known as a prominent trapper and mountain man. In July 1825, rendezvous, trapper and colleague Caleb Greenwoodtold the campfire story of Beckwourth's being the c…
Death
While guiding a military column to a Crow band in Montana, Beckwourth complained of severe headaches and suffered nosebleeds, most probably the result of a severe case of hypertension. He returned to the Crow village, where he died in 1867 of natural causes. William Byers, a personal friend and the founder of the Rocky Mountain News, claimed the Crow had poisoned Beckwourth. He said the tribe felt they could no longer trust him because of his involvement in the Sand Cree…
In popular culture
• Leigh Brackett, Follow the Free Wind, New York: Doubleday, 1963 (novel based on Beckwourth's life)
• Matt Braun, Bloody Hand, New York: St Martin's Press, 1996, ISBN 0-312-95839-0. (novel about Beckwourth's life with the Crow)
• In the 2021 film The Harder They Fall directed by Jeymes Samuel, his role was played by actor RJ Cyler.
Legacy
• Beckwourth Pass, named in honor of Beckwourth, is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Plumas County, California. This pass and route was used by the Western Pacific Railroad to cross the Sierra along their Feather River route. The pass is located east of Portola, California. State Route 70 crosses the Sierra at this pass at an elevation of 1,591 m (5,221 ft); it is one of the lowest crossings of the Sierra Nevada in California.
See also
• Mount Ina Coolbrith
• George Bonga
• History of slavery in Colorado
• List of African American pioneers of Colorado
Further reading
• Beckwourth, James P. (1856). Bonner, Thomas D. (ed.). The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth, Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians. With Illustrations. Written from His Own Dictation. New York: Harper & Brothers. ISBN 9780665279447.
• "Story of James P. Beckworth [summary of the just-published autobiography]". Harper's New Monthly Magazine. 13 (76): 455–472. September 1856.