Born December 24, 1809

Madison County, Kentucky

Died May 23, 1868

Colorado

Frontiersman and guide

Christopher "Kit" Carson. (Reproduced from the Collections of the Library of Congress.)

Kit Carson was "a symbol of the daring and intelligence by which the frontier was being extended."

Thelma S. Guild and Harvey L. Carter in Kit Carson: A Pattern for Heroes

The ultimate frontiersman, Kit Carson spent his career on the edge of the American frontier, exploring, taming, and conquering it. Guts and determination turned Carson from an illiterate runaway into a brigadier general. Fortunate to be friends with one of the greatest promoters of the American West, John C. Frémont (1813–1890; see entry), Carson was a humble man whose amazing exploits would become known to the world—in embellished form—and make him a national hero.

Growing Up on the Frontier

Christopher "Kit" Carson was born...