Born 1798,
Near Fredericksburg, Virginia
Died September 1867
In the American West

Ambitious and restless, Jim Beckwourth was never able to settle down in one place for long. He lived as a trapper, trader, and pioneer among several groups of Native Americans and became a war chief of the Crow tribe. He discovered and promoted one of the main entry routes from the east into northern California during the California Gold Rush. A best-selling book on his adventurous life in the American West made him into a legend during his own lifetime.

Born a slave, Beckwourth was the son of Sir Jennings Beckwith, a descendant of a prominent Virginia family, and one of Beckwith’s slaves, “Miss Kill,” who herself was of mixed ancestry. He was given the name James Pierson Beckwith but was known as Jim. When Sir Beckwith moved to Missouri in 1806, he...