Born January 21, 1813,
Savannah, Georgia
Died July 13, 1890,
New York, Hew York

John Charles Frémont was an explorer, soldier, politician, and businessman whose talents were uniquely suited to his time, at least at the beginning of his career. He came of age when it was believed the United States was destined to occupy all of North America, and he is largely credited with opening the Far West to American settlement. A man of adventure, he helped to explore, survey, and map vast areas of the frontier. As a result of his father-in-law’s political influence, Frémont’s reports were widely publicized, firing the imagination of Americans eager to move westward. Known as “The Pathfinder” because he charted the best route to Oregon, Frémont experienced both success and failure during his lifetime. Some...