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James Pierson Beckwourth (a.k.a. Jim Beckwourth, James P. Beckwith) was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1798 to Sir Jennings Beckwith and an African-American woman about whom little is known.
His father saw to it that his son would not suffer the vicissitudes of slavery, and thrice had him manumitted at court.
Like his father, Jim enjoyed nature, native Americans and adventure, and it was not long before he set out to explore the vast expanses of what would become that which kept the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans apart.
Places still bear his name.
Later in his life, Jim recounted his astonishing life to Thomas D. Bonner, who set the book The The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth, Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians to type. As notable as are the adventures, Jim's linguistic and stylistic prowess also impresses as being beyond the normal scope of reportage. The lessons of the book have currency, and much can be learned that might help us understand the role of alcohol in the US Government, how occupations effect the occupied, our historical relationship to diseases, wildlife, and the environment...among other things, including massacres and war.
See also:
External Links
The Beckwourth Website (http://www.beckwourth.org/)
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