Synopses & Reviews
She was the daughter of powerful Missouri politician Thomas Hart Benton and was a savvy political operator who played confidante and advisor to the inner circle of the highest political powers in the country. He was a key figure in western exploration and Californias first senator, and became the first presidential candidate for the Republican Partyand the first candidate to challenge slavery. Both shaped their times and were far ahead of it, but most extraordinarily their story has never fully been told. Thanks in part to a deep-seated family quarrel between Jessies father and the couple, John and Jessie were eclipsed and opposed by some of the most mythic characters of their era, not least Abraham Lincoln. Award-winning historian Sally Denton restores the reputations of John and Jessie and places them where they belongat the center of our countrys history.
Sally Denton is the author of
Faith and Betrayal,
American Massacre,
The Bluegrass Conspiracy,
and, with Roger Morris,
The Money and the Power. She has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Western Heritage Awards, a Lannan Literary Grant, and the Nevada Silver Pen Award. Her award-winning investigative reporting has appeared in
The New York Times, the
Washington Post, and
American Heritage. She lives with her three sons in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was the daughter of powerful Missouri politician Thomas Hart Benton and was a savvy political operator who played confidante and advisor to the inner circle of the highest political powers in the country. He was a key figure in western exploration and Californias first senator, and became the first presidential candidate for the Republican Partyand the first candidate to challenge slavery. Their story has never been told in full. Thanks in part to a deep-seated family quarrel between Jessies father and the couple, John and Jessie Fremont were eclipsed and opposed by some of the most mythic characters of their era, not least Abraham Lincoln. Award-winning historian Sally Denton restores the reputations of John and Jessie and places them where they belongat the center of our countrys history. Sally Denton retells the life of the Great Pathfinder from a new angle . . . A fascinating story of love and struggle . . . sheds light on a character only dimly known; few remember Jessie Fremont at all, let alone in her roles in the exploration of the West and the battle against slavery. Who knew that expansion and emancipation, the two great projects of nineteenth-century America, were so helped along by someone Lincoln once called quite a female politician?”
American Heritage
We like to think of so-called power couples as a contemporary phenomenon, but theyve turned up with fair regularity throughout history . . . Journalist and historical writer Sally Dentons fascinating double biography of John C. Fremont and his wife Jessie Benton makes a convincing case that they ought to be added to the list.”Los Angeles Times
For Denton, Passion and Principle is her greatest professional triumph to date . . . Denton is one of a relative handful of popular historians who are breathing new life into sadly neglected pieces of the American experience . . . not only serious history but a good read."Las Vegas City Life
A riveting narrative about what [Denton] calls a power couple who fascinated and baffled the public. They are curiously modern and evocative of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Ms. Denton rightly concludes.”The Sun
"A glowing biography . . . What Denton has done is to explore, with skill and style, the source of that celebrity that surrounded the Frémonts. She is a sure-footed guide through an adventure that stretches across a still-unexplored continent . . . The book is a grand story of 'passion and principle', and it is not for nothing that Denton draws parallels between the Frémonts and both George and Elizabeth Custer and, more significantly, Bill and Hillary Clintonlike the Frémonts, 'a political couple [who] fascinated and baffled the public."The Boston Globe
"Denton tackles the story of 19th-century explorer, Civil War Union general, and (in 1856) inaugural Republican presidential nominee John Frémont and his politically influential wife, Jessie Benton Frémont. She relies heavily on primary sources such as letters, diary entries, and official government documents to untangle the convoluted and widely misperceived political careers and personal lives of her subjects. Denton's research strives to explain Jessie's role in her husband's controversial attempts to abolish slavery, and she convincingly refutes popular historiography's perception of John as fortuitously marrying into a politically powerful family and coasting on his wife's talent. The Frémonts' story stretches from the advent of Manifest Destiny through the Civil War, and Denton tells the tale well, in dense but always readable detail. This original and engaging work is sure to be a boon to historians studying Old West exploration or political entanglements and military actions leading up to the Civil War. Highly recommended for all academic and large public libraries."Douglas King, Library Journal
"Biographies of the Pathfinder are available, so Denton strikes for originality with this detailed portrait of his marriage. John Fremont's wife, Jessie, by any standards was an extraordinary woman, especially by those of mid-nineteenth-century America. Daughter of Senator Thomas Hart Benton, she thrived on politics and did not hesitate to play her hand. The manner of her marriage was characteristic: an elopement. Jessie's decisiveness in a range of ensuing episodes animates Denton's account, whose point of view on Fremont's army career tends to be Jessie's. As he repeatedly got into political trouble, being court-martialed in 1848 and relieved of command in 1861, it fell to Jessie to plead her husband's case with presidents. He may have been the national celebrity as the western explorer, conqueror of California, and 1856 Republican Party presidential candidate, but the strength of Jessie's personality is equally prominent in this narrative; after the Civil War, for example, she mitigated the couple's dire finances with a successful authorial career. A fine dual biographer, Denton should have appeal in western and women's history."Gilbert Taylor, Booklist
"Denton produces an intriguing take on the life and times of John C. Frémont, explorer of the West, traveling partner of Kit Carson, California senator, unyielding abolitionist and the Republican Party's first presidential candidate . . . This is not a conventional political biography but a portrait of the five-decade-long marriage between Frémont and Jessie, a daughter of Missouri Democratic senator Thomas Hart Benton, set against the tumultuous background of 19th-century America. It is certainly the first narrative in which Jessie Frémont is accorded equal weight, and is by far the most sympatheticnot just to her, but also to him. John, all too often depicted as a semicompetent and fraudulent megalomaniac, emerges as an immensely talented explorer, overtrusting soul and introverted scientist. Jessie's historical caricature as a hysterical shrew and control freak is sensitively tempered by Denton into a complex amalgam of indomitability and idealism constrained by her times into playing second fiddle. Jessie's accomplishments, writes Denton, 'were attained not through John as her surrogate, but with John as her partner.' As Denton shows, Bill and Hillary are not the first American power couple."Publishers Weekly
Review
“Sally Denton retells the life of the Great Pathfinder from a new angle…A fascinating story of love and struggle…sheds light on a character only dimly known; few remember Jessie Fremont at all, let alone in her roles in the exploration of the West and the battle against slavery. Who knew that expansion and emancipation, the two great projects of nineteenth-century America, were so helped along by someone Lincoln once called “quite a female politician”?”—American Heritage, 5/23/07
“[Denton] convincingly refutes popular historiography's perception of John as fortuitously marrying into a politically powerful family and coasting on his wife's talent. The Frémonts' story stretches from the advent of Manifest Destiny through the Civil War, and Denton tells the tale well, in dense but always readable detail. This original and engaging work is sure to be a boon to historians studying Old West exploration or political entanglements and military actions leading up to the Civil War.” —Library Journal
“Intriguing...This is not a conventional political biography but a portrait of the five-decade-long marriage between Frémont and Jessie…As Denton shows, Bill and Hillary are not the first American power couple.” —Publishers Weekly
“Biographies of the Pathfinder (Frémont by Allan Nevins, 1992) are available, so Denton strikes for originality with this detailed portrait of his marriage…A fine dual biographer, Denton should have appeal in western and womens history.” — Booklist
“We like to think of so-called power couples as a contemporary phenomenon, but theyve turned up with fair regularity throughout history…Journalist and historical writer Sally Dentons fascinating double biography of John C. Fremont and his wife Jessie Benton, makes a convincing case that they ought to be added to the list.”—Los Angeles Times
“For Denton, Passion and Principle is her greatest professional triumph to date…Denton is one of a relative handful of popular historians who are breathing new life into sadly neglected pieces of the American experience…not only serious history but a good read.” —Las Vegas CityLife
“…a riveting narrative about what [Denton] calls a ‘power couple who ‘fascinated and baffled the public. They are curiously modern and ‘evocative of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Ms. Denton rightly concludes.”—The New York Sun
"...glowing biography...What Denton has done is to explore, with skill and style, the source of that celebrity that surrounded the Frémonts. She is a sure-footed guide through an adventure that stretches across a still-unexplored continent...The book is a grand story of 'passion and principle', and it is not for nothing that Denton draws parallels between the Frémonts and both George and Elizabeth Custer and, more significantly, Bill and Hillary Clinton-- like the Fremonts, 'a political couple [who] fascinated and baffled the public."—The Boston Globe
“Anyone who has ever imagined living life totally on his or her own terms would do well to study the lessons of ‘Passion and Principle Sally Dentons lively revisionist accounting of John and Jessie Fremont…Denton whose books include “American Massacre” and “Faith and Betrayal,” is a wonderful writer, and was fortunate to have had in the Fremonts two willing helpmates…Denton handily makes the case for elevating the couples stature in the history books.”—New York Times Book Review, 7/01/07
"In "Passion and Principle," Sally Denton, an award-winning former investigative reporter and the author of a number of historical works, gives us a thorough accounting of the professional and personal lives of this early incarnation of the power couple...Denton does a good job showing the impact the Fremonts had on history and the way this remarkable couple operated." —San Francisco Chronicle, 7/01/07
“Denton writes in a graceful style and describes movingly how Jessie adjusted with dignity her increasingly dire straits. Dentons book tour of exclusively Western cities illustrates that this is, in many ways, a Western saga. However, its also a very human, American story and one folks across the country will enjoy.”—Historywire.com, 7/05/07
Synopsis
She was the daughter of powerful Missouri politician Thomas Hart Benton and was a savvy political operator who played confidante and advisor to the inner circle of the highest political powers in the country. He was a key figure in western exploration and California's first senator, and became the first presidential candidate for the Republican Party--and the first candidate to challenge slavery. Both shaped their times and were far ahead of it, but most extraordinarily their story has never fully been told. Thanks in part to a deep-seated family quarrel between Jessie's father and the couple, John and Jessie were eclipsed and opposed by some of the most mythic characters of their era, not least Abraham Lincoln. Award-winning historian Sally Denton restores the reputations of John and Jessie and places them where they belong--at the center of our country's history.
Synopsis
She was the daughter of powerful Missouri politician Thomas Hart Benton and was a savvy political operator who played confidante and advisor to the inner circle of the highest political powers in the country. He was a key figure in western exploration and Californias first senator, and became the first presidential candidate for the Republican Partyand the first candidate to challenge slavery. Both shaped their times and were far ahead of it, but most extraordinarily their story has never fully been told. Thanks in part to a deep-seated family quarrel between Jessies father and the couple, John and Jessie were eclipsed and opposed by some of the most mythic characters of their era, not least Abraham Lincoln. Award-winning historian Sally Denton restores the reputations of John and Jessie and places them where they belongat the center of our countrys history.
Sally Denton is the author of
Faith and Betrayal,
American Massacre,
The Bluegrass Conspiracy,
and, with Roger Morris,
The Money and the Power. She has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Western Heritage Awards, a Lannan Literary Grant, and the Nevada Silver Pen Award. Her award-winning investigative reporting has appeared in
The New York Times, the
Washington Post, and
American Heritage. She lives with her three sons in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was the daughter of powerful Missouri politician Thomas Hart Benton and was a savvy political operator who played confidante and advisor to the inner circle of the highest political powers in the country. He was a key figure in western exploration and Californias first senator, and became the first presidential candidate for the Republican Partyand the first candidate to challenge slavery. Their story has never been told in full. Thanks in part to a deep-seated family quarrel between Jessies father and the couple, John and Jessie were eclipsed and opposed by some of the most mythic characters of their era, not least Abraham Lincoln. Award-winning historian Sally Denton restores the reputations of John and Jessie and places them where they belongat the center of our countrys history. “Sally Denton retells the life of the Great Pathfinder from a new angle . . . A fascinating story of love and struggle . . . sheds light on a character only dimly known; few remember Jessie Fremont at all, let alone in her roles in the exploration of the West and the battle against slavery. Who knew that expansion and emancipation, the two great projects of nineteenth-century America, were so helped along by someone Lincoln once called ‘quite a female politician?”
American Heritage
“We like to think of so-called power couples as a contemporary phenomenon, but theyve turned up with fair regularity throughout history . . . Journalist and historical writer Sally Dentons fascinating double biography of John C. Fremont and his wife Jessie Benton, makes a convincing case that they ought to be added to the list.”Los Angeles Times
“For Denton, Passion and Principle is her greatest professional triumph to date . . . Denton is one of a relative handful of popular historians who are breathing new life into sadly neglected pieces of the American experience . . . not only serious history but a good read."Las Vegas City Life
“A riveting narrative about what [Denton] calls a ‘power couple who ‘fascinated and baffled the public. They are curiously modern and ‘evocative of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Ms. Denton rightly concludes.”The Sun
"A glowing biography . . . What Denton has done is to explore, with skill and style, the source of that celebrity that surrounded the Frémonts. She is a sure-footed guide through an adventure that stretches across a still-unexplored continent . . . The book is a grand story of 'passion and principle', and it is not for nothing that Denton draws parallels between the Frémonts and both George and Elizabeth Custer and, more significantly, Bill and Hillary Clintonlike the Fremonts, 'a political couple [who] fascinated and baffled the public."The Boston Globe
"Denton tackles the story of 19th-century explorer, Civil War Union general, and (in 1856) inaugural Republican presidential nominee John Frémont and his politically influential wife, Jessie Benton Frémont. She relies heavily on primary sources such as letters, diary entries, and official government documents to untangle the convoluted and widely misperceived political careers and personal lives of her subjects. Denton's research strives to explain Jessie's role in her husband's controversial attempts to abolish slavery, and she convincingly refutes popular historiography's perception of John as fortuitously marrying into a politically powerful family and coasting on his wife's talent. The Frémonts' story stretches from the advent of Manifest Destiny through the Civil War, and Denton tells the tale well, in dense but always readable detail. This original and engaging work is sure to be a boon to historians studying Old West exploration or political entanglements and military actions leading up to the Civil War. Highly recommended for all academic and large public libraries."Douglas King, Library Journal"Biographies of the Pathfinder are available, so Denton strikes for originality with this detailed portrait of his marriage. John Fremont's wife, Jessie, by any standards was an extraordinary woman, especially by those of mid-nineteenth-century America. Daughter of Senator Thomas Hart Benton, she thrived on politics and did not hesitate to play her hand. The manner of her marriage was characteristic: an elopement. Jessie's decisiveness in a range of ensuing episodes animates Denton's account, whose point of view on Fremont's army career tends to be Jessie's. As he repeatedly got into political trouble, being court-martialed in 1848 and relieved of command in 1861, it fell to Jessie to plead her husband's case with presidents. He may have been the national celebrity as the western explorer, conqueror of California, and 1856 Republican Party presidential candidate, but the strength of Jessie's personality is equally prominent in this narrative; after the Civil War, for example, she mitigated the couple's dire finances with a successful authorial career. A fine dual biographer, Denton should have appeal in western and women's history."Gilbert Taylor, Booklist "Denton produces an intriguing take on the life and times of John C. Frémont, explorer of the West, traveling partner of Kit Carson, California senator, unyielding abolitionist and the Republican Party's first presidential candidate . . . This is not a conventional political biography but a portrait of the five-decade-long marriage between Frémont and Jessie, a daughter of Missouri Democratic senator Thomas Hart Benton, set against the tumultuous background of 19th-century America. It is certainly the first narrative in which Jessie Frémont is accorded equal weight, and is by far the most sympatheticnot just to her, but also to him. John, all too often depicted as a semicompetent and fraudulent megalomaniac, emerges as an immensely talented explorer, overtrusting soul and introverted scientist. Jessie's historical caricature as a hysterical shrew and control freak is sensitively tempered by Denton into a co
About the Author
Sally Denton is the author of Faith and Betrayal, American Massacre, The Bluegrass Conspiracy, and, with Roger Morris, The Money and the Power. She has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Western Heritage Awards, a Lannan Literary Grant, and the Nevada Silver Pen Award. Her award-winning investigative reporting has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and American Heritage. She lives with her three sons in Santa Fe, New Mexico.