Synopses & Reviews
An unvarnished picture of one of the Westand#8217;s most complex characters
Mountain man and fur trader Jedediah Smith casts a heroic shadow. He was the first Anglo-American to travel overland to California via the Southwest, and he roamed through more of the West than anyone else of his era. His adventures quickly became the stuff of legend. Using new information and sifting fact from folklore, Barton H. Barbour now offers a fresh look at this dynamic figure.
Barbour tells how a youthful Smith was influenced by notable men who were his familyand#8217;s neighbors, including a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. When he was twenty-three, hard times leavened with wanderlust set him on the road west. Barbour delves into Smithand#8217;s journals to a greater extent than previous scholars and teases out compelling insights into the traderand#8217;s itineraries and personality. Use of an important letter Smith wrote late in life deepens the authorand#8217;s perspective on the legendary trapper. Through Smithand#8217;s own voice, this larger-than-life hero is shown to be a man concerned with business obligations and his comradesand#8217; welfare, and even a person who yearned for his childhood. Barbour also takes a hard look at Smithand#8217;s views of American Indians, Mexicans in California, and Hudsonand#8217;s Bay Company competitors and evaluates his dealings with these groups in the fur trade.
Dozens of monuments commemorate Smith today. This readable book is another, giving modern readers new insight into the character and remarkable achievements of one of the Westand#8217;s most complex characters.
Synopsis
Mountain man and fur trader Jedediah Smith casts a heroic shadow. The first Anglo-American to travel overland to California via the Southwest, Smith roamed through more of the West than anyone of his era, and his adventures quickly became the stuff of legend. Barton H. Barbour includes recently discovered documents and sifts fact from legend to offer new insights on the life and adventures of this dynamic frontiersman.
About the Author
Barton H. Barbour is Associate Professor of History at Boise State University and the author of Fort Union and the Upper Missouri Fur Trade.