The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth: Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians

by James P. Beckwourth

James Pierson Beckwourth (1798 or 1800 – 1866 or 1867), born James Beckwith and generally known as, Jim Beckwourth was an American mountain man, fur trader, and explorer. A mulatto born into slavery in Virginia, he was freed by his father (and master) and apprenticed to a blacksmith; later he moved to the American West. As a fur trapper, he lived with the Crow Nation for years. He is credited with the discovery of Beckwourth Pass, through the Sierra Nevada (U.S.) Mountains, between present-day Reno, Nevada, and Portola, California, during the California Gold Rush years, and improved the Beckwourth Trail, which thousands of settlers followed to central California.He narrated his life story to Thomas D. Bonner, an itinerant justice of the peace. The book was published in New York and London in 1856 as The Life and Adventures of James P. Mountaineer, Scout and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians. A translation was published in France in 1860.Early historians of the Old West originally considered the book little more than campfire lore. It has since, been reassessed as a valuable source of social history, especially, for life among the Crow, although, not all its details are reliable or accurate. The civil rights movement of the 1960s celebrated Beckwourth as an early African-American pioneer. He has since, been featured as a role model in children's literature and textbooks.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Memoir, Westerns, American History, 19th Century

398 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1902

About the author

James Beckwourth (April 26, 1800 – October 20, 1866) was an American fur trapper, rancher, businessman, explorer, author and scout. Known as "Bloody Arm" because of his skill as a fighter, Beckwourth was of multiracial descent, being born into slavery in Frederick County, Virginia.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth: Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians by James P. Beckwourth is a very interesting piece of history. The harsh reality of the life that was lead back then and what he had to go through and even came out better than he started, much better! Started a slave, then a mountain man, then a Chief of the Crow Nation, not bad! LOL. This book tells the rough life he had, his personal life, and his accomplishments also. Great history read.

[Fred Grogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of James Beckwourth (Beckwith), black mountain man and trailblazer.
Born to a white slave owner named Beckwith and enslaved mother, Beckwourth was manumitted at the age of 19 and immediately set off for the wilds. During the 1830s to 1860s Jim Beckwourth was very active on the furthest frontiers of our country when it was new. He seemed to be anywhere and everywhere.
The original edition of this book, that cannot now be found, had a sub title "and Gaudy Liar" appended after "Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians". This was intended as irony most likely, but the theme of Beckwourth's veracity is salted throughout the book. The author eventually settles on Jim being mostly reliable, leaving the items that cannot be verified mostly left unchallenged.

[Jim Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beckwourth 's amazing story

I must give this book the highest rating as it offers great insights into both the Indians with whom Beckwourth lived and the trading company for whom he worked. Neither life was heroic , but his story was real, full of hard work and danger. I'll gladly overlook any embellishments for his vision and insights. Any person who wants to learn about the 19th Century fur trade and the early West should add this book to their 'must read' list.

[Laura Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beckwourth clearly has a flare for the dramatic so I honestly doubt that every thing that happens in this book actually took place. That said, most of these anecdotes strike me as real stories that either happened to Beckwourth himself or people he knew. Worth a read if you want some historical information that may be new to you.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I especially enjoyed the author's perspective on Indian tribes. He differentiated between tribes, saying some were better than others. Today historians like to use identity politics when discussing this period of history. The usual narrative is that white people subjugated Indians/Native Americans. The fact is that there were good Indians and bad Indians. There were good white people and bad white people. The conquering of native Americans was inevitable, like it or not. Was it done perfectly? Far from it. But yet, it was inevitable. If not us, it would've been another nation.
Also, some reviews speculate that James' stories were exaggerated. That could be true, but I still enjoyed the book and feel it is an amazing glimpse into American/Indian history. Every nation has a flawed past, but America is unique in how incredible our history has been. I'm proud to be an American, and I love the diversity of our history. It is truly a privilege to live in this great country.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are two things to realize about Beckwourth.

1. He was a pretty unpleasant guy. He seems to have been motivated purely by the desire to kill. Killing (and scalping) humans was his favorite thing to do, but if he couldn't do that, he'd settle for killing animals. And note that scalping wasn't a thing the natives did to the whites: the whites loved scalping natives too. And each other. Lovely.

2. He was a bullshitter of the highest order. His contemporaries say not to believe a word he says. Was he a Crow chief? Did he do all the things he claimed? Almost certainly not.

Most of the book is just a recitation of "and then we went out and fought these guys and I took this many scalps and everyone agreed I was the greatest warrior of them all." It gets boring, but this is what the myth of the American West was based on.

[Dennis F. Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beckwourth: Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneed

A most fascinating and interesting read. A new insight to the life and times of the Native American. His strengths and weaknesses and his volley with the fire water. A sad commentary on our society to defeat a great people by disease, starvation and meaningless treaties. Hemsworth was blessed with keen insight and the ability to meld with the American Indian and their culture. Who knows what may have come of the Native American had there been more men with Beckwourth's vision and God given talent in communicating with the Nobel Red Man?

[Donald M. Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Beckworth

Very informative .. I figured the buffalo were very important to the Indians, but didn't know how important the beaver was to them. And, Beckworth's story in a time when there were few roads found him from middle America to Florida to California, and many places in between. It's A wonder that he lived as long as he did .. the number of times he was wounded. I wish he would of talked more about his life in California, I'm guessing that's where he lived until his death.

[Vien Guenther · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of James P. Beckwourth is like fiction, but it’s a real story. In this book, he took a closer look at what living among the native Americans (the Crow) was like. It was such an incredible journey that is sometimes hard to believe. Reading this book is not for the faint of heart. Killings on both sides, between the natives and the pioneers, and even amongst the natives themselves, was simply a historical fact.

[Cynthia Mccormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and entertaining view America’s mid 19th century

The Wild West is here described by one who lived it in vivid detail and sparing no revelation of the barbarity and harshness. Sometimes you want to look away, sometimes you’ll feel sick to your stomach, but Beckwourth tells it like it was.

[Daniel Dayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but may not be accurate

Good first hand tell of being a mountain man. It is not gospel truth as it comes across as tall tales. Language at times was hard to read for the modern ear.

[Carl Bivens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Interesting period account. Accuracy of events may have been embellished somewhat, but if so, it has his account of life and customs very plausible to this reader. Very good read!

[Robby Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romanticized tale fit for a restless youth

This is a great read for a restless young man. A rough and tumble adventure. An older reader will see though it for its flaws. But still it's a well told tale.

[Vince Pillig · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a astonishing life !

This man being born a slave was fairly well-educated and can write quite well . The adventures that he went through ours almost unbelievable . I have read several other books which interlace with his stories . They all seem to to verify his life .

[Richard Gruner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tall tales or great hero

Difficult to reconcile the many contradictions in Beckwourth"s narrative. He clearly enjoys dissembling, but there is also much of value in his direct association with so many important historical figures and events.

[Thomas Galt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

This is a book that I read in a few days. It was a very interesting read albeit at times very graphic in nature. I was captivated by the details.

[Robert Pettit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

What an interesting book. I will read it again in the future. I highly recommend this book to history buffs.

[Carrie L. Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gruesome yet Fascinating

This is the reality of our native Americans during the 1800's. Mr. Beckwourth has led a full, amazing, and very lucky life!

[Charles Rackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting.

This is a very interesting book. It is full of adventure and suspense, but it is also filled with much killing.

[James Calvin]

Fascinating. I'm told it's full of stories vastly overblown. That may well be, but Beckwourth was quite a character anyway.

[Jo Petkash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a very long book. For me it was very interesting, Mr Beckwourth has a very adventurous life. Almost too much to believe.

[Nathan Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting account of mountain man James Beckwourth's life working in the West as a trapper and trader and living as a member of the Crow Nation. Beckwourth has a good sense of humor, but some of his tales are gruesome, detailing the life that only "one in 500 men" could have survived. There are obviously some embellishments, but it is nonetheless interesting, especially when Beckwourth predicts the extinction of the buffalo and details the proper way to "exterminate" Indians: by killing buffalo and selling whiskey. This book also highlights the brutalities of the total war fought by the plains Indians. 4/5 because the book eventually grinds to a halt sometime during his stay with the Crow, and seemingly every page details yet another attempt to steal horses by the Crow or rival tribe.

[Tim Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long

[David Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating picture of the rockies and the west in the early-to-mid eighteen hundreds. It should be said though that there is no way of knowing how much of Beckwourth's adventures actually happened, and how much is embellishment on his part. Even the the original writers, who took down Beckwourth's words, expressed doubt at that. But even if only half of the things in this book actually happened to Beckwourth, then he lived an very eventful and adventurous life.

Beckwourth was born a slave, the son of a slave woman and her owner. Strangely enough, his father raised him and his siblings as his own children, even getting Beckwourth an apprenticeship as a teenager. In his twenties Beckwourth went west and worked with the Rocky Mountain Fur company, trapping in the Rockies. Through a so-strange-its-true convenience the Crow nation came to believe he was a lost member of their tribe, kidnapped in childhood, allowing him to take up residence amongst them (Though he still worked with a fur company the entire time!). Most of the book covers Beckwourth's time with the crow, and his ascension up the ranks. Beckwourth claims he eventually became chief of the entire nation, and during his residence he gets into constant battles with neighboring tribes, usually over horse-stealing raids. It's hard to believe a lot of these claims, given Beckwourth's side always seems to suffer less casualties and win, but the man's descriptions of crow life are interesting and offer a glimpse into the plains Indian horse culture of the time. Following this Beckwourth had adventures in the Second Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the California gold rush. Like many western characters, he wasn't one to settle down, and wore many hats in his time.

The book itself is an easy read. Beckwourth was not educated, and the straight-forward language he used means it's still plain to understand, even one hundred sixty years later. it also reads fast, though the endless raids and battles he took part in do get a little repetitive. All around a fascinating glimpse into the Mountain Man era by somebody who lived it.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The grandpappy of all mountain-man stories, told in his own words. Trapper, hunter, Indian fighter, Indian chief, horse thief, mountain guide, pathfinder, soldier and scout, serial entrepreneur. Oh, and did I mention that he was half black? Mention this book to a professional historian and you'll probably get a dose of stink-eye, since like all mountain men Beckwourth was a skilled and enthusiastic liar, more interested in making his own myth than in capital-H History. But if even half of what he relates here is true - hell, make that a quarter - it's still an incredibly rip-snortin' life story of the highest caliber.

[Tommie C Sisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mountain Man History

I am an avid reader of this era and understand these men were good story tellers. Therefore, I'm somewhat skeptical of all that he mentions. Nonetheless, entertaining narrative of Beckwourth's life. Does give insight into trials and tribulations of First American warrior attitudes and willingness to defend their territorial claims. All Mountain Men enjoyed good story tellers and he doesn't disappoint.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mainly wanted to know how he found the pass named after him in the Sierras of California. The notes in the back indicate that his memory mixed up some of his adventures with others, including legends based on other people's adventures. I got tired of all the racing across the Rockies killing his horses in the process and didn't actually finish the book.

[Gabriel J. Bogard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Account

very interesting account of life and culture of the crow indian. nice to see some internal account of indian culture.

[Judi Sizemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

Descriptions of Indian life are real, not fictional. I enjoyed this book enough it was hard for me to put it down.