John Charles Fremont, American Military Officer and Explorer

Engraving entitled: Col. Fremont planting the American standard on the Rocky Mountains. Fremont is shown on a mountain peak, planting an American flag. He is clad in fringed trousers and military coat and waves a visored cap in the air. Below, at right, are a bearded trapper or fellow explorer and a Mexican wearing a wide-brimmed hat. An eagle soars in the air beyond them. To show Fremont's famous exploring expeditions to the Rocky Mountains in 1842 and 1843. John Charles Fr?mont (1813-1890), was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. He retired from the military and moved to the new territory California, after leading a fourth expedition which cost ten lives seeking a rail route over the mountains around the 38th parallel in the winter of 1849. He became one of the first two Senators elected from the new state in 1850. During the American Civil War he was given command of the armies in the west but made hasty decisions (such as trying to abolish slavery without consulting the federal government), and was consequently relieved of his command (fired, court martial, presidential pardon). In 1866 Fr?mont briefly owned the Pacific Railroad, but it was repossessed by the state of Missouri after he was unable to pay the second installment on his purchase. From 1878 to 1881 Fr?mont was governor of the Arizona Territory. Fr?mont remains controversial, impetuous, and contradictory for arguing scholars. Some regard him as a military hero of significant accomplishment, while others view him as a failure who repeatedly defeated his own best purposes. Fr?mont lived on Staten Island in retirement. He died in New York City in 1890 of peritonitis

Picture No

10802158

Media ID

47597845

Size

2700px x 3737px (1.0MB)

Credit

©Photo Researchers / Mary Evans Picture Library

Source

Photo Researchers