Pathfinder: John Charles Fremont and the Course of American Empire

John Fremont, through his maps, scientific data and published journals, was responsible more than any other single person for preparing the way for Western emigration. Fremont was a unique combination of incredible courage in terrible natural conditions along with poor or weak decision-making most of the rest of his life. Though Fremont has numerous cities and dozens of streets named after him in this country, most people today know very little about him. Tom Chaffin’s biography fills a void in American history.The height of Fremont’s career came early in his life in the form of three expeditions he led to the West, especially the first two. (He led five altogether.) Chaffin does a terrific job putting the reader into the midst of these often incredible journeys. I sit in an armchair worried about if it will freeze tonight while reading about a group of explorers who crossed the Sierras in winter (second expedition) and who came so close to starvation in the snowbound Rockies that, on the fourth expedition, they ended up cooking leather straps for sustenance. When Fremont reaches California, especially for the first time on his second expedition, the reader through Chaffin’s writing gets a real sense of what a paradise this was for Fremont.Most of the book is taken up by Fremont’s expeditions with a limited amount given to his run for president in 1856 as the first presidential candidate of the new Republican Party. After Lincoln became the successful candidate of that party in 1860, he made Fremont a general in the Union army in Missouri and, it is almost universally agreed, Fremont did more harm than good. He did not last long in that position which was true for mostly everything he did after the war.Chaffin shows us all sides of Fremont, including his revenge at times on Native Americans and, at other times, his close working relationship with them. His wife Jessie is developed much more as a historical personage in this book compared to the spouses in many biographies of 19th century men. Chaffin is an excellent writer. The book is well-organized with clearly written paragraphs and excellent transitions. This is a book that will put the reader through many emotions, from being amazed to being shocked at times at the realities of American history. The book is part adventure story and part the story of one man’s life before, during and after the Civil War. It is also a book about the early development of California as part of America. I highly recommend it.

John Fremont was (in some aspects) the Alexander Hamilton of the mid-19th century. That may seem like a strange comparison, but they had one very strong similarity.... you either loved them or you hated them. Both were seen as larger than life and aroused strong emotions throughout the country. There are some pretty significant differences between the two - Fremont was world-renowed explorer of the American Wild West - while Hamilton was a bona fide finacial genius (which Fremont definitely was not!). Hamilton died too young and became somewhat of a martyr and his reputation has grown. Fremont may have lived a little too long and scandal soiled and diminished his reputation. Now to Chaffin's wonderful biography on Fremont: What a great/interesting read! The characters are much larger than life John Fremont, Thomas Hart Benton (His father-in-law), General Stockton (Who helped win California fo America) and of course Fremont's exploring buddy Kit Carson. Chaffin tells a tale that is so odd that it must be true. The tales of Fremont's four main explorations is straight out of a Hollywood movie. We follow Fremont up mountains, across rivers, through deserts - we see how they faced extreme starvation and how some members were forced to turn to canabalism (ouch!). Chaffin presents Fremont with warts and all - there is mention of his affairs, his conceit, his insubortination, his shameless self-promotion and his many financial blunders. While Chaffin does not apologize for Fremonts faults he also chooses not to dwell on these aspects. So why only four stars? There are some minor flow problems (for me) I found that the section on the war for California to be far too long, and the sections on Fremont's role in the Civil War and his ill fated Presidential campaign to be far too short. However, a significant amount of the book concentrates on Fremont's explorations.... which is exactly why I give a full recommendation.

Fremont may be one of the most underrated heroes of the American pantheon.This book was well researched and well written. Where there were discrepancies in the historical account the author dutifully noted it, but didn't dwell on it like some authors. History is best when told as a story, and this book accomplished that.The only possible warning is that it is a long book. (450 pages i believe) Probably not the best book as an intro to the opening of the American west. But if you know you like the subject, it's well worth the time and effort.

Very thorough. So much information I had to get my phone out to look up places and events. An incredible read for a history buff like myself.

This is a thoroughly researched book about a major piece of western history. Though written in great depth, it is very readable and the message is easy to follow. That is certainly not true of a lot of history books. The extensive bibliography is a handy source for additional reading.A strong point of the book (among several) is the clear prose concerning the political ramifications surrounding Fremont's exploits. In addition, the author does an excellent job telling of the extreme hardships that Fremont and his men endured year after year. Fremont was a great man by most standards. However, he made a lot of stupid command decisions on his expeditions. Its amazing to me that his men didn't desert in droves. Imagine dragging a damn cannon across the western U.S.! His tragic attempt at floating the Platt River was the height of folly, as was crossing the Sierra Nevada and the San Juan's in winter. I could go on.....The book neither romanticizes nor vilifies Fremont. I think it does a good job of pointing out his weaknesses and his strengths, his successes as well as his failures.I have read two other volumes about or by Fremont. If one really wants to know the man, I would recommended this one: "Pathfinder" by Dr. Chaffin.