Americas Most Influential Mountain Men: The History and Legacy of the 19th Century Explorers Who Helped Chart Paths to the West Audiobook Libro.fm

By the golden age of the mountain man in the mid19thcentury there were perhaps only 3000 living in the West Their origins were disparate although they included many AngloAmericans A good number hailed from wilderness regions of Kentucky and Virginia and throughout the newly purchased Louisiana Territory which occupied the entire central section of the continent French Canadians traveled from the north to work in the fur trade while CreoleEuropeans represented approximately 15 of the men known to be living the isolated mountain life Others were of Mtis Spanish American Black Indian and mixedblood origin most often Iroquois or Delaware Most came to the West in their late adolescent years the oldest learning the trade in their 30s Many roamed the west for as long as their constitutions would hold up under constant attacks on their health and personal safety Some stayed too long and failed to survive the experience Among the most famous Jim Bridger arrived at the age of 16 while Edward Robinson was eventually killed in his 60s by what were known as bad snakes a reference to the Snake tribe in Idaho country Jim Beckwourth left the mountains at 68 and Old Bill Williams died at the age of 62 when a band of Utes made him to come