• My topics of the section are the mountain men.

These individuals
are what opened the West to the Americans. They thought of the
unexplored territory, that is the West, as a challenge. Most did not
do this for the good of the nation, but for fur “trade”. You see,
back then beaver hats were in style and on high demand causing
the creation of fur companies (the most successful company being
John J. Astor’s company, American Fur). It was a company owner
known as William H. Ashley that developed the rendezvous
system, which involved a rendezvous point. It was a spot chosen
for the exchange of furs and other merchandise every summer.
Business men like him attracted the attention of mountain men
with ads. If you look back at land uncovered after 1840 in the
country, you will find none discovered after 1840(the end of fur
“trade”). The mountain men had explored everything by then.
They created paths to the West for people to follow, being a
monumental part in the movement westward.
FUN FACTS
• These men were rugged travelers that sometimes traveled alone.
• They were also called “trappers”.
• They lived life like the Native Americans.
• They ate anything that they could catch.
• They wore rough clothing.
• They weren’t as independent as pictured.
• Numbers of them totaled less than 1000.
• They faced the threat of an attack by Native Americans every day.
• The fur industry was very dangerous due to the rivalry.
• The first mountain men worked in the Rockies.
• Some traveled in groups of 40 to 60.
• Most were illiterate.
• Beaver hats went out of style in 1840, being replaced by silk hats, the
same year fur “trade” died out.
• Beavers, at that time, were very close to extinction.
• Mountain Men played the most important role in the movement
westward.

• These are examples of the

common image of a mountain
man.
• These are examples of hats made of beaver fur.

• This is an example of an ad to lure mountain men.

FUN FACT
 This very ad was answered by many mountain men including Jedidiah
Smith, Etienne Provost, Jim Bridger, Thomas Fitzpatrick, and Hugh
Glass.

LIST OF MOUNTAIN MEN

John Albert (1806-1899)
William Henry Ashley (1778-1838)
John Jacob Astor (1763-1848)
Jim Baker (1818-1898)
James Beckwourth -Beckwourth Pass(1798-1866)
Charles Bent (1799-1847)
William Bent (1809-1869)
Joseph Bissonette Dij Bijeau (17??-18??)
Benjamin Bonneville (1796-1878)
Jim Bridger (1804-1881)
Robert Campbell (1804-1879)
Kit Carson [Christopher Houston Carson] (1803-1868)
John Colter (c. 1774-1813)
Alexander Culbertson (1809-1879)
Warren Angus Ferris (18??-18??)
Jacques Raphael Finlay "Jocko" (1768-18??)
Thomas Fitzpatrick "Broken Hand" (1799-1854)
John Charles Fremont (1813-1890)
Hugh Glass (c. 1800-1833)
Major Andrew Henry (1775-1832)
Antoine Janis (1822-1890)
John Liver-Eating Johnston (182?-1900)
Manuel Lisa (1772-1820)
Lancaster Lupton (1807-1885)
Mariano Medina (1812-1878)
Joseph Meek (1810-1875)
Peter Skene Ogden (1794-1854)
Osborne Russell (1814-18??)
Jedediah Smith (1799-1831)
John Smith (1810-18??)
Thomas L. Smith "Pegleg" (1801-1866)
William Sublette (1799-1845)
Thomas Tate Tobin (1823-1904)
Elbridge Trask (1815-1863)
Ceran St. Vrain (1802-1870)
William S. Williams "Old Bill" (1787-1849)
Dick Wooten [Richens Lacy Wooten] "Uncle" (1816-1893)
Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth (1802-1856)
Caleb Greenwood