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Pathfinder: John Charles Fremont and the Course of American Empire
The amazing life of the explorer who first mapped the West and forever changed nineteenth-century America
The career of John Charles Frémont (1813-90) celebrates and ties together the full breadth of American expansionism from its eighteenth-century origins through its culmination in the Gilded Age. Tom Chaffin's important new biography demonstrates Frémont's vital importance to the history of American empire, and his role in shattering long-held myths about the ecology and habitability of the American West.
As the most celebrated American explorer and mapper of his time, Frémont stood at the center of the vast federal project of Western exploration and conquest. His expeditions between 1838 and 1854 captured the public's imagination, inspired Americans to accept their nation's destiny as a vast continental empire, and earned him his enduring sobriquet, the Pathfinder.
But Frémont was more than an explorer. Chaffin's dramatic narrative includes Frémont's varied experiences as an entrepreneur, abolitionist, Civil War general, husband to the remarkable Jessie Benton Frémont, two-time Republican presidential candidate, and Gilded Age aristocrat.
Chaffin brings to life the personal and political experiences of a remarkable American whose saga offers compelling insight into the conflicts, tensions, and contradictions at the core of America's lust for empire and its conquest of the trans-Missouri West.
The career of John Charles Frémont (1813-90) celebrates and ties together the full breadth of American expansionism from its eighteenth-century origins through its culmination in the Gilded Age. Tom Chaffin's important new biography demonstrates Frémont's vital importance to the history of American empire, and his role in shattering long-held myths about the ecology and habitability of the American West.
As the most celebrated American explorer and mapper of his time, Frémont stood at the center of the vast federal project of Western exploration and conquest. His expeditions between 1838 and 1854 captured the public's imagination, inspired Americans to accept their nation's destiny as a vast continental empire, and earned him his enduring sobriquet, the Pathfinder.
But Frémont was more than an explorer. Chaffin's dramatic narrative includes Frémont's varied experiences as an entrepreneur, abolitionist, Civil War general, husband to the remarkable Jessie Benton Frémont, two-time Republican presidential candidate, and Gilded Age aristocrat.
Chaffin brings to life the personal and political experiences of a remarkable American whose saga offers compelling insight into the conflicts, tensions, and contradictions at the core of America's lust for empire and its conquest of the trans-Missouri West.
592 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
29 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
Tom Chaffin
9 books13 followersHistorian Tom Chaffin is the author, most recently, of “Odyssey: Young Charles Darwin, The Beagle, and The Voyage that Changed the World" (Feb. 2022, Pegasus). The work, focused on the naturalist's five years of global travel aboard HMS Beagle, chronicles the the formative experiences of his youth.
Chaffin’s earlier books include “Revolutionary Brothers: Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Friendship that Helped Forge Two Nations," "Pathfinder: John Charles Frémont and the Course of American Empire," "Sea of Gray: The Around-The-World Odyssey of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah," and "Giant’s Causeway: Frederick Douglass’s Irish Odyssey and the Making of an American Visionary."
The author was was born and grew up in Atlanta and spent his early professional years in journalism, living in, among other places, Savannah, New York City, San Francisco, and Paris. Chaffin has taught U.S. history and writing at various universities. He holds a B.A. in English from Georgia State University, an M.A. in American Studies from New York University, and a Ph.D. in history from Emory University. His articles, reviews and essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Time, American Scholar, Harper’s, The Nation, the Oxford American, and other publications. He was a frequent contributor to the New York Times‘ acclaimed “Disunion” series on the American Civil War. In 2012, he was a Fulbright fellow in Ireland.
Chaffin lives in Atlanta.
Chaffin’s earlier books include “Revolutionary Brothers: Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Friendship that Helped Forge Two Nations," "Pathfinder: John Charles Frémont and the Course of American Empire," "Sea of Gray: The Around-The-World Odyssey of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah," and "Giant’s Causeway: Frederick Douglass’s Irish Odyssey and the Making of an American Visionary."
The author was was born and grew up in Atlanta and spent his early professional years in journalism, living in, among other places, Savannah, New York City, San Francisco, and Paris. Chaffin has taught U.S. history and writing at various universities. He holds a B.A. in English from Georgia State University, an M.A. in American Studies from New York University, and a Ph.D. in history from Emory University. His articles, reviews and essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Time, American Scholar, Harper’s, The Nation, the Oxford American, and other publications. He was a frequent contributor to the New York Times‘ acclaimed “Disunion” series on the American Civil War. In 2012, he was a Fulbright fellow in Ireland.
Chaffin lives in Atlanta.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 20, 2017
John Charles Fremont, (1813-1890), was an American military officer, explorer of the American West – earning the sobriquet Pathfinder – briefly the military Governor of California , the first Republican candidate for President in 1856, a Union Civil War general and territorial Governor of Arizona. He married Jessie Benton, the daughter of Missouri politician Thomas Hart Benton. (Jessie was a force in her own right and one of the few people who visibly raised the ire of Abraham Lincoln.) Fremont had a bad case of wanderlust, in a time when horses were the most advanced mode of transportation, and he had an uncanny ability – consciously or not – to stir up controversy wherever he set up camp.
Pathfinder is very well written biography, with the majority of the book chronicling Fremont’s journeys on the trail. At this vantage point in time, with highways and airplanes, it’s difficult to comprehend both the miles traveled by Fremont and his fellow explorers – including Kit Carson – and the “challenges” they encountered – weather, mountains, rivers and available food being just the most obvious of the “headaches” to be solved. Yet these walkabouts were more than just high adventure. Fremont was a meticulous data collector and these forays into the great unknown were just as valuable for what wasn’t found – for instance the mythical east/west continental waterway known as the Bonaventura – as for what was – “documented” paths through the Rocky Mountains leading to the American West Coast.
During his expeditions problems arose when Fremont exceeded his “orders” – for instance traveling further west than originally planned – and culminated in 1846 when Fremont and his men became directly involved in California’s fight for “independence”, which involved him indirectly in the Mexican-American War. These actions led to his court-martial from the US Army. (The US Government funded Fremont’s expeditions. He led them as a US military officer.)
Fremont’s departure from the army occurs about 400 pages into this 500 page book. His run for the Presidency – both in 1856 and briefly in 1864, service in the Civil War and all that followed – basically the last 35 years of Fremont’s life are covered in about 100 pages. Ironically, as Fremont became more involved with other humans and “civilization” – and one would assume with more documentation available - the less detailed is this narrative. Don’t get me wrong; what is covered is done so extremely well. But personally I could have used more “balance” into an examination of the Pathfinder’s post-explorer life. There is a quandary in Fremont’s personality – he was a very good leader of men “against” Mother Nature – this skill seemingly eluded him when involved and competing against other men.
Very good book – just wish there was more.
Pathfinder is very well written biography, with the majority of the book chronicling Fremont’s journeys on the trail. At this vantage point in time, with highways and airplanes, it’s difficult to comprehend both the miles traveled by Fremont and his fellow explorers – including Kit Carson – and the “challenges” they encountered – weather, mountains, rivers and available food being just the most obvious of the “headaches” to be solved. Yet these walkabouts were more than just high adventure. Fremont was a meticulous data collector and these forays into the great unknown were just as valuable for what wasn’t found – for instance the mythical east/west continental waterway known as the Bonaventura – as for what was – “documented” paths through the Rocky Mountains leading to the American West Coast.
During his expeditions problems arose when Fremont exceeded his “orders” – for instance traveling further west than originally planned – and culminated in 1846 when Fremont and his men became directly involved in California’s fight for “independence”, which involved him indirectly in the Mexican-American War. These actions led to his court-martial from the US Army. (The US Government funded Fremont’s expeditions. He led them as a US military officer.)
Fremont’s departure from the army occurs about 400 pages into this 500 page book. His run for the Presidency – both in 1856 and briefly in 1864, service in the Civil War and all that followed – basically the last 35 years of Fremont’s life are covered in about 100 pages. Ironically, as Fremont became more involved with other humans and “civilization” – and one would assume with more documentation available - the less detailed is this narrative. Don’t get me wrong; what is covered is done so extremely well. But personally I could have used more “balance” into an examination of the Pathfinder’s post-explorer life. There is a quandary in Fremont’s personality – he was a very good leader of men “against” Mother Nature – this skill seemingly eluded him when involved and competing against other men.
Very good book – just wish there was more.
February 17, 2019
Not only a biography of one of the 19th century's foremost explorers of the west, it's also, as the title suggests, a nice look at how that silly, murderous idea we all learned in 8th grade history class of "manifest destiny" played out politically and on the ground.
Chaffin starts out strong, with some nice but brief enough details on Fremont's scurrilous early life and dives right into the expeditions into the Upper Midwest, across the Great Plains, over the Rockies and all over the Great Basin (a concept he coined) and California. These are the best parts. Chaffin's narrative of exploration-as-imperial-vanguard plays out wonderfully as we come to know Fremont as a conundrum: opportunistic, but scientific; practical but not politically naive. He knew the dilly: expansion west would mean military conquest and wars against the indigenous folks and he didn't shy away from making clear to Congress and a succession of presidencies the benefit of pushing west. The real denouement and nadir of all this was Fremont's weird wanderings "exploring" California during the '40s and finally becoming embroiled (on purpose or not is a matter of controversy) in the bizarre events that led to California being "freed" from Mexico.
The story peters out quickly after that. There's a little bit on Fremont's political career (he was a "Free Soil" Republican) and his Civil War hijinks, largely pathetic. But past that the work ends rather abruptly and with little-to-no reflection on all that came before, especially the scientific bits.
Chaffin starts out strong, with some nice but brief enough details on Fremont's scurrilous early life and dives right into the expeditions into the Upper Midwest, across the Great Plains, over the Rockies and all over the Great Basin (a concept he coined) and California. These are the best parts. Chaffin's narrative of exploration-as-imperial-vanguard plays out wonderfully as we come to know Fremont as a conundrum: opportunistic, but scientific; practical but not politically naive. He knew the dilly: expansion west would mean military conquest and wars against the indigenous folks and he didn't shy away from making clear to Congress and a succession of presidencies the benefit of pushing west. The real denouement and nadir of all this was Fremont's weird wanderings "exploring" California during the '40s and finally becoming embroiled (on purpose or not is a matter of controversy) in the bizarre events that led to California being "freed" from Mexico.
The story peters out quickly after that. There's a little bit on Fremont's political career (he was a "Free Soil" Republican) and his Civil War hijinks, largely pathetic. But past that the work ends rather abruptly and with little-to-no reflection on all that came before, especially the scientific bits.
February 4, 2012
This is an excellent biography of an American that few people know about. Fremont was truly a vivid member of history from the days of the early republic through the age of manifest destiny. This book covers not only Fremont's triumphs but his downfalls. While a young and impetuous (sometimes dishonest) man, Fremont was successful in helping to expand this countries knowledge of its own topography and boundaries. Through a vivid use of journals and maps Fremont led expeditions that cataloged the trails for westward expansion.
His service in the army corp. of engineers helped with the capture of California through bravado more so than force. After his brief governorship of California, Fremont was found guilty at a court marital for his actions against General Kearny and the Polk administration. Fremont's retirement would lead him to business ventures and a run for the presidency as the Republican Party's first candidate. These distinctions would continue as he was a commander of the western union forces during the Civil War. His greatest act here would be to promote a little known Grant to general and command the armies of Tennessee. Overall this is an excellent biography and does a great job of providing a balanced look at a little known person in American history. Highly recommended for those who want to understand how the groundwork for manifest destiny was laid.
His service in the army corp. of engineers helped with the capture of California through bravado more so than force. After his brief governorship of California, Fremont was found guilty at a court marital for his actions against General Kearny and the Polk administration. Fremont's retirement would lead him to business ventures and a run for the presidency as the Republican Party's first candidate. These distinctions would continue as he was a commander of the western union forces during the Civil War. His greatest act here would be to promote a little known Grant to general and command the armies of Tennessee. Overall this is an excellent biography and does a great job of providing a balanced look at a little known person in American history. Highly recommended for those who want to understand how the groundwork for manifest destiny was laid.
January 27, 2013
It seems that Fremont, because of his fame as a western explorer was thrust/had the opportunity to move into positions way above his pay grade: Mexican War leader, California governor and senator, speculator, presidential candidate, Civil War general. If he’d just remained an explorer, it seems his life would have been much better. But he and his wife had ambition beyond any expectations of success, based on his qualifications. Not a tragedy, really, except in the sense that his reach exceeded his grasp. Now the book..... Way too much information about his exploration. Almost a day by day detail of the weather, how many horses died, etc. I wanted more context. His post Mexican War career was dispatched with in less than 100 pages!! And again with the awful proof reading/editing!
July 29, 2023
John Charles Fremont and his men set off on their first expedition on June 10, 1842; seemingly plagued with bad luck, they capsized their barge with their supplies only four days into the journey. Although they recovered most of the supplies, the hardships kept coming. Tom Chaffin's Pathfinder: John Charles Fremont and the Course of American Empire is an amazing narrative biography of John Fremont and his desire for westward exploration and the overall advancement of the United States. Chaffin sought to correct the often-romanticized version of Fremont and remains subjective by pointing out his successes and failures and does not linger on either long enough to sense a strong bias in one way or another. Chaffin notes, "It was Fremont's explorations in the West that led the era's penny press to award him his sobriquet "the Pathfinder" and secured his enduring association with places in and beyond the Rockies."
Tom Chaffin is an American historian who received his Ph.D. in History at Emory University. He taught many history courses at various universities and is currently a research professor at the University of Tennessee- Knoxville. Chaffin published numerous essays, articles, and reviews in journals such as New York Times Magazine, Time, Harper's, The Nation, and Oxford American.
John Fremont held many titles throughout his career, such as "explorer, Mexican War military commander, U.S Senator from California, 1856 presidential candidate for the newly formed Republican Party, Civil War-era Union general, entrepreneur, and territorial governor of Arizona." Nevertheless, it seemed as if he yielded controversy wherever he went. According to the introduction, Fremont is still a controversial figure; people either love him or hate him. Tom Chaffin begins Fremont's story with a brief overview of his upbringing and wonderfully transitions to the first expedition. The monograph centers mostly on the expeditions Fremont took West, and Chaffin drives home the conditions the men faced on each expedition, from freezing in the Sierras in the second expedition to almost starving to the point of consuming leather in the fourth expedition.
History is much more enjoyable when it does not feel like reading a history book. Chaffin took this unfrequented figure in American Westward expansion and brought him to life. As mentioned before, there is not a clear bias for or against Fremont as we learn of his times of revenge on Native Americans but also his willingness to work with them. The reader also learns of many poor decisions he made on his expeditions but also with his clear and concise topography of the areas he explored. His first expedition commenced in 1842, the second expedition in 1843-1844, and the third expedition in 1845-1846, and 1846, he assisted the United States in the Mexican War before being assigned as military governor of California in 1847.
The third expedition is the turning point of Fremont's career; he had just sent a report back to the White House discussing his findings in Oregon. However, in his journal, toward the end of the third expedition, he writes about understanding a war with Mexico is inevitable, and the view to make the Pacific Ocean the United States' western boundary was in sight, and he wanted to be the one to begin the campaign. Before the war began, there were warnings that the Mexican army were building a defense, and the settlers in Fremont's party all reasoned why they should proceed with a preemptive attack. Fremont refused, so they and Kit Carson planned a campaign without him. The party devised a plan to take California and defeat the Mexican Army that would attack north of Francisco Bay; they decided that if they could take control of Sonoma, the Mexican army would likely fail. Fremont knew his men were about to leave him, so he disbanded the explorers and decided to join them. They voted on a leader, and Fremont won unanimously; they were then on their way to take Sonoma, remembered as the Bear Flag Revolt.
In September 1846, Commodore Robert Stockton named Fremont "military commandant of the new U.S territory of California." Fremont had a problem with authority, and when General Kearny kept assigning orders, and he kept ignoring them, it led to the eventual court martial of John Fremont on August 22, 1847. He was found guilty of all charges and "ordered dismissal from the Army." The next significant events in Fremont's career seemed rushed, confined to the last 100 pages. There was his brief serving in the U.S. Senate and then his presidential nomination in the 1856 election as a newly formed Republican candidate and his role as a failed Union general in the Civil War. The abridgment of the information does not hurt Chaffin's argument as he does provide a solid basis of information, but it would be beneficial to know more about this aspect of his life as well. Obviously, with the title of Pathfinder, his explorations are the center of the monograph, but because it is a chronological biography, the other areas also deserved attention.
The book is well-researched and provides plenty of sources for further reading if desired. The story of John Fremont is very much neglected in the historiography of the American West, and Tom Chaffin's research fills the voids of many milestones in westward expansion that are significant yet not written about. Pathfinder would do well for a general audience as it is written as a narrative and does not involve complex theories. Although a long read, it did not drag out and was not repetitive of the same concepts. If anything, this monograph could become a starting point for further research into Fremont's life, perhaps focusing in-depth on his after-exploration years as Chaffin did with his expeditions.
Tom Chaffin is an American historian who received his Ph.D. in History at Emory University. He taught many history courses at various universities and is currently a research professor at the University of Tennessee- Knoxville. Chaffin published numerous essays, articles, and reviews in journals such as New York Times Magazine, Time, Harper's, The Nation, and Oxford American.
John Fremont held many titles throughout his career, such as "explorer, Mexican War military commander, U.S Senator from California, 1856 presidential candidate for the newly formed Republican Party, Civil War-era Union general, entrepreneur, and territorial governor of Arizona." Nevertheless, it seemed as if he yielded controversy wherever he went. According to the introduction, Fremont is still a controversial figure; people either love him or hate him. Tom Chaffin begins Fremont's story with a brief overview of his upbringing and wonderfully transitions to the first expedition. The monograph centers mostly on the expeditions Fremont took West, and Chaffin drives home the conditions the men faced on each expedition, from freezing in the Sierras in the second expedition to almost starving to the point of consuming leather in the fourth expedition.
History is much more enjoyable when it does not feel like reading a history book. Chaffin took this unfrequented figure in American Westward expansion and brought him to life. As mentioned before, there is not a clear bias for or against Fremont as we learn of his times of revenge on Native Americans but also his willingness to work with them. The reader also learns of many poor decisions he made on his expeditions but also with his clear and concise topography of the areas he explored. His first expedition commenced in 1842, the second expedition in 1843-1844, and the third expedition in 1845-1846, and 1846, he assisted the United States in the Mexican War before being assigned as military governor of California in 1847.
The third expedition is the turning point of Fremont's career; he had just sent a report back to the White House discussing his findings in Oregon. However, in his journal, toward the end of the third expedition, he writes about understanding a war with Mexico is inevitable, and the view to make the Pacific Ocean the United States' western boundary was in sight, and he wanted to be the one to begin the campaign. Before the war began, there were warnings that the Mexican army were building a defense, and the settlers in Fremont's party all reasoned why they should proceed with a preemptive attack. Fremont refused, so they and Kit Carson planned a campaign without him. The party devised a plan to take California and defeat the Mexican Army that would attack north of Francisco Bay; they decided that if they could take control of Sonoma, the Mexican army would likely fail. Fremont knew his men were about to leave him, so he disbanded the explorers and decided to join them. They voted on a leader, and Fremont won unanimously; they were then on their way to take Sonoma, remembered as the Bear Flag Revolt.
In September 1846, Commodore Robert Stockton named Fremont "military commandant of the new U.S territory of California." Fremont had a problem with authority, and when General Kearny kept assigning orders, and he kept ignoring them, it led to the eventual court martial of John Fremont on August 22, 1847. He was found guilty of all charges and "ordered dismissal from the Army." The next significant events in Fremont's career seemed rushed, confined to the last 100 pages. There was his brief serving in the U.S. Senate and then his presidential nomination in the 1856 election as a newly formed Republican candidate and his role as a failed Union general in the Civil War. The abridgment of the information does not hurt Chaffin's argument as he does provide a solid basis of information, but it would be beneficial to know more about this aspect of his life as well. Obviously, with the title of Pathfinder, his explorations are the center of the monograph, but because it is a chronological biography, the other areas also deserved attention.
The book is well-researched and provides plenty of sources for further reading if desired. The story of John Fremont is very much neglected in the historiography of the American West, and Tom Chaffin's research fills the voids of many milestones in westward expansion that are significant yet not written about. Pathfinder would do well for a general audience as it is written as a narrative and does not involve complex theories. Although a long read, it did not drag out and was not repetitive of the same concepts. If anything, this monograph could become a starting point for further research into Fremont's life, perhaps focusing in-depth on his after-exploration years as Chaffin did with his expeditions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2017
I picked up this book hoping for a biography of John Charles Frémont, a man whose exploits and explorations I'd come across numerous times in other biographies, other history books. An explorer, a presidential candidate, a Civil War general - a fascinating figure for a biographer! What I got was a book very much more about Frémont's expeditions than it really was about the man himself - which wasn't entirely disappointing, don't get me wrong, because what is here is an excellent read. It just left me feeling the book was incomplete.
A good two thirds of this book is devoted to Frémont's four expeditions into the American West, the explorations that made him famous and earned him the nickname 'Pathfinder'. The moniker isn't entirely accurate: Frémont very rarely ventured into completely unexplored territory and usually relied on guides or trails already established. He was, however, the first to map and survey these regions, and it does not diminish or obscure the very real hardships and dangers of these expeditions. Tom Chaffin devotes a great amount of detail to recounting Frémont's journeys, and herein lies one of my major criticisms - I only wish he had devoted this amount of time to the rest of Frémont's life.
Frémont's candidacy for president in 1856, the first Republican candidate, is dealt with in one chapter. Frémont's experience as a Civil War general is also dealt with in one chapter. In fact, Frémont's entire life after 1854, some 36 years, is covered in little more than 80 pages. I appreciate that some episodes in a person's life are more eventful than others, and biographers will inevitably dwell more of these - but as a reader I wanted to learn about Frémont the man, about his entire life, and so to skip over almost half his life in just a few short chapters leaves me disappointed. As I said, this is a book more about Frémont's expeditions than him - and in that regard, it's a fine book, well-researched, well-written, engaging. But I wanted more.
A good two thirds of this book is devoted to Frémont's four expeditions into the American West, the explorations that made him famous and earned him the nickname 'Pathfinder'. The moniker isn't entirely accurate: Frémont very rarely ventured into completely unexplored territory and usually relied on guides or trails already established. He was, however, the first to map and survey these regions, and it does not diminish or obscure the very real hardships and dangers of these expeditions. Tom Chaffin devotes a great amount of detail to recounting Frémont's journeys, and herein lies one of my major criticisms - I only wish he had devoted this amount of time to the rest of Frémont's life.
Frémont's candidacy for president in 1856, the first Republican candidate, is dealt with in one chapter. Frémont's experience as a Civil War general is also dealt with in one chapter. In fact, Frémont's entire life after 1854, some 36 years, is covered in little more than 80 pages. I appreciate that some episodes in a person's life are more eventful than others, and biographers will inevitably dwell more of these - but as a reader I wanted to learn about Frémont the man, about his entire life, and so to skip over almost half his life in just a few short chapters leaves me disappointed. As I said, this is a book more about Frémont's expeditions than him - and in that regard, it's a fine book, well-researched, well-written, engaging. But I wanted more.
November 24, 2025
A quick summary of the life of John C. Fremont would be that he was a great visionary and explorer but not so great a politician or businessman. The author definitely refutes many negative histories of Fremont but does point out that he had some shortcomings as well. Fremont should be credited for being the first to map the Oregon Trail and naming numerous places west of the Rockies. To paraphrase the author, Fremont had an ideology of US nationalism and manifest destiny, a scientific and spacial comprehension of the continent, and he viewed America as a force moving through history and would eventually become a world empire. Fremont’s reports on his expeditions were embellished by his wife Jessie. She made the stories dramatic and thus very popular reading with the likes of James F. Cooper and Washington Irving. In California, Fremont found himself on another expedition and in the middle of the Bear Flag revolt. Fremont was not prepared to be a leader in this movement but as events got out of hand he stepped in and took charge. Unfortunately others were sent by the US government to lead the revolt leading to conflict. Fremont fell in love with California and often compared it to Italy. Often his vision for a business venture never materialized as he depended on investors that he would be indebted to, often foreign investors. Fremont had a somewhat unsuccessful career in the Civil War and as with several political appointments, was either reassigned or resigned. This was partly due to his numerous political enemies he acquired during his expeditions, along with to his Republican run for President in 1856, and due to his controversial views on slavery. Fremont however, has always remained popular with the American people because as the author puts it, “John Fremont’s vision of America insinuated itself into the nation’s collective psyche.” An interesting read.
December 27, 2019
His five expeditions make up most of the book, but after the first three, the rest of the expeditions become repetitive.
It was interesting to see how he was responsible for making Ulysses Grant the general we all know today, by promoting him to brigadier general during his one year as General of Missouri forces during the civil war.
It was Fremonts defense of, and military plans, that allowed General Grant to make a name for himself in battle by separting the confederacy in two.
Fremont was also the first Republican presidential candidate, and as military governor of Missouri, he was the first to declare an emancipation proclamation, despite Lincolns insistence he didnt, to free the slaves of the state.
It was interesting to see how he was responsible for making Ulysses Grant the general we all know today, by promoting him to brigadier general during his one year as General of Missouri forces during the civil war.
It was Fremonts defense of, and military plans, that allowed General Grant to make a name for himself in battle by separting the confederacy in two.
Fremont was also the first Republican presidential candidate, and as military governor of Missouri, he was the first to declare an emancipation proclamation, despite Lincolns insistence he didnt, to free the slaves of the state.
December 2, 2018
An excellent and thorough biography of this larger-than-life icon in the history of the American west. Chaffin analyzes the man himself in addition to underscoring his importance in the documentation and publicity of the American west, while also doing a good job of tracing Fremonts various expeditions across the landscape itself (most interesting to me personally). Chaffin, through meticulous research and interpretation presents a man who was, at once, an outsider and an elite in his own time - mingling in the power circles of a young government in Washington while his head and heart were at home amongst the guides and mountain men of his many expeditions.
October 6, 2025
Somewhat difficult read, but persevere, as you will learn much about the expansion of America across the vast area west of the Mississippi, and the political ramifications of that expansion. Plus the viewpoints of the men who made decisions and pontificated about the expansion and issues of the time.
October 30, 2019
Overall a decent overview. Borderline 2 stars as the author seems to (like freemont himself) brush over events that paint him in a particularly bad light, with the addition of random vignettes of characters that dont do much to aid the narrative. Oh
September 22, 2022
An entertaining and informative biography of a difficult character. Chaffin does an excellent job of narrating Fremont's adventurous life while also providing analysis of the traits that made him an exceptional charter of paths but unable to handle higher levels of responsibility.
July 19, 2020
Very interesting and complicated man. Very curious relationship with wife and politically complex.
December 17, 2020
The book was alright. At least now I have a better idea of who this Fremont fellow was whose name is found throughout the west.
April 24, 2021
interesting biography about what it was like to be a land surveyor/explorer in the expansion of America. lots of fascinating stories about his very interesting life
March 13, 2022
Enjoyable reading even for a history book...
August 25, 2024
Was a blazer of trails into the wilderness for others to follow so that they could settle down and make better lives for themselves.
June 18, 2025
Useful biography of one of the American West's explorers. He and his wife are American icons. Fremont’s life was full of intrigue, adventure, and controversy.
February 10, 2017
An engaging, readable biography of the colorful and complex Frémont, told in a balanced fashion. The man’s bravery, ego, conceit, insubordination, self-promotion, are all on full display, although Chaffin does not dwell on them too much. He does a fine job stressing the up-and-down nature of Frémont’s life and its intersection with so many historical events, and crafts a nuanced portrait. His loving relationship and marriage with the colorful Jessie Benton is also well-told. There is little discussion, however, of the man’s thinking or motives, and more on his colorful life and career.
Frémont was many things, and his image has evolved over the years, with some hailing him as a rugged wilderness type and others as an imperialist and persecutor of Indians. Chaffin considers him to be both of these, as well as a man who forced Americans to “reimagine America itself.” Frémont always possessed a degree of wanderlust, and he was almost always prone to stirring up controversy no matter where he went or ended up. Most of the book deals with his career as an explorer, but his pursuit of the presidency and his Civil War career only take up a hundred or so pages. It’s well-covered, but it probably could have been more fleshed out.
Still, a well-researched, well-written, and balanced biography of an interesting figure.
Frémont was many things, and his image has evolved over the years, with some hailing him as a rugged wilderness type and others as an imperialist and persecutor of Indians. Chaffin considers him to be both of these, as well as a man who forced Americans to “reimagine America itself.” Frémont always possessed a degree of wanderlust, and he was almost always prone to stirring up controversy no matter where he went or ended up. Most of the book deals with his career as an explorer, but his pursuit of the presidency and his Civil War career only take up a hundred or so pages. It’s well-covered, but it probably could have been more fleshed out.
Still, a well-researched, well-written, and balanced biography of an interesting figure.
April 11, 2011
This is a detailed biography of John Charles Fremont, the explorer, soldier, and pioneering California settler. Most of the biographies I've read have romanticized not only the subject of the book, but the historical time period. This is an unflinching and professionally-researched picture of the man and his times. Fremont led many expeditions across the United States, not only to chart and map the region, but to find a trade route to California and beyond, to Asia.
Chaffin is a true historian, and provides references for every step of Fremont's path. He used original sources, such as letters, Fremont's own accounts of his travels, books written by those who worked and traveled with him, and other documents from the time.
This is a fascinating portrait of a determined and self-made man, told with all of his flaws and in great historical detail. It does not flow like a novel, and takes more concentration and dedication to read. But it's worth the extra effort.
The author gives us another perspective on "How the West Was Won," and how white settlers viewed the treasures of Washington, Oregon, California and Mexico not only as theirs for the taking - but as a necessary addition to the "empire" of the United States. Chaffin takes us along on Fremont's expeditions, where we feel the exhilaration of cresting each new ridge, taking in new vistas, and enduring the treacherous and painful deprivations of the trail.
Add this book to your nightstand, alongside the fun mysteries and romance novels. It's an enriching, educational and entertaining read!
Chaffin is a true historian, and provides references for every step of Fremont's path. He used original sources, such as letters, Fremont's own accounts of his travels, books written by those who worked and traveled with him, and other documents from the time.
This is a fascinating portrait of a determined and self-made man, told with all of his flaws and in great historical detail. It does not flow like a novel, and takes more concentration and dedication to read. But it's worth the extra effort.
The author gives us another perspective on "How the West Was Won," and how white settlers viewed the treasures of Washington, Oregon, California and Mexico not only as theirs for the taking - but as a necessary addition to the "empire" of the United States. Chaffin takes us along on Fremont's expeditions, where we feel the exhilaration of cresting each new ridge, taking in new vistas, and enduring the treacherous and painful deprivations of the trail.
Add this book to your nightstand, alongside the fun mysteries and romance novels. It's an enriching, educational and entertaining read!
June 12, 2007
Pathfinder tells the story of one of the greatest, and least known, adventurers in history, John C. Fremont -- perhaps the greatest adventurer next to Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton. If you live in the West, you probably live near a town, a district, a school, a hall or some other place named after Fremont. John C. paved the way West with many expeditions of discovery, with men like Kit Carson on his team. He played an instrumental and controversial role in the War with Mexico, was the first U.S. governor of California, was a senator, and a general in the Civil War.
A great man deserves a great biography, and this is it.
A great man deserves a great biography, and this is it.
August 1, 2011
While intrinsically a sympathetic biography of the great explorer of the 19th century, Chaffin can't help documenting Fremont's enormous and debilitating flaws. However, it's a rich treasury of the important surveys Fremont led during the 1830s and 1840s. Chaffin tends to downplay "The Pathfinder's" activities after his disastrous presidential campaign of 1856, among these a surprisingly inept Civil War performance, marital infidelities, and business mismanagement, all of which led to Fremont's passing almost unloved and in poverty. It's almost a "How-Not-To" text for those who ascend to universal acclaim in their early years.
October 23, 2014
I remember this book left a deep impact on me. The lively description of Fremont exploring the West, his participation in the movement for Californian independence (and subsequently joining the Union), including his disobedience of orders all sparked in me a deep respect. Not necessarily for the man Fremont, but to going your own way. Needless to say, this book also caused a great deal of "American dreaming"...
September 27, 2009
This book reveals the answer to why are there so many cities names Freemont in the USA. Overall a very engaging and insightful book, taking place in a pivotal time in America's coming of age. John Fremont's explorations and published reports were instrumental in bringing families to California and the West before the gold rush. Without his efforts, California as we know it today would not exist.
December 15, 2007
I wanted to read this book because I am interested in the northwest and had been to some of the places Fremont explored. I learned a lot about Fremont's life and the politics of the time. Well researched and written, I'm just not totally into biographies.
January 9, 2008
What a life! At least his first 40 years.
March 30, 2013
A great read about a great hero.
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