Imperfect union : how Jessie and John Frémont mapped the West, invented celebrity, and helped cause the Civil War
(Book)

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Published
New York : Penguin Press, [2020].
Physical Desc
xxix, 449 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Status
Northwest Reno Library - Adult Nonfiction
923.9 INSKEE 2020
1 available
Incline Village Library - Adult Nonfiction
923.9 INSKEE 2020
1 available
South Valleys Library - Adult Nonfiction
923.9 INSKEE 2020
1 available

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LocationCall NumberStatus
Northwest Reno Library - Adult Nonfiction923.9 INSKEE 2020On Shelf
Incline Village Library - Adult Nonfiction923.9 INSKEE 2020On Shelf
South Valleys Library - Adult Nonfiction923.9 INSKEE 2020On Shelf
Spanish Springs Library - Adult Nonfiction923.9 INSKEE 2020On Shelf

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Published
New York : Penguin Press, [2020].
Format
Book
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 361-430) and index.
Description
Steve Inskeep tells the riveting story of John and Jessie Frémont, the husband and wife team who in the 1800s were instrumental in the westward expansion of the United States, and thus became America's first great political couple. John C. Frémont, one of the United Statess leading explorers of the nineteenth century, was relatively unknown in 1842, when he commanded the first of his expeditions to the uncharted West. But in only a few years, he was one of the most acclaimed people of the age known as a wilderness explorer, bestselling writer, gallant army officer, and latter-day conquistador, who in 1846 began the United Statess takeover of California from Mexico. He was not even 40 years old when Americans began naming mountains and towns after him. He had perfect timing, exploring the West just as it captured the nations attention. But the most important factor in his fame may have been the person who made it all possible: his wife, Jessie Benton Frémont. Jessie, the daughter of a United States senator who was deeply involved in the West, provided her husband with entrée to the highest levels of government and media, and his career reached new heights only a few months after their elopement. During a time when women were allowed to make few choices for themselves, Jessie who herself aspired to roles in exploration and politics threw her skill and passion into promoting her husband. She worked to carefully edit and publicize his accounts of his travels, attracted talented young men to his circle, and lashed out at his enemies. She became her husbands political adviser, as well as a power player in her own right. In 1856, the famous couple strategized as John became the first-ever presidential nominee of the newly established Republican Party. With rare detail and in consummate style, Steve Inskeep tells the story of a couple whose joint ambitions and talents intertwined with those of the nascent United States itself. Taking advantage of expanding news media, aided by an increasingly literate public, the two linked their names to the three great national movements of the timewestward settlement, womens rights, and opposition to slavery. Together, John and Jessie Frémont took parts in events that defined the country and gave rise to a new, more global America. Theirs is a surprisingly modern tale of ambition and fame; they lived in a time of social and technological disruption and divisive politics that foreshadowed our own. In Imperfect Union, as Inskeep navigates these deeply transformative years through Jessie and Johns own union, he reveals how the Frémonts adventures amount to nothing less than a tour of the early American soul.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Inskeep, S. (2020). Imperfect union: how Jessie and John Frémont mapped the West, invented celebrity, and helped cause the Civil War . Penguin Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Inskeep, Steve. 2020. Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War. Penguin Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Inskeep, Steve. Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War Penguin Press, 2020.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Inskeep, Steve. Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War Penguin Press, 2020.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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