Jessie Femont Thesis

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Jessie Fremont Richard Li, Aidan Malone, Hriman Shah History of the Americas 1: IB September 26, 2017   Jessie Fremont, daughter of a prominent Missouri Senator, was the personification of a pampered, bureaucratic youth; she had strong connections with other high-profile politicians in Congress and a high-caliber private education. With such an indulgent and lavish childhood, it seemed likely that Fremont would grow into a spoiled and wanting adult. However, defying this logic just as Fremont defied social norms, she “matured into an assertive and determined young woman, who enjoyed flouting convention.”1 Since Jessie Fremont had an inbred hatred of slavery from her mother, Elizabeth McDowell, she addressed the controversial …show more content…

In 1856, Mr. Fremont was offered a nomination by the newly founded Republican Party- built upon anti-slavery ideals, Mr. Fremont quickly accepted. With his wife’s support, Mr. Fremont initiated his presidential campaign. With the help of Jessie Fremont’s charm and wit, Mr. Fremont began to obtain considerable momentum and strength in his campaign for presidency. Jessie Fremont held an undisputedly large influence over her ambitious husband, with newspapers writing, “Beautiful, graceful, intellectual and enthusiastic, she will make more proselytes to the Rocky Mountain platform in fifteen minutes than fifty stump orators can win over in a month.”3 With such an exemplary show of Mrs. Fremont’s abilities, she began to cement her position as one of the few stateswomen of the time. Despite John Fremont’s eventual defeat by Democratic Candidate James Buchanan, the Fremont couple continued to exert their influence on the United States. During the outbreak of the civil war, Lincoln appointed John Fremont as the Leader of the Department of the West in the July of 1861, operating out of St. Louis, Missouri. Shortly after Mr. Fremont was awarded this position, he, under the influence of his wife, issued a controversial military proclamation on August 30, 1861. The most disputed and contentious section of this edict stated, “All persons who shall be taken with arms in their …show more content…

Jessie continued her abolitionist and feminist work, was essential to the rise of the Sanitary Commission, which enabled women to work for Union troops by sewing, clothing, or working in army hospitals. She also continued to work with significant figures in the feminist and abolitionist movement-later the civil rights movement, lasting until her death in 1902, where she was commemorated and celebrated for her acts that led to the betterment of humanity in the United

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