|
William Becknell (1787 or 1788–30 April 1865) was a soldier, politician, and freight operator who is credited with opening the Santa Fe Trail in 1821 and improving the route. But, he was often using long-established trails made by Native Americans and followed by Spanish and French colonial explorers and traders for years before his trip. French colonists in St. Louis had a monopoly on trade with Santa Fe granted by the Spanish rulers before the Louisiana Purchase by the United States. When Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821, it opened up trade to its territories; residents of Santa Fe were eager for more trade goods. In 1822 Becknell altered his route to Santa Fe in order to find a trail more suitable for wagon trains, and enable transport of more trade goods. Earlier travelers had ridden on horseback trailing packhorses. By 1825, he assisted a surveyor with the federal government in mapping the trail, to make it available for commercial and military use. ==Early life== William Alexander Becknell was born in the Rockfish Creek area of Amherst County, Virginia to parents Micajah and Pheby (Landrum) Becknell. Conflicting sources say his year of birth was 1787 or 1788.〔''Dictionary of Missouri Biography", Lawrence O. Christensen, University of Missouri Press, 1999.〕 Young Becknell's father and grandfather were veterans of the American Revolution, as were two uncles who died in the war. Becknell married Jane Trusler in 1807 in Virginia. In 1810 the young family migrated to the new Missouri Territory, homesteading west of present-day St. Charles. During the War of 1812, Becknell served in the United States Mounted Rangers under Captain Daniel Morgan Boone, son of the famed explorer. He participated in several engagements, including the Battle of Credit Island and the defense of Fort Clemson, near St. Louis. In the latter engagement, he took control of the defense after senior officers fell. For this he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and was long known as Captain Becknell.〔 Following his discharge from Federal service in June 1815, Becknell moved west to the area around Boone's Lick and Arrow Rock in central Missouri.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Becknell, William biography )〕 Jane Becknell died of unknown circumstance around the time of her husband's military discharge, possibly in childbirth. In January 1817 the widower married again, to Mary Cribb. According to U.S. Census Bureau records, Becknell was the father of at least five children in total: Mary Jane born in 1815, John Calhoun born in 1817, William Alexander Jr. also born in 1817, Lucy born in 1818, and Cornelia born in 1827.〔 Becknell supported his family by working as a ferryman on the Missouri river and by managing the Boone's Lick Salt Works. In early 1820 he purchased 180 acres in Howard County, Missouri and moved the family there.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「William Becknell」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|