James P. Beckwourth #1470

Caption from poster__     The life and times of   James P. Beckwourth     The West has always fascinated Americans. For much of the nation's  history people have believed that the West meant opportunity and  adventure. Independence, strength, hard work, and sometimes a  willingness to use violence have been the perceived ingredients of western success. Mythical characters stock our collective conscious- ness: the cowboy, the Indian, the gunfighter, the pioneer.One of the  most enduring images is the mountain man, a solitary hunter/trapper exploring the wilderness, living by his wits, and alternately befriending  and fighting the "savage" Indian. Few fit this model better than James P. Beckwourth.   Jim Beckwourth was an African American who played a major role in the early exploration and settlement of the American West. Although there were people of many races and nationalities on the frontier, Beckwourth was the only African American who recorded his life story, and his adventure