A trailblazer doesn't follow and is brave enough to face the unknown. These courageous men not only helped shape their nation's boundaries, but contributed to a unique American spirit that lives on. These are their stories. Back in 1775, the population of Britain's 13 [music] American colonies was on the rise. Cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, [music] and Charleston were booming, and farms filled the countryside from the coast to the Appalachian Mountain [music] foothills. Filled with hopes to live as free men, waves of Europeans continued crossing the mighty Atlantic Ocean, but open land was getting hard to find. [music] Was there enough space in the new world for everyone's American dream? The British did claim territory extending far west of Appalachia, but those lands were untamed and mostly unknown. But despite the incredible danger, a growing number of Americans were willing to risk it all and go west. They just needed [music] a leader to get there. They needed Daniel Boone. >> [music] >> Famous throughout the colonies, Boone was a legendary hunter known for his peaceful and sometimes not so peaceful interactions with Indians. Few understood the wilderness like him, and he knew just the place for Americans to begin expanding [music] westward. The Cumberland Gap was treacherous, but the narrow passageway [music] cut between the rocky and rugged Appalachians. And with a team of 35 frontiersmen, Boone chopped his way through and into the Tennessee and Kentucky territories. Once on the other side [music] of the mountains, Boone and his men continued on, clearing a trail others would soon follow. Frequent Indian attacks killed many, but Boone was among the survivors, and eventually a spot along the Kentucky River was selected, and Fort Boonesborough was built. Boone's Trail became known as the Wilderness Road, and settlers, [music] including his wife and kids, used it on their way to find them the lives of their dreams. These early pioneers [music] were eager to make western lands their home, but not everyone shared the excitement. Indians had long lived in these western territories, [music] and not all agreed on how to handle these newcomers. Some tribes accepted payments for land access, and signed treaties with the [music] settlers, but others refused peace, and vowed violence. After losing an earlier war with the colonies, the Shawnee tribe had agreed to stay out of Kentucky, and live north of the Ohio River. However, when the American Revolutionary War broke out, they saw the conflict as an opportunity to reclaim their old hunting grounds. In July 1776, a Shawnee raiding party came across three girls floating in a canoe near Boonesborough. Two were sisters named Callaway, and the other was Jemima Boone. Yep. Boone. The Shawnee kidnapped the girls and planned to take them back to their bases above the Ohio, but Jemima cleverly left marks along the way, [music] believing her daddy would see them, and then find her. She was right. As soon as he heard they [music] were missing, Daniel Boone set off with a rescue party, and quickly picked up the trail. For 2 days, they followed Jemima's clues, and on the morning of their third day missing, Boone had the girls and their captors [music] in his sights. Shots were fired, and two Shawnee dropped. Caught completely off guard, the remaining Indians fled in fear, and the girls were saved. But unfortunately, Boone's conflicts with Indians were far from over. As the Revolutionary War raged up and down the 13 colonies, the British recruited Indians to raid settlements. They offered rewards for American pioneers brought in dead or alive. The Shawnee gladly partnered with the Brits [music] and in the spring of 1777, they began regularly attacking Boonesborough. The Shawnee stole animals and destroyed crops, but the fort's walls kept the settlers protected. Frustrated by their lack of success, the Shawnee gathered 400 warriors to surround the fort. And Chief Blackfish made the settlers an offer. If the pioneers surrendered, he promised peace, protection, and [music] transportation all the way to British headquarters up north. With merely 40 men of fighting age, the frontier Americans Boonesborough considered the deal and responded with gunfire. Their choice was freedom or death and the fight was on. For 11 days and nights, [music] the Shawnee relentlessly attacked. They tried burning the fort down, tunneling under it, and simply overwhelming it with waves of warriors. But thanks to expert [music] marksmanship and lots of rain from the heavens, the fort and the settlers remained strong. Boone and the people of Boonesborough defeated [music] the Shawnee and in time, the rebellious Americans defeated the British, too. The USA was formed. [music] Kentucky and Tennessee soon gained statehood and citizens of the new nation [music] had lands to explore. In our next episode, we'll follow another of America's early celebrities. But unlike Daniel Boone, this man didn't use a gun [music] to blaze his trails. He used seeds. Back in 1789, George Washington's presidency had just begun and violence raged in the corner of the young nation he had been chosen [music] to lead. The land west of Pennsylvania, north of the Ohio River, east of the Mississippi River, and below the Great Lakes was known as the Northwest [music] Territory. And thanks to winning independence, it was now property of the United States. [music] But owning the land was not the same as controlling it. Under British rule, this Northwest [music] Territory was reserved for Indian tribes, and despite being lightly populated, colonists were prohibited [music] from moving in. But the lands were now America's, and there were new plans. Plans that involved [music] men like Johnny Appleseed. John Chapman was born in Massachusetts, but he didn't stay there too long. Like so many Americans unhappy with the life they were born into, John went west. Getting there, he spent time as an apprentice to an orchardist, [music] learning the science of growing and managing fruit trees. His favorite kind was apple, and before long, John was planting orchards of his own up and down the Allegheny River Valley. But as John's apples grew peacefully in western Pennsylvania, war raged in America's new western frontier. The new nation needed money and was bursting with people wanting to own land. So the plan was to begin selling off the Northwest Territory, where there were hundreds of thousands of miles of wilderness that could be turned into productive [music] farmland. Problem was that purchases came with risks of tomahawks, arrows, and bullets. Most Indians of the region chose peace, [music] but some turned to violence. Members of the Delaware, Miami, and Shawnee tribes raided early American settlements, murdered and tortured victims, and brought so much chaos to the Ohio River Valley that President Washington decided to send in US military forces. The warring Indian tribes were supplied with weapons and soldiers from Fort Detroit and nearby British Canada. The Americans lost the first few battles of what became [music] known as the Northwest Indian War, but after ramping up their training and organization, the Americans got rolling. And after a massive win at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the war was over. John Chapman was among the first to take advantage of the new peace, quickly making his way into the Northwest Territory. >> [music] >> Chapman crisscrossed all over the Ohio region planting apple trees and teaching others how to do the same. His orchards [music] not only provided fruit, but they also helped people hold onto their land. In order to maintain ownership, settlers had to successfully grow at least a crop or two. John covered so much land and helped so many people grow apple orchards that he became a celebrity and the legend of Johnny Appleseed swept the country. Famous for not only [music] apples, John became an early American legend due to his kind, gentle, and generous personality. [music] He was a man of peace who was liked by both settlers and Indians. But as he led the way in taming the wilderness, violence eventually [music] found him. Thanks largely to the efforts of frontier nurserymen like Johnny Appleseed, the lands of the Northwest Territory were transforming, and this forced [music] an ever-growing number of Indians to do the same. Chief Black Hoof of the Shawnee accepted the reality of the changing [music] world. He urged his tribe to adapt culturally and adopt at least some American ways. But one charismatic Shawnee warrior felt differently. Tecumseh preached that despite speaking different languages and centuries of fighting against one another, Indians should unite and defend their lands and ways. He attracted thousands of followers from different tribes, and in November of 1811, his Indian alliance attacked the US Army at the Battle of Tippecanoe in Indiana territory. The Americans were initially caught off guard, but prevailed after 2 hours in vicious hand-to-hand combat. But despite the loss, Tecumseh and his remaining men weren't done fighting Americans. Seven months [music] later the War of 1812 broke out between the US and Great Britain, and the Shawnee warrior [music] quickly joined the Brits. Not one to carry a weapon, John served his country during the war nonetheless. Always on the move, he often [music] heard important information and would spread the news as quickly and as far as he could. Once even running 30 miles in a night in order to warn the town of Mansfield, Ohio that an army of Tecumseh's was on the way. America eventually defeated the British and Tecumseh, and the proud warrior's movement fell [music] apart. Peace came to the Northwest Territory and John was free to keep exploring the countryside, expanding the frontier, and planting trees. His travels took him as far [music] west as the Illinois Territory and the mighty Mississippi River. Not far from where our next trailblazers began an incredible journey to the sea. Back in 1803, American President Thomas Jefferson pulled off quite possibly the best real estate deal in history. The Mississippi River formed the western border of the United States, but because they controlled New Orleans, the French commanded trade and transportation in and out of the mighty [music] river. This put the growing number of Americans who lived west of Appalachia in a bind. So Jefferson offered France's emperor, a fellow named Napoleon, $10 million in exchange for the port city. At the time, [music] Napoleon was short on cash and countered with a proposal that seemed too good to be true. For an extra $5 million, the Americans could have not only New Orleans, but the entire French-held [music] Louisiana Territory. Without hesitating, a deal was [music] struck and just like that, America practically doubled its size. But these lands from this Louisiana Purchase were unknown to the Americans >> [music] >> and Jefferson needed them explored. He needed a trailblazer, actually two. He needed Lewis and Clark. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were chosen to lead the US Army's Corps of Discovery into the great uncharted lands of the Louisiana Purchase. Their primary objective was figuring out if a waterway existed between the Mississippi River and Pacific Ocean. But they were also [music] ordered to map the lands, study the plants and animals, and establish peaceful relations with Indian tribes. Lewis and Clark and their team of 45 took off near St. Louis and began making their way up the Missouri River. Their specially made keelboat was packed with food, medicine, fort-making supplies, >> [music] >> map-making equipment, and gift bundles for the natives. But while peace was the goal, there was no telling who or what they'd [music] meet. So just in case, they were ready for a fight. Not only did they have rifles, pistols, knives, [music] and even swords, but also cannons called blunderbusses and a fancy new air gun contraption which after being pumped up could fire off 22 bullets before needing a refill. The team floated through the Louisiana Territory and the [music] first handful of native tribes they met were welcoming and meetings were pleasant. However, they warned things could be different up ahead in the Sioux Indian lands where the Lakota and Omaha tribes were [music] in the middle of war. When the Lakota decided it was time to introduce themselves [music] to the Americans, they came with an intention to intimidate. Hoping to scare the newcomers into turning around, Chief Black Buffalo brought with him an army of war-painted [music] warriors, but Lewis and Clark didn't flinch. For 4 days, the two parties met, taking turns showing off how tough they were. The Indians regularly readied their weapons, performed war dances, and showed off the scalps of their recent Omaha victims. In return, [music] the Americans gladly readied their weapons, too, proudly gave demonstrations of [music] what they were capable of. Reluctantly impressed with their bravery and powerful technology, Black Buffalo begrudgingly allowed Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery to pass and travel on. The team continued up the Missouri, seeing things no American had ever seen before, [music] and even survived attacks from wolves and ferocious grizzly bears. Along the way, they met a remarkable young [music] lady named Sacagawea, who joined the expedition and served as a valuable guide and translator. Eventually, they reached the majestic Rocky Mountains, [music] which were much bigger and more vast than anticipated. The water ran out, so the core crossed [music] the Continental Divide on foot before finding rivers on the other side big enough for handmade canoes. >> [music] >> Lewis and Clark rode their way to the Columbia River, and then took the powerful waterway all the way to the coast. They passed breathtaking waterfalls and snow-capped [music] volcanoes, and near the river's mouth, they planted the stars and stripes, claiming the land for America. A fort named Clatsop was built, [music] and when the weather was right, Lewis and Clark led the long journey home. In September of 1806, after 862 days of traveling and more than 8,000 miles covered, the Corps of Discovery [music] triumphantly returned to St. Louis for a hero's welcome. Lewis and Clark hadn't found a continuous waterway to the ocean, but the expedition was still deemed an enormous success. >> [music] >> They returned with maps galore, heaps of wildlife samples, and evidence that [music] if treated with respect, most of the Indians in Louisiana Territory could be more than just [music] trading partners. In fact, if it wasn't for help from tribes like the Mandan, Shoshone, and Nez Perce, there's very little chance the Americans would have even survived. Most importantly, Lewis and Clark's [music] amazing journey was something the young nation could be proud of. America now stretched from sea to [music] shining sea, and while it now owned the Mississippi from top to bottom, lands to the east and west of the [music] river's mouth were still controlled by other nations. Our next trailblazer, a legendary [music] rifleman, would play a large part in getting that changed. Back in 1836, tension filled the far northern Mexican territory of Texas. For years, immigrants from America had been welcomed, but now the Mexican government was regretting their hospitality. They had hoped bringing in land-hungry foreigners would help with their conflicts with Indians, but these settlers were proving to be as troublesome as the ferocious Comanche. Turns out these Texan immigrants were [music] quite fond of how things were done in America and were used to having a say in the rules they lived by. So, when their new government far off Mexico City tightened control on how things were to be done in Texas, well, it just didn't sit right. It was time for rebellion, and the Texans were ready to fight. But while they were long on desire, they were short on numbers. They needed help from courageous men willing to fight for liberty and American ways. [music] They needed men like Davy Crockett. Unlike our other trailblazers, Davy Crockett wasn't called to the frontier. He was born there. [music] His grandparents were among the first to follow Daniel Boone through the Cumberland Gap. And in 1786, [music] Davy was born in America's Tennessee territory. Never much [music] for schooling, the wilderness was young Crockett's classroom. He learned to shoot, and fight, and he gained notoriety for having [music] incredible bear hunting abilities. By 27, he knew America's southern [music] borderlands like the back of his hand. And when war broke out nearby, Crockett was ready to serve. In 1813, Crockett was amongst the thousands of Tennessee volunteers who joined the state militia to fight against the Red Sticks. They were Creek Indians who had decided to forcefully defend their traditional hunter-gatherer ways of living, and their murderous raids terrorized not just American settlers, but also their peaceful travel brothers known as the White Sticks, >> [music] >> who were ready to live in peace and make farms and towns. Thanks to his knowledge of the countryside, the military used Crockett as [music] a scout and guide. [clears throat] And under the command of General Andrew Jackson, the Americans ruthlessly [music] defeated the Red Sticks in battles across the South. Jackson, whom the Indians called Sharp Knife, then turned his attention to Spanish-owned Florida, which stretched from the Atlantic Ocean around the Gulf of America to the Mississippi River. Now, Jackson [music] wasn't ordered to take Florida, but since the Spanish had encouraged the Red Sticks' aggressions and supplied them with guns and ammo, Jackson figured, "Well, while we're down here." With Crockett now a sergeant, General Jackson led a campaign across Florida that kicked [music] out the Spanish. Then, as part of the bigger War of 1812. His forces traveled [music] to New Orleans and whooped up on some British attempting an invasion. So, thanks to General Sharp Knife, the USA now held all the lands east of the Mississippi. And while Crockett's military service [music] was over, his dealings with Andrew Jackson were just warming up. During the 1820s, both men turned to politics and each eventually made it to Washington, D.C. Crockett in the House of Representatives, Jackson as a senator and then president. While they shared a home state, Crockett and Jackson often clashed [music] politically. And in 1835, a wildly popular President Jackson made sure that Congressman [music] Crockett lost his re-election attempt. A defeated Crockett was fed up with D.C. and a call to the frontier returned to his soul. Texas had declared its independence from Mexico and Crockett knew a war was coming. Getting involved would be dangerous, but he believed in what the Texans were fighting for. Freedom. Besides, danger never scared the mountain man from Tennessee. Crockett made his way to the Alamo, a military fort built around an old church that served as the Texans' first line of defense. He showed up in February of 1836, but unfortunately, so did a much larger than anticipated Mexican army ready to destroy the rebellion. The defenders of the Alamo were outnumbered 10 to 1, but they didn't back down. Mexican soldiers surrounded the fort and called for surrender, but the request was refused and the fight was on. From behind the fort's walls, Crockett used his expert marksmanship to take out invader after invader. The Texans started strong, repelling the first two waves [music] of attack. But during the third, a weak spot was found in the defense and streams of Mexican soldiers poured over the walls and into the fort. Davy Crockett and every other [music] protector of the Alamo died that day. But their spirit lived on in the fights to come. Remember the Alamo became the battle cry that led to future victories and eventually Texas independence. In our next episode, we'll venture to another place Mexico once ruled. And thanks to this trailblazer, Americans were in a hurry to get there. Actually, it was more like a rush. Back in 1821, America was ready for some big-time changes. After adding Maine and Missouri, >> [music] >> the young nation was up to 24 states. Add some organized territory, >> [music] >> unorganized territory, and some disputed territory. Railroads and canals needed building [music] and miles and miles of virgin lands were ready to be settled. The country needed people and boy did the people come. During the 1820s, average [music] immigration doubled that of previous decades. Then in the 30s, it tripled those numbers. And in the 40s, it even tripled those numbers. Most leaders welcomed the population explosion, but they weren't looking to add just anyone to the census. They wanted makers, not takers, and hard workers with big dreams. They wanted people who'd been [music] born with an American spirit inside of them. They wanted men like John Sutter. Sutter was born in Germany. It's a fine place, but in Sutter's time, Europe was not the scene for a man looking to improve [music] his place in society. He was just a regular guy, but believed that he could be great. So, he did what heaps of other ambitious Europeans were doing and moved to America. Sutter arrived in New York City in July of 1834 and quickly made his way west. He landed [music] in a town along the Missouri River that's now called Kansas City, tried his hand at operating a hotel, but the job wasn't big enough for Sutter's big plans. He had heard rumors of an empty valley in the far-off Mexican state of Alta California, where the soil was as rich as a soul. If he could get there, Sutter dreamed of building an agricultural empire [music] of farms and ranches. In spring of 1838, 5 years before the famed wagon train [music] started taking it, Sutter set off on the Oregon Trail. He crossed the Great Plains, rivers, and mountain passes, and after 6 [music] months of traveling, made it to Fort Vancouver along the Columbia River. His destination lay south, but instead of crossing the rugged and wintry Klamath Mountains, Sutter began a crazy series of boat trips >> [music] >> that first took him west to the Hawaiian Islands, then north to Russian Alaska, and finally down the [music] Pacific coastline to the San Francisco Bay. There he met with the governor [music] of Alta California and explained his plans. Turns out the rumors were true, and this Sacramento Valley [music] was indeed a land of milk and honey, but it was far from empty. Sure, there weren't any settlements, but it was filled with danger. Sutter's goal was risky, but the governor told him he could have the land of his choosing if he'd actually live on it and build a proper fort. So, without hesitation, a deal was made and off into the wilderness [music] went John Sutter. The valley was breathtaking and even more incredible than the rumors. Where the Sacramento and American Rivers come together was picked to build on and by June of 1841, Sutter's Fort [music] was up and running. The fort quickly became a hub for hunters, trappers, and travelers. And just like he had dreamed, farms and ranches sprang up [music] in the surrounding areas. Over the years, Sutter's Fort would serve as a home base for a California independence [music] movement and then for Americans during their war with Mexico. Captain Sutter, as he liked [music] being called, had gone from a nobody in Europe to a big shot in California. With things going well, Sutter made plans to build a town around the fort. Lumber was [music] needed, so construction began on a sawmill up the American River. That's when things began drastically changing, not just for Sutter, but for all of America. [music] In 1848, the carpenter at Sutter's Mill noticed some shiny rocks in the water. Eureka! It was gold. Sutter feared a gold rush and tried to keep things [music] quiet, but men get hungrier for gold than they do for food. And within months, news of California's [music] mother lode of gold had spread across the country and around the world. Known as the 49ers, thanks to the year they arrived, more than 300,000 people flooded into California hoping to get rich quick. >> [music] >> Most spent some time at Sutter's Fort, but instead of the traffic being good for business, it was too much to handle. The massive amounts of gold discovered boosted the American economy and the sudden population increase allowed California [music] to quickly gain American statehood, but the results weren't all roses. Sutter's workers at the mill and the fort deserted him, and the large crowds of newcomers overran the land and made a mess of everything he had worked for. Ultimately, things [music] in the Sacramento Valley didn't pan out for John Sutter, but his trailblazing spirit proved what bravery could accomplish in the land of the free. The man from Europe [music] never quit and continued chasing opportunities for the rest of his life, eventually leaving America's golden state. But how exactly did California get out from Mexican control and become a part of the USA? Our next trailblazer, who knew Sutter's Fort quite well, helped make it happen. Back in 1842, Senator Thomas Hart Benton dreamed of stretching America's borders beyond his home state of Missouri. He led [music] an expansionist movement that came to be known as Manifest Destiny, a belief that thanks to its [music] unique moral virtue, the United States had a God-given right to expand [music] its boundaries. Benton had his eyes on the wide-open West, but it remained a place of mystery. Since the days of Lewis and Clark, trappers and hunters had chased animals across the western wilderness, but these mountain men were as wild as the territory, and their stories did not encourage future settlement. [music] Benton needed someone special to become a symbol for westward expansion, [music] a man tough enough to explore the lands, polished enough to map the regions and [music] work with government officials, and charismatic enough to influence the American people that if he could go west, so could they. But where would America's longest-serving member of Congress buying such an individual. Turns out it was the rascal who a year earlier had run off with his daughter. John C. Fremont was born in 1813 and grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. Smart, mischievous, and daring, young Fremont dropped out of school, but by age 20 was teaching math for the US Navy and sailing the high seas. Back on land, he worked for the army [music] prepping the South for railroads and then learned cartography, astronomy, geology, and biology while working on [music] teams that explored areas between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. By 1841, the adventurous and now highly skilled Fremont had made a name for himself. He was among the army's leading mapmakers >> [music] >> and a Senator Benton from Missouri took notice. Uncharted western lands needed to be studied and the powerful [music] senator was intrigued by Fremont. But not as much as his daughter Jessie was. A romance between the lovebirds quickly bloomed and old John C. and Jessie ran off and got married. At first the senator [music] was mad as could be, but he eventually warmed to the young man and in the summer of 1842, Fremont began a series of Benton-sponsored scientific expeditions out west. Fremont led teams that explored rivers like the Platte, Green, and Arkansas. He climbed all over the Rocky Mountains, searched for passes through the Sierra Nevada, and mapped the Oregon Trail and the Great Basin. During each journey, Fremont kept journals that his wife Jessie then turned into dramatic [music] travel stories. These popular tales sold like hot cakes and made Fremont a household name. And just before setting off on a third scientific Western adventure, he was called to the White [music] House. Like most Americans of the time, newly elected President [music] James K. Polk also believed in Manifest Destiny. Once in office, he quickly annexed Texas and made a deal for the Oregon Territory. But Polk's offer to buy the Mexican regions of Alta California and Nuevo Mexico was turned down. However, America's 11th president wasn't going to take no for an answer. If Mexico wouldn't sell the lands the expansionists [music] wanted, there might be other options. Polk met with Fremont, told him to be ready if war broke out, and secretly armed his scientific team with military weapons. Fremont was no longer [music] just an explorer, but potentially a combat soldier, too. In December of 1845, Fremont and his men made it to Sutter's Fort in the Sacramento Valley of Alta California. There he gathered supplies and waited for action. When the Mexican-American War kicked off in April of '46, Fremont was ready to pounce. He participated in action up and down the Pacific coast >> [music] >> and played a part in the capture of Monterey, San Diego, and Los Angeles. First under the Bear Flag Republic, but then once the American Navy showed up, Fremont and his men gladly raised the Stars and [music] Stripes. After almost 2 years of fighting, Mexico was defeated. Thanks to their victory, the United States acquired more than 500,000 square miles of land, and the dream of Manifest Destiny had become a reality. Now, a general in 1850, Fremont entered politics as a senator for the new state of California. [music] He later was the first presidential candidate for the Republican Party and eventually led troops for the Union during the Civil War. He had victories and defeats, but Fremont never feared failure and always stood by his deeply held beliefs that all men should be free and all should have a fair chance of having a good life. Along the way, he became a leading national figure in the fight against slavery, an absolute evil part of human history, which our last trailblazer had more than just a little experience with. Back in 1875, the US Department of Justice decided it was time to get the Indian Territory under control. For 45 years, these lands had been set aside for tribes affected by the Indian Removal Act and the region was one of the few pockets of America that remained untamed. Since being forced from their traditional lands, the populations of the Seminole, Creek, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw [music] had actually increased quite dramatically since moving west, but their combined numbers were still just a few hundred thousand. Wide open spaces and empty land were easy to find in the Indian Territory, which made it a great place to get lost. Bandits and desperados commonly used these lands to hide out and avoid the law, but lawmakers were ready for this to change. A new [music] deputy marshal had been hired to hunt for outlaws and thanks to his own time spent hiding there, he was as comfortable [music] in Indian Territory as he was with his Colt 45 Peacemakers. From slave to fugitive to citizen, to lawman, his name was Bass Reeves. In 1838, Bass was born a slave in Crawford County, Arkansas, on the eastern edge of Indian Territory. He was owned by the Reeves, a political family who had distant connections to both Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. When he was eight, he was moved to Grayson County, Texas, on the banks of the Red River to be the personal servant for Sheriff George Reeves. Young Bass learned to ride and hunt, and his incredible gun skills known far and wide. Showing the true power of knowledge, Bass was trusted with deadly weapons, but not with education, and he was kept away from schooling and learning to read. The Civil War began in 1861, and George Reeves [music] joined the Confederate Army as an officer. Bass was now a grown man, but as a slave, he had no control over his life. He dreamed of freedom, but when Captain Reeves left for war, Bass was forced to go with. However, Bass just couldn't bring himself to serve an army whose reason [music] for fighting was to keep him enslaved. So, when an opening to escape presented itself, he took it. Runaway slaves like Bass were punished severely in capture and torture. He needed to disappear and knew just the place, Indian Territory. While the war between the states raged, Bass hid in Indian Territory and got himself an education. To avoid slave catchers, >> [music] >> he learned Indian languages and customs, as well as tracking and survival skills. Then in 1865, the war ended with a Confederate defeat. Slavery was outlawed all across the USA, and Bass went from fugitive to free man. As an American citizen, Bass returned to his roots in Northwest Arkansas, started a family, and took up life as a peaceful farmer. With war over, America was literally ready to get down to business. Train tracks began stretching westward, and a transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869. Cowboys [music] could now drive cattle from ranches in South Texas up to the railroads, and then beef could be shipped across the country. [music] The cattle industry boomed, and all that money being made attracted some unsavory characters. Cattle towns and trails became hotbeds for illegal activity, and crime swept [music] across the South Plains. Since three of the four major cattle trails cut through Indian Territory, the US Marshals needed somebody familiar with the area. And in 1875, they came looking for a Mr. Bass Reeves. At 37 years old, Bass became a federal peace officer. He had never been much of a farmer, but Deputy Reeves took to law enforcement like a duck to water. Not only was he a master [music] with a rifle and revolver, but with his tracking skills and knowledge of Indian languages, Bass also quickly developed into a superior detective. For the next 32 years, he brought many of the most ruthless criminals of the day to justice. [music] Bass got into gunfights with murderers, and hunted down thieves, bootleggers, and crooks. During his legendary career, it's said that he shot dead 14 outlaws, and made over 3,000 arrests. Along the way, he was as famous for his honesty and integrity as he was for gunslinging. While there were plenty of close calls, remarkably, Bass was never wounded. In 1907, Indian Territory transformed into the state of Oklahoma, and Bass [music] finished his career as a police officer there. He had been born a slave, but in 1910, after an incredible [music] life and decades of honorably protecting and serving his country, Bass Reeves died an American hero. A few years later, New Mexico and Arizona were admitted to the Union, and every gap between the Atlantic and Pacific had now been filled. The United States had come a long way from when the country had been born, and that incredible transformation couldn't have happened without the trailblazers of America. >> [music] >> Keep the adventure going. Explore even more of America's trailblazers in our book series. [music] Also, watch ad-free episodes only at pragerukids.com.
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