John Charles Frémont 
was a U.S. explorer, soldier, and politician. He blazed many trails in the American West. He also played a key role in the early history of California.
Frémont was born on January 21, 1813, in Savannah, Georgia. He attended college in South Carolina. Then he became a surveyor. In that job he measured land in the wilderness.
In 1838 Frémont helped to survey the upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers. While in Missouri Frémont met Senator Thomas Hart Benton. He married Benton’s daughter Jessie in 1841.
With Benton’s support, Frémont led expeditions to map much of the area between the Mississippi River valley and the Pacific Ocean. He explored the Oregon Trail in 1842. In 1843, on another expedition, he crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains into California.
In 1845 Frémont returned to California. California was then part of Mexico. American settlers were rebelling against Mexican rule. The United States went to war with Mexico around the same time. Frémont joined the Army and helped the Americans take control of California. Then he became governor. Soon, however, he became involved in a political quarrel. He lost his post and left the Army.
After California became a state in 1850, Frémont was elected one of its first senators. In 1856 he became the Republican Party’s first candidate for president. He lost the election. Later, from 1878 to 1883, Frémont was governor of Arizona Territory. He died on July 13, 1890.
