Jesse James: The American Outlaw
Jesse James: The American Outlaw
“Jesse James” is a biography written about the old western legend known as none other than the American Outlaw Jesse James. This biography was written by T.J. Stiles, who is an award-winning American Biographer. The biography dives into the life of the American Outlaw and reassessed his life focusing on more along the lines of his personal life and the historical role he played, rather than his superstar status as a rebel. Stiles in the biography mentions James as more of a family avenger than a robin hood. “All the things that happened to him on his family’s farms lead him unto the life of crime” and Stiles opens that up for us in ways we haven’t seen before. This book received multiple awards for the thoroughness …show more content…
T.J Stiles wrote that the code Jesse James lived by was one that put “family, food, and God” first (104). T.J. Stiles elaborates on some of Jesse James’ more infamous quotes. The first quote “…I think it taught me to be independent and never expect a handout and never wait for anybody to hand you anything in any aspect of my life.” was more along the backstory of James and plays in to what Jesse James believes in and why he did some of the things during this time that made him into the outlaw that he is known as today (176). Jesse Woodson James was born on September 5th, 1847 in Kearney Missouri. His parents were Zerelda and Robert James. Robert was a Baptist minister whom also owned a hemp farm. He was raised with two other siblings. His brother, Frank, would become his partner in crime while his sister, Susan, decided to stay away from the life of crime. Frank served for the confederate army guerillas, while Jesse stayed at home on the farm during the war because he was too young. After multiple attacks upon the family farm Jesse made a pact and according to T.J. Stiles “swore to get even” (35). The James brothers made a name for themselves by robbing banks and trains along the southeast. The name of their gang was the James-Younger Gang. All these years of fighting against the union, one morning at his home, …show more content…
Stiles shows the implicit knowledge that helped develop this in-depth bibliography that on many levels describes in different aspects how impactful Jesse James was to the history of the United States of America. The research that was show was extremely careful, persuwasive and eye opening that there is now a new understanding of what and who Jesse James was. This bibliography continually backed up information with facts. We were taken on a journey through the life of Jesse James. Stiles made it clear that he was not just a gunslinger, nor a cowboy, nor a westerner, and not just a young kid trying to make a name for himself. Jesse James was a true Confederate army man and Stiles proves that he held all the aspect that attributes to being loyal to the southern army. Stiles developed his insightful research and developed it in such a way that we saw a new light on the history of the Civil War and that there were factors that were in play that we may have never heard about if we just retained what we learned inside the walls of a
“Jesse James” is a biography written about the old western legend known as none other than the American Outlaw Jesse James. This biography was written by T.J. Stiles, who is an award-winning American Biographer. The biography dives into the life of the American Outlaw and reassessed his life focusing on more along the lines of his personal life and the historical role he played, rather than his superstar status as a rebel. Stiles in the biography mentions James as more of a family avenger than a robin hood. “All the things that happened to him on his family’s farms lead him unto the life of crime” and Stiles opens that up for us in ways we haven’t seen before. This book received multiple awards for the thoroughness …show more content…
T.J Stiles wrote that the code Jesse James lived by was one that put “family, food, and God” first (104). T.J. Stiles elaborates on some of Jesse James’ more infamous quotes. The first quote “…I think it taught me to be independent and never expect a handout and never wait for anybody to hand you anything in any aspect of my life.” was more along the backstory of James and plays in to what Jesse James believes in and why he did some of the things during this time that made him into the outlaw that he is known as today (176). Jesse Woodson James was born on September 5th, 1847 in Kearney Missouri. His parents were Zerelda and Robert James. Robert was a Baptist minister whom also owned a hemp farm. He was raised with two other siblings. His brother, Frank, would become his partner in crime while his sister, Susan, decided to stay away from the life of crime. Frank served for the confederate army guerillas, while Jesse stayed at home on the farm during the war because he was too young. After multiple attacks upon the family farm Jesse made a pact and according to T.J. Stiles “swore to get even” (35). The James brothers made a name for themselves by robbing banks and trains along the southeast. The name of their gang was the James-Younger Gang. All these years of fighting against the union, one morning at his home, …show more content…
Stiles shows the implicit knowledge that helped develop this in-depth bibliography that on many levels describes in different aspects how impactful Jesse James was to the history of the United States of America. The research that was show was extremely careful, persuwasive and eye opening that there is now a new understanding of what and who Jesse James was. This bibliography continually backed up information with facts. We were taken on a journey through the life of Jesse James. Stiles made it clear that he was not just a gunslinger, nor a cowboy, nor a westerner, and not just a young kid trying to make a name for himself. Jesse James was a true Confederate army man and Stiles proves that he held all the aspect that attributes to being loyal to the southern army. Stiles developed his insightful research and developed it in such a way that we saw a new light on the history of the Civil War and that there were factors that were in play that we may have never heard about if we just retained what we learned inside the walls of a