Presented by VanAnn Moore
For Jessie Benton Fremont, the idea of “Manifest Destiny” was her passion. The phrase originated from her father Senator Thomas Hart Benton. But it was her husband, John Charles Fremont the famous explorer known as the great “Pathfinder” who made it a reality. The vivacious, strong-willed and beautiful Jessie became a prolific writer starting with putting John Fremont’s Western Expeditions into print. Jessie was also born for politics. Her husband John became a Governor of Arizona, the first Senator of California, and the first Republican to run for President of the United States in 1856. Together they brandished an anti-slavery platform. Throughout her life she was in contact with influential abolitionists, women’s rights advocates and influential politicians. She spent most of her life traveling with her husband and writing about her experiences around the world.
