University: Lecturer: Course: Date: Jesse Woodson James Paper outline Content Page Introduction2 Early life2 The gangster3 Death 4 Impacts on the society5 Works cited 7 Introduction James Woodson James was one of those few people who live a legendary life and become even more famous after death. Many factors led to his celebrity status, not least of which was popular folklore, and the need by every society to have a mythical model figure. Some people attribute to him the status of a Robin Hood- always mindful of the poor in the society. These dress him in charm and nostalgia. Others see him as an inglorious villain legendary, but a villain, all the same. They narrate of a cold blooded killer, a racist and a terrorist (legends, N.D).
Early life James Woodson was born in September 5, 1847, in Clay County, Missouri (pbase, N.D.).
His father, Robert James, was a successful farmer and a reverend who helped found the William Jewel College in Missouri. Roberts wife, Zerelda Lee James, was a powerful and very hardworking woman. Together, they turned their County residence from a log cabin to a prosperous livelihood, with numerous slaves and servants. However, Robert James died while James was only three years old. His wife remarried, twice. Her last husband was a doctor: Reuben Samuel. Together, they had another four children, in addition to the two grown up children that Reuben brought from an earlier marriage (Wikipedia, N.D).
As a young man, Jesse Jamess life was profoundly affected by the raging civil war. At the age of 16, he joined the Bloody Bill Andersons gang.
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This gang terrorized both civilians and military troops (Vance, N.D.).
A federal infantry was once charged with capturing all the members of the Bloody Bills gang. However, while in pursuit of the gang, the gang rounded up on them, and about 120 infantry members were killed. Only three members of the gang died during this ambush. One of the solders killed was Sergeant A.V. Johnson.
Jesse James is credited to have killed him, together with another seven members of the infantry. The gangster Jesse shot to fame at the age of 22, when he and Frank, his brother, robbed the Daviess County Savings Association in Gallatin, Missouri. It was not the loot that grabbed the publics attention. In fact, the two netted very little during that robbery. But Jesse shot and killed a cashier that he mistook to be the militia officer who had killed Bloody Bill Anderson in an earlier raid. The subsequent daring escape with his brother put James in the limelight for the first time. For the first time, he was called an outlaw, and a prize was put on his capture by Missouris resident governor (Wikipedia, N.D.).
Pursued by the law from all sides, Jesse partnered with the founder and editor of Kansas City Times, John Newman Edwards. In due time, John Newman began to publish letters allegedly sourced from Jesse James. The letters were supposed to provide evidence of Jesses innocence. With time, however, the tone and scope of the letters made them to become symbolic of the Confederates defiance of Republican laws in the state. They also made Jesse more and more of a public icon. Just how much of a role Jesse played in the production of these letters is unclear. Jesse and Frank joined up with a few other people to form the infamous James-Younger Gang (answers, N.D.).
Jesses celebrity status made him the public face of this gang. This gang would rob stage couches and banks in the daytime, and in the most guarded regions (Vance, N.D.).
They seemed to thrive on the risk of being caught. When the gang turned to train robberies, Jesse would only take the money in the express baggage car. His reluctance to rob the passengers fostered his Robin Hood image, and the Kansas Times paper magnified the image. In 1875, Jesses name was once again pasted on the national papers, this time on a sympathetic tone.
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Apparently, the Pinkertons National Detective Agency had planned a raid on Jesses home, and killed Jesses half brother. Zerelda, Jesses mother, also lost an arm from an explosion during the raid (Elizabeth, 1999).
The public outcry from the incidence was unprecedented. Many people who viewed Jesse as a modern day Robin Hood felt that he was being martyred. In fact, a bill was fielded in the courts to absolve the James brothers from all crimes committed in the past. The bill was defeated, albeit narrowly. Death Jesses gang life continued up to 1882.
By then, he had captured the attention of the whole state. The resident governor had already placed a huge prize on his capture (Novel guide, N.D.).
President Ulysses S. Grant had also expressed interest in Jesses capture. The prize on his capture was hefty, and one of his gang members, Robert Ford, finally became tempted. On one warm day in 1882, he shot Jesse through the back of the head, killing him instantly (biographies, N.D.).
Events after Jesses death quickly evolved out of control.
In the investigations that followed, it was revealed that the governor, Crittenden, had all along known about the plan to kill Jesse. This launched the death to a whole new profile. Jesse was catapulted into a new level of legend. Impacts on the society Jesse can be credited with three significant impacts on the society. For one, he managed to change an indifferent society into a society passionate about the welfare of the poor through his Robin Hood-like deeds (Absolute, N.D.).
No longer would the down-trodden be looked down upon, for out of them, a legend could emerge.
Although Jesse had come from a middle class family, his fame did not come from his family background. Rather, it came from the mysteries shrouding his actions, and his enigmatic bearing that presented a different private and public image. The more the public tried to understand him, the more they made an icon of him. And the more the law tried to squash him, the more he captured the publics attention. In fact, for quite some time after his death, rumors still circulated that he was still alive (Encyclopedia, N.D.).
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Many people awaited his emergence back into the limelight. Many people took long to accept his death.
While being hunted by the federal bodies, Jesses iconic status influenced the politics of Missouri. This was his second significant contribution to society. He is credited by some historians to have greatly influenced the rise of the Confederates to dominance in Missouris politics. His radical approach to issues left an indelible mark in Missouris politics, what with the powerful public figures brought down during his raids (Absolute, N.D.).
While the rest of the society grappled unsuccessfully with the social injustices around them, Jesse would take decisive and violent action, usually settling the issues, one way or the other. Jesses third impact on the society happened after his death.
Due to his iconic status, many carnivals and road shows were made about him. In fact, the Younger brothers, who had helped kill him, were involved in some of the road shows, and they would enact the scene where Jesse got shot in the back of the head. These public shows were attended by many people, and thus Jesses already legendary status became ingrained (Wikipedia, N.D.).
Up to now, the residents of Missouri still tell stories of this legend. Some tell it with nostalgia, perhaps because Jesse represented a break away from an otherwise dull and uneventful existence. Jesses short years on earth were lived on the fast lane, and he died on the fast lane too.
There are numerous films and books written about Jesse (Answers, N.D.).
He comes just short of becoming a cult figure. Even now, on the third week of September, Jesses boyhood home of Kearny, Missouri holds a Jesse James Festival. A carnival, a parade and a barbeque help cater for everybodys needs during this festival. Another site in Russellville, Kentucky, holds the Jesse James International Arts and Film Festival. Jesse James raided a bank there in 1866.
All sorts of artists now go there to share their artistry (Encyclopedia, N.D.).
Childrens art is a main feature during this festival. There are numerous other examples of memorials held for Jesse James all over Missouri. Clearly, Jesse Woodson James will remain a central figure in Missouris history for a long time. Works cited Absolute astronomy Jesse James Retrieved from http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Jesse_Jame s#encyclopedia accessed on 21st February, 2009. Answers (N.D.) James Jesse Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-james accessed on 21st February, 2009. Biographies (N.D.) James (Woodson) James Biography Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9352 646 accessed on 21st February, 2009. Elizabeth Gibson (1999) The outlaw Jesse James Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/old_west/24809 accessed on 21st February, 2009. Encyclopedia (N.D.) Jesse James Retrieved from http://encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/1152 7/Jesse-Woodson-James.html accessed on 21st February, 2009.
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Legends (N.D.) Jesse James Retrieved from http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-JesseJames.html accessed on 21st February, 2009 Novel guide (N.D.).
Jesse Woodson James Retrieved from http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/ewb_08/ewb_08 _03273.html accessed on 21st February, 2009. PBase (N.D.).
James Woodson James was kin to Wilcoxs photo Retrieved from http://www.pbase.com/jacksonville_ga/image/84222 accessed on 21st February, 2009 Vance Rowe (N.D.) Jesse Woodson James Retrieved from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art37378.asp accessed on 21st February, 2009 Wikipedia (N.D.).
Jesse Woodson James Retrieved from http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outla ws/outlaws/james/1.html accessed on 21st February, 2009..
