Murray State University history professor Ted Belue will deliver a presentation at the Calloway County Public Library titled "Black Indians and Black Mountain Men on the Frontier: Restoring a Vanishing Legacy." The event’s scheduled for later this week, and Belue speaks with Todd Hatton on Sounds Good about what to expect.
Belue says there weren’t many African-American frontiersmen, but there are plenty of interesting stories to tell about them. He mentions Louisville native Edward Rose and James Beckwourth as two of his favorites.
Rose was the son of a white trader and a blended African-American woman. He left Louisville for New Orleans to find work, where he served as a deckhand. There, he had a handful of run-ins with the law for petty crimes. He developed a reputation for his temper and knife-fighting stills; he became known as "Cut Nose." Rose eventually moved to Missouri, where he became chieftain of the Crows tribe.
Belue says men like Rose often gave Native Americans insight into white American culture along with trade skills like blacksmithing. This gave African-Americans elevated status within certain tribes.
Rose later made another name for himself, "Five Scalps", when he took on and defeated five members of an opposing tribe.
As for Beckwourth, Belue says the mixed-blood frontiersman left behind an exaggerated memoir telling stories of his life. Born into slavery in Virginia, he was later freed, and went on to fight under Zachary Taylor in the Seminole Wars.
Speaking on the two men, Belue says this group is often overlooked in history because of their race and the times they lived in.
He says most heroes of this period are white, even though African-Americans and those of mixed blood played pivotal roles in American history.
Belue will present "Black Indians and Black Mountain Men on the Frontier: Restoring a Vanishing Legacy” at the Calloway County Public Library Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m.
