John C Fremont

John C. Fremont was one of most famous explorers of the American West, his nickname was “The Pathfinder”. Fremont was a cartographer, a person who makes maps. Fremont led five expeditions to explore the West between 1842 -1853. His first expedition was to map the Oregon Trail. The second was a repeat of the first plus the exploration of the Great Salt Lake, in Utah. Fremont and the other explorers then went to Oregon and then south to Northern Nevada and then to California. After resting at Sutter’s Fort they explored the central valley of California. They then went back home. It was during his third expedition (1845-1846) that he assisted in turning the course of history in California. He helped the local immigrants organize to fight the Spanish and win independence. The last two expeditions were to see if a rail road could be built to California.