Introduction One of the most notorious outlaws to ever live was Jesse James. He had many phases throughout his entire life. These stages included, Jesse’s early life, the time he spent at war which later on lead him to commit crimes causing him to hide from the authorities, and his death and myths that surround his life.
Jesse James’ Early Life Jesse James’ early life had a great effect on who he would become as an adult. James was born was born on September 5, 1847. He lived with his mother, step-father and siblings. They all lived on a farm which was slave operated. His biological father had died in the gold mines when Jesse James was young. He was believed to take after his father and become a minister. His life plan changed when the
…show more content…
From then on, he dedicated his life to crime. His gang robbed a train and killed 150 innocent bystanders for the first time on September 27, 1876. The death of these people caused a lot of commotion and caused the gang to become well-known. The press would write articles over Jesse James. Gaining fame, Jesse began to write letters to the publishers. In these letters, he would explain his crimes and the reasoning behind them. On February 14, 1866 he rob a bank and stole $15,000. Trying to show power, Jesse and his gang attempted a big robbery. This robbery took a wrong turn. The bank teller wouldn’t cooperate, making it hard for the gang to walk in and out. Most of the gang got caught and put into prison, however, Jesse and Frank James were the only ones to …show more content…
Was Jesse James the Robin Hood of his time? No, unlike Robin Hood, Jesse James kept all the riches he stole from the rich. Never once did he give to the poor. Jesse James is also known to be a ruthless killer. This is false. Jesse James would only kill a person if they would not cooperate or threatened him. The James brothers did not join the confederate gangs because after the Civil War there were no opportunities for them, they joined in order to keep the Confederate Cause alive. There were also rumors that Jesse James never once got caught. This is all just a myth as well. He got caught plenty of times, yet he always managed to escape. The greatest myth of all is that Jesse James and his relatives faked his death on April 3, 1882. Many people believe that he faked his death and buried someone else in his place. After this, they theorized that he relocated various times to many different towns leaving his family behind. It is also said he remarried under a fake name and had many kids with his second