I never thought about it until seeing this episode, but of all the famous and infamous characters of the Old West, the one I know the least about is probably Christopher 'Kit' Carson. This episode of 'Legends and Lies' reveals the truly complex character of Carson, a man who combined heroic and brutal elements in his nature, and who lived a life of adventure that might have made dime novels of the era pale in comparison.
Most of Carson's life pre-dated the Civil War. Born in 1809, the same year as Abraham Lincoln, a great deal of his time was spent living in the wilderness months at a time, surviving on wild game he hunted and living off the land in a very literal sense. Perhaps the defining moment of his life occurred in 1842 when he met the famous explorer John C. Fremont, who offered him a job as a guide after learning of Carson's background. For many years the men were inseparable, guided by President James K. Polk's vision of a 'Manifest Destiny' for a nation rapidly expanding westward.
An ardent supporter of the country, Carson's allegiance to the United States positioned him against slavery during the Civil War, but at the same time, his obligation to duty at times seemed to compromise his sense of right and wrong. An ardent friend of Indian tribes like the Utes and Arapahos, Carson found himself in a quandary when faced with the task of removing Navajo Indians from their lands in the American Southwest to a reservation. Reluctantly taking his orders from a superior officer, Carson undertook a scorched earth campaign rather than fight the Navajo's directly, leaving him in his later years to regret the blood on his hands for forcing the tribe to relocate against their will.
Not only is this episode an eye opening experience for viewers, but an unusual lesson about an era in history that's generally overlooked, positioned as it is between the country's founding during the Revolutionary War Years and the Civil War. Most of the Wild West's legends came to prominence during the 1870's and 1880's, so perhaps that's why we don't think of Kit Carson in the same way as men like wild Bill Hickok, Jesse James and Billy the Kid, but that doesn't make him any less fascinating once you learn of his life and exploits.
Most of Carson's life pre-dated the Civil War. Born in 1809, the same year as Abraham Lincoln, a great deal of his time was spent living in the wilderness months at a time, surviving on wild game he hunted and living off the land in a very literal sense. Perhaps the defining moment of his life occurred in 1842 when he met the famous explorer John C. Fremont, who offered him a job as a guide after learning of Carson's background. For many years the men were inseparable, guided by President James K. Polk's vision of a 'Manifest Destiny' for a nation rapidly expanding westward.
An ardent supporter of the country, Carson's allegiance to the United States positioned him against slavery during the Civil War, but at the same time, his obligation to duty at times seemed to compromise his sense of right and wrong. An ardent friend of Indian tribes like the Utes and Arapahos, Carson found himself in a quandary when faced with the task of removing Navajo Indians from their lands in the American Southwest to a reservation. Reluctantly taking his orders from a superior officer, Carson undertook a scorched earth campaign rather than fight the Navajo's directly, leaving him in his later years to regret the blood on his hands for forcing the tribe to relocate against their will.
Not only is this episode an eye opening experience for viewers, but an unusual lesson about an era in history that's generally overlooked, positioned as it is between the country's founding during the Revolutionary War Years and the Civil War. Most of the Wild West's legends came to prominence during the 1870's and 1880's, so perhaps that's why we don't think of Kit Carson in the same way as men like wild Bill Hickok, Jesse James and Billy the Kid, but that doesn't make him any less fascinating once you learn of his life and exploits.