Frémont, Jessie Benton, 1824-1902

Jessie Ann Benton Frémont (May 31, 1824 – December 27, 1902) was an American writer and political activist. She was the daughter of Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton and the wife of military officer, explorer, and politician John C. Frémont. She wrote numerous stories that appeared in popular magazines of the time, as well as several historically significant books. Her writings, which helped sustain her family during times of financial hardship, primarily focused on memoirs of her experiences in the American West. A staunch supporter of her husband, who served as one of the first two senators of the new U.S. state of California and as governor of the Territory of Arizona, she was outspoken on political matters and a determined opponent of slavery, an institution excluded from the formation of California.