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Jedediah Strong Smith was born on January 6,1798. He was born in Jericho, New York. Which has now been named Bainbridge.

Smith began his voyages in 1822. He did this when he joined pioneering fur trader William Ashley. He heard about it because Ashley was looking for trappers, and Jed saw it in the newspaper. With that him and 99 other men took a trip up the Missouri River.

In 1823 Jed was moving his men along the Cheyenne River. The group was attacked by as grizzly bear. The bear attacked Smith. His scalp had been torn. They bound up his broken ribs and sewed his ear the best they could. The injuries healed quickly, but he had scars the rest of his life.

In 1824 he crossed the South Pass. Which then was the single most important gap in the Rocky Mountains.

He was not the first to discover the pass, but he did say wagons could cross. That had great significance because earlier knowledge of the pass hadn't survived.

In August of 1826 Jed led 17 fur trappers on a trip over two years long. This trip would open trade to California and Oregon. Also it would open up trade to future American pioneers.

In 1826 Smith was leading a party of trappers south and west across the Great Basin from the Great Salt lake. He was going to the Colorado river and then west to southern California. With this he became the first recorded American to enter California overland from the east.

In August, 1827 Mohave Indians attacked Jed's party. They killed and captured most of his men. Those who survived struggled to get to southern California. They encountered suspicion and hostility from Mexican authorities. With great difficulty they finally got permission to leave.

In 1828 Smith's party was traveling to Oregon. While they were at camp , Jed was not there and the camp was attacked by Indians, killing all but three of his men. Fleeing from the disaster, Smith finished his journey to Oregon Country.

In 1830 Smith decided to retire from trapping. He had lived through many narrow escapes. But, he wanted to enter the mercantile business.

Jedediah Strong Smith died in 1831 on the Santa Fe Trail. He was leading a trading caravan along the trail. He was killed by Commanache Indians near the Cimarron River. He was 32 years old.

Timeline of Jedediah Smith

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