Origins & Early Life

James Bowie ( BOO-ee) (April 10, 1796 – March 6, 1836) was an American military officer, landowner and slave trader who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. Bowie was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of him as a fighter and frontiersman, both real and fictitious, have made him a legendary figure in Texas history and a folk hero of American culture. Born in Logan County, Kentucky, Bowie spent most of his life in Louisiana, where he was raised and where he later worked as a land speculator.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His rise to fame began in 1827 on reports of the Sandbar Fight near present-day Vidalia, Louisiana. What started as a duel between two other men deteriorated into a mêlée in which Bowie, having been shot and stabbed, killed the sheriff of Rapides Parish with a large knife. This, and other stories of Bowie's prowess with a knife, led to the widespread popularity of the Bowie knife. Bowie enlarged his reputation during the Texas Revolution. After moving to Texas in 1830, Bowie became a Mexican citizen and married Ursula Veramendi, the daughter of Juan Martín de Veramendi, the Mexican vice-governor of the province.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Bowie led an expedition to find the lost San...

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