Origins & Early Life

Nat Love (June 14, 1854 – February 11, 1921) was an American cowboy and writer active in the period following the Civil War. His reported exploits have made him one of the more famous heroes of the Old West. Nat Love, (pronounced "Nate") was born into slavery on the plantation of Robert Love in Davidson County, Tennessee on June 14, 1854. His father was a slave foreman who worked in the plantation's fields, and his mother was the manager of its kitchen.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Love had two siblings: an older sister, Sally, and an older brother, Jordan. Despite slavery-era statutes that outlawed black literacy, he learned to read and write as a child with the help of Sampson, his father. When slavery ended, Love's parents stayed on the Love plantation as sharecroppers, attempting to raise tobacco and corn on about 20 acres, but Sampson died shortly after the second crop was planted. Afterward, Nat took a second job working on a local farm to help make ends meet. At about this time, he was noted as having a gift for breaking horses.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After some time of working extra odd jobs in the area, he won a horse in a raffle on two occasions, which he then sold back to the owner for $50 each time. He used...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Arthur Rimbaud — Contemporary (Born in 1854) (1854): Transgressive French poet whose work profoundly influenced modern literature and surrealism.
• Charles Algernon Parsons — Contemporary (Born in 1854) (1854): Pioneering inventor of the modern steam turbine, revolutionizing marine and electrical power.
• Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling — Contemporary (Died in 1854) (1854): Central figure in German Idealism, bridging Fichte and Hegel's philosophical schools.
• Akio Morita — Contemporary (Born in 1921) (1921): Visionary Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony.
• Alex Haley — Contemporary (Born in 1921) (1921): Pioneering author of 'Roots,' who brought Black American genealogy to global prominence.
• Alexander Dubček — Contemporary (Born in 1921) (1921): Slovak statesman known for leading the Prague Spring and advocating 'Socialism with a human face'.
• Georg Ohm — Historical peer (Died in 1854) (1854): Pioneering physicist who established Ohm's Law, detailing the relationship between voltage and current.
• George Eastman — Historical peer (Born in 1854) (1854): Pioneering photographer and entrepreneur who popularized roll film and founded Eastman Kodak.
• Andrei Sakharov — Historical peer (Born in 1921) (1921): Soviet physicist turned Nobel laureate and fierce advocate for human rights.
• Antoinette Brown Blackwell — Historical peer (Died in 1921) (1921): Pioneering American philosopher and the first ordained Protestant minister.
• 1854 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1854
• 1921 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1921