Legendary mountain man and soldier Kit Carson lived a complicated life in which he was often pulled in opposite directions by those in authority and what he believed to be right. Known to history as one of the greatest mountain men of the era of the United States’ westward expansion, he helped Native American tribes maintain their land, livelihoods, and traditions in some instances, but was also involved in some of the worst atrocities the country committed against them. According to Biography, in 1853, he began his service as a federal agent in the Office of Indian Affairs, and worked to help improve relations between white settlers and tribes like the Utes and Jicarilla Apaches. However, he was also responsible for events such as the Long Walk, when he and other U.S. agents forcibly removed Navajo tribespeople from their homes, making them walk 300 miles to a reservation.

Carson also served in two of the most influential wars in United States history. He notably helped stop Confederate forces from expanding westward through New Mexico during the Civil War. And a few decades before that, he had served in the Mexican-American War. This was his contribution to that conflict that helped further the country’s expansion into the west.

Kit Carson helped the U.S. Army in a pinch

Wikipedia