Jesse James Crime

In this paper I will be describing why I think Jesse James turned to a life of crime. Throughout the paper I will write about his early childhood, his friends, family and community. I will also write about his life of crime, what types of crimes that he committed and how he died.

On September 5, 1847 Jesse James was born in Clay county Missouri. He was the son of Robert and Zerelda James, he was the third of four children. His father robert was a slave owning farmer who was also a Baptist Priest. Jesse had three siblings a brother named Robert who sadly died in infancy, an older brother named Frank and a younger sister named Susan. His family owned a hundred acre farm. Jesse helped his family in the fields and on the farm, after Robert Jesse’s father left, Zerelda his mother kinda took over everything, she had to raise all of the children including helping the slaves with their children and also taking care of the slaves. After Jesse’s father was gone for awhile he ended up dying from a bacteria in water where he lived. Zerelda remarried to Benjamin Simms, then in 1885 she married a doctor named Reuben Samuel.

` Jesse was a very well liked kid in his community, many people thought that he would become a Baptist priest like his father was. From what I gather from Jesse James’s early life is that

I think he turned to a life of crime because, he had a fairly rough childhood and with the Civil War in place times were getting hard. So I think he might have gotten a feeling of satisfaction or maybe he just found it to be easy money. I also think Jesse James was smart as well because, he knew how the press worked and how to use the press to his advantage, some people liked Jesse James because, they shared his pro confederate beliefs. Another reason that I think Jesse James did it for the thrill is because, he never stopped as his brother Frank did stop because he enjoyed the quiet