author
Pierre-Jean de Smet
1801–1873
A Belgian Jesuit who crossed the American West again and again, he became one of the best-known missionaries on the frontier and a familiar figure in encounters between Native nations and the U.S. government. His life combined long, difficult travel with diplomacy, religious work, and a lasting place in western history.
3 Audiobooks
Flagg's The Far West, 1836-1837, part 2; and De Smet's Letters and Sketches, 1841-1842
by Edmund Flagg, Pierre-Jean de Smet
Farnham's Travels in the Great Western Prairies, etc., part 2, October 21-December 4, 1839 and De Smet's Oregon Missions and Travels over the Rocky Mountains, 1845-1846
by Thomas Jefferson Farnham, Pierre-Jean de Smet
About the author
Born in Dendermonde, Belgium, in 1801, Pierre-Jean De Smet joined the Jesuits and sailed to the United States in 1821. He was ordained a priest in Missouri and became known for missionary work among Native peoples in the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest.
De Smet traveled widely across the West at a time when such journeys were slow and dangerous, building relationships with tribes including the Flathead and others. He also served at times as a mediator, carrying messages and taking part in negotiations between Native leaders and U.S. officials, which helped make him a well-known and sometimes controversial figure in frontier history.
He died in St. Louis in 1873. Remembered as the “Black Robe” by many who met him, De Smet left behind letters and travel writings that still shape how readers picture the 19th-century American West.