Jesse James

James, Jesse (Woodson) (1847–1882), a United States outlaw. The daring exploits of James and his brother Frank (1843–1915) captured the imagination of the public and made them legends in their own time.

Jesse James was born in Clay County, Missouri, an area strongly sympathetic to the South. During the Civil War, he and his brother joined Quantrill's Raiders, pro-Southern guerrillas who were known for their ruthless attacks on Union soldiers and sympathizers in Kansas and Missouri. After the war, he formed a gang that included Frank and the Younger brothers (Cole, Robert, and James), among others. For some 15 years, the gang robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains; the robberies involved several killings. For much of this time, they enjoyed the sympathy and protection of many people in their native region.

In 1876, while attempting to rob a bank in Northfield, Minnesota, the Younger brothers and other members of the gang were killed or captured. Jesse went into hiding under the name of Thomas Howard in St. Joseph, Missouri. There he was shot and killed by Robert Ford, a member of the gang, to collect a $10,000 reward.

With his brother dead, Frank turned himself in. He was tried three times for various crimes but acquitted. He toured for a time in a Wild West show and then spent the rest of his life farming in Missouri.