On April 26, 1844, African American mountain man and explorer Jim Beckwourth discovered a lower-elevation pass through the Sierra Nevada Mountains—later named Beckwourth Pass in his honor. Located along what is now U.S. Alternate 40, between Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California, this route significantly eased overland migration to the California gold fields. Beckwourth’s contribution was critical during westward expansion, yet his legacy is often overlooked in mainstream accounts. A formerly enslaved man who became a fur trader, scout, and frontiersman, Beckwourth left an indelible mark on American history as one of the few documented Black pioneers of the American West.
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