History UsefulNotes / JesseJames

* FreudianExcuse: Romantic media portrayals such as the folk song "Jesse James" casts him as a Confederate veteran branded as an outcast during the Reconstruction era, with Jesse James being one of many Confederate veterans who ended up as a bandit after the Civil War. The James family were in fact well-off, and Jesse and Frank James did not see a great deal of battle action, their key activities being that of anti-slavery bushwackers.

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: James was an anti-slavery terrorist turned bank robber who was mythologized even while he was alive for supposedly chivalrous behaviour not in line with his actual deeds.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Compared to UsefulNotes/BillyTheKid his legacy is a bit more positive in the public perception, despite all evidence to the contrary. This is because unlike Billy, Jesse James benefitted from the "Lost Cause" hagiography. Most Jesse James movies neglects the time he and his brother served under William Quantrill in Missouri during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar, where they served, in the words of one historian, as a "death squad" against the local population of Union sympathizer. As an outlaw, Jesse James took to robbing medicines intended for the poor. Most portrayals evoke Jesse James with an anti-authoritarian romanticism rather than anything related to the actual political reality.

--> '''James [=McPherson=]''': ''But if James was not Robin Hood, or a social bandit, or a rural enemy of capitalism, [[{{Greed}} was he merely a criminal motivated by greed]]? Certainly not, according to Stiles. The key to understanding James and what he stood for was [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar the Civil War]], especially the vicious guerrilla war within the larger war that plagued Missouri. Forced to a decision between Union and Confederacy in 1861, most Missourians chose the Union. But support for the Confederacy was strong in Little Dixie, especially in the counties flanking the Missouri River just east of the Kansas border. In these counties lived most of the men and boys who went into the brush as Confederate guerrillas, including Frank and Jesse James, who were only seventeen and thirteen years old respectively when the war began.''

-> ''But if James was not Robin Hood, or a social bandit, or a rural enemy of capitalism, [[{{Greed}} was he merely a criminal motivated by greed]]? Certainly not, according to Stiles. The key to understanding James and what he stood for was [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar the Civil War]], especially the vicious guerrilla war within the larger war that plagued Missouri. Forced to a decision between Union and Confederacy in 1861, most Missourians chose the Union. But support for the Confederacy was strong in Little Dixie, especially in the counties flanking the Missouri River just east of the Kansas border. In these counties lived most of the men and boys who went into the brush as Confederate guerrillas, including Frank and Jesse James, who were only seventeen and thirteen years old respectively when the war began.''
-->-- '''James [=McPherson=]'''

Jesse and his elder brother, Frank, fought as guerrillas with the busherwacking Quantrill's Raiders during the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar. In sharp contrast to the later myth of the James as poor farmers and soldiers turning to war, the James family were relatively well-off. They had a substantial farm growing hemp and tobacco before the Civil War, and they owned seven slaves. The Younger Family (Cole, Jim, Bob and John), future allies and compatriots of James' gang were in fact descendants of the richest slaveowning family in Jackson County, Missouri. The James and Younger family served alongside the notorious William Quantrill and [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Bloody Bill Anderson]] in a several bushwacking wars in Missouri against the Jayhawkers, anti-slavery militants from Kansas. They were involved in the Lawrence and Centralia Massacres in particular.

Jesse and his elder brother, Frank, fought as guerrillas with the busherwackers Quantrill's Raiders during the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar. In sharp contrast to the later myth of the James as poor farmers and soldiers turning to war, the James family were relatively well-off. They had a substantial farm growing hemp and tobacco before the Civil War, and they owned seven slaves. The Younger Family (Cole, Jim, Bob and John), future allies and compatriots of James' gang were in fact descendants of the richest slaveowning family in Jackson County, Missouri. The James and Younger family served alongside the notorious William Quantrill and [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Bloody Bill Anderson]] in a several bushwacking wars in Missouri against the Jayhawkers, anti-slavery militants from Kansas. They were involved in the Lawrence and Centralia Massacres in particular.

Jesse and his elder brother, Frank, fought as guerrillas with the busherwackers Quantrill's Raiders during the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar. In sharp contrast to the later myth of the James as poor farmers and soldiers turning to war, the James family were relatively well-off. They had a substantial farm growing hemp and tobacco before the Civil War, and they owned seven slaves. The Younger Family (Cole, Jim, Bob and John), future allies and compatriots of James' gang were in fact descendants of the richest slaveowning family in Jackson County, Missouri. The James and Younger family served alongside the notorious William Quantrill and [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Bloody Bill Anderson]] in a several bushwacking wars in Missouri against the Jayhawkers, anti-slavery militants from Kansas. They were involved in the Lawrence and Centralia Massacre in particular.

Jesse and his elder brother, Frank, fought as guerrillas with the busherwackers Quantrill's Raiders during the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, after which they turned to BankRobbery. His criminal fame took off after Anti-Reconstruction newspaper editorials claimed that Jesse and Frank wanted revenge for the appropriation of their family and neighbours' farms by investors who wanted to build a railroad there and that they were sabotaging these railroad constructions and robbing banks where the investers kept their money. They often worked together with the gang of Cole Younger and became notorious near the end of 1869. According to popular myth Jesse fancied himself a Myth/RobinHood character, who rebelled against the government and gave his stolen goods to the poor. While it's true that in only two train hold-ups passengers were robbed since James typically limited himself to the express safe in the baggage car, the gang always kept the money to themselves.

* FreudianExcuse: Many of the Confederate veterans were branded as outcasts during the Reconstruction era. Jesse James is one of many Confederate veterans that ended up as a bandit after the Civil War because of that.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Compared to UsefulNotes/BillyTheKid his legacy is a bit more positive in the public perception, despite all evidence to the contrary. This is because unlike Billy, Jesse James benefitted from the "Lost Cause" hagiography. Most Jesse James movies neglects the time he and his brother served under William Quantrill in Missouri during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar, where they committed a series of shocking atrocities against the local population. As an outlaw, Jesse James took to robbing medicines intended for the poor. Most portrayals evoke Jesse James with an anti-authoritarian romanticism rather than anything related to the actual political reality.

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: James was a robber who was mythologized even while he was alive for supposedly chivalrous behaviour not in line with his actual deeds.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Compared to UsefulNotes/BillyTheKid his legacy is a bit more positive in the public perception, despite all evidence to the contrary.

* JustLikeRobinHood: Like many other historical outlaws he has been depicted in this manner by ballads, dime novels and movies. It is doubtful that such a reputation is justified, however. Especially the notion of him (like so many others listed) "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor" has little to no evidence supporting it.

* {{Outlaw}}: Together with UsefulNotes/BillyTheKid the most famous outlaw of TheWildWest.

* WholesomeCrossdresser: It's not well known but one of Jesse James' early schemes involved dressing as a woman to tempt cavalryman for a secret tryst where they would be robbed or shanked. Jesse James androgynous features made him pass well for a girl and some historians have suggested that he might have been a bisexual or male prostitute in his spare time. [http://www.civilwarstlouis.com/history/Crossdressers.htm]

* Music/WoodyGuthrie wrote a song about him, ''Jesse James'', later covered by Music/ThePogues on ''Run, Sodomy & The Lash'' (1985).

* FolkHero: Because of the Robin Hood myth surrounding his character he's often thought to have been a GentlemanThief who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. This made him a hero in 19th-century American folklore to the point that the man who finally murdered him, Robert Ford, was branded as a coward, for shooting Jesse James in the back. In reality James' gang were ordinary robbers and never shared their profits with anyone but themselves.

Jesse and his elder brother, Frank, fought as guerrillas with the busherwackers Quantrill's Raiders during the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, after which they turned to BankRobbery. His criminal fame took off after Anti-Reconstruction newspaper editorials claimed that Jesse and Frank wanted revenge for the appropriation of their family and neighbours' farms by investors who wanted to build a railroad there and that they were sabotaging these railroad constructions and robbing banks where the investers kept their money. They often worked together with the gang of Cole Younger and became notorious near the end of 1869. According to popular myth Jesse fancied himself a Literature/RobinHood character, who rebelled against the government and gave his stolen goods to the poor. While it's true that in only two train hold-ups passengers were robbed since James typically limited himself to the express safe in the baggage car, the gang always kept the money to themselves.

* ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'': Appears at the end of ''Billy The Kid'' trying to scare the villagers of that town in order to give him all his loot. Unfortunately they are no longer afraid of outlaws and simply tar and feather him. He returns in a much larger role in the album ''Jesse James'''. In this album he fancies himself the new RobinHood, but is a bit reluctant about the "giving to the poor" part. His brother Frank has a brilliant idea: Jesse will give everything he steals to him, Frank, who currently is poor; by doing this, Jesse will become poor too, so Frank will give everything back to him, and so on. Robin-Hooding stays in the family. Another amusing joke is that Frank is such a Creator/WilliamShakespeare fan that he quotes lines from his plays in fitting situations.

* James appears in two episodes of ''Series/ThePinkertons'': The pilot, where he helps pull off the very first TrainJob, and "Frontier Desperados", where he helps the future Belle Starr kidnap her husband (and becomes her lover as well).

* ''Film/JesseJames'' (1939) stars Creator/TyronePower as Jesse, Creator/HenryFonda as Frank and Creator/JohnCarradine as John Ford.

'''Jesse James''' (1847-1882) is, together with UsefulNotes/BillyTheKid, the second most famous {{Outlaw}} of TheWildWest.

Jesse and his brother Frank James fought in the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, after which they started their crimes. His criminal career took off after the land of his mother was sold under force to investors who wanted to construct a railroad there. Jesse and Frank wanted revenge and started sabotaging these railroad constructions and robbing banks where the investers kept their money. They often worked together with the gang of Cole Younger and became notorious near the end of 1869. According to popular myth Jesse fancied himself a Literature/RobinHood character, who rebelled against the government and gave his stolen goods to the poor. While it's true that in only two train hold-ups passengers were robbed (because James typically limited himself to the express safe in the baggage car) the gang always kept the money to themselves.

After a failed attempt to rob the Northfield bank in 1876 the Younger gang was arrested. Jesse and Frank managed to escape and kept hidden for three years. In 1879 they started a new gang, robbing banks and trains in the process. In 1882 the 34 year old Jesse was murdered by one of his own gang members, Robert Ford.

Not to be confused with country singer Music/JessieJames. Or the star of ''Series/MonsterGarage'' (though he does claim descent from the legendary outlaw). Or [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Team Rocket]].

* FolkHero: Because of the Robin Hood myth surrounding his character he's often thought to have been a GentlemanThief who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. This made him a hero in 19th century American folklore to the point that the man who finally murdered him, Robert Ford, was branded as a coward, for shooting Jesse James in the back. In reality James' gang were ordinary robbers, who never shared their profits with anyone but themselves.

Not to be confused with country singer Music/JessieJames. Or [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Team Rocket]].

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Compared to UsefulNotes/BillyTheKid his legacy is a bit more positive in the public perception, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Jesse and his brother Frank James fought in the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, after which they started their crimes. His criminal career took off after the land of his mother was sold under force to investors who wanted to construct a railroad there. Jesse and Frank wanted revenge and started sabotaging these railroad constructions and robbing banks where the investers kept their money. They often worked together with the gang of Cole Younge and became notorious near the end of 1869. According to popular myth Jesse fancied himself a Literature/RobinHood character, who rebelled against the government and gave his stolen goods to the poor. While it's true that in only two train hold-ups passengers were robbed (because James typically limited himself to the express safe in the baggage car) the gang always kept the money to themselves.

* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': The first Trickster, James Jesse, invoked this trope. As an admirer of UsefulNotes/JesseJames from childhood, he decided to pull the modern equivalent of train robberies by robbing airplanes--in midair.

Jesse and his brother Frank James fought in the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, after which they started their crimes. His criminal career took off after the land of his mother was solder under force to investors who wanted to construct a railroad there. Jesse and Frank wanted revenge and started sabotaging these railroad constructions and robbing banks where the investers kept their money. They often worked together with the gang of Cole Younger. The gang became notorious near the end of 1869. According to popular myth Jesse fancied himself a Literature/RobinHood character, who rebelled against the government and gave his stolen goods to the poor. While it's true that in only two train hold-ups passengers were robbed (because James typically limited himself to the express safe in the baggage car) the gang always kept the money to themselves.

* Country musician Music/JessieJames takes her name from him.