Jesse James

American outlaw, confederate guerrilla, and train robber

Source-basedRising

Lived 1847–1882, aged 35United States

United States Business ProfessionalsOther

Fame53.5
Momentum6.2
United States rank#179
Business Professionals rank#19
Wikipedia141.5K

Wikipedia
54 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in United States
#179
Business Professionals
Era
1847–1882
Aged 35

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Outlaw who robbed banks and trains across the post-Civil War frontier, then became a legend in the James–Younger Gang. Started as a Confederate bushwhacker in Missouri before pivoting to crime that made him either a folk hero or a wanted criminal depending on who you asked.

Biography

About

Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie" area of Missouri, James and his family maintained strong Southern sympathies. He and his brother Frank James joined pro-Confederate guerrillas known as "bushwhackers" operating in Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. As followers of William Quantrill and "Bloody Bill" Anderson, they were accused of committing atrocities against Union soldiers and civilian abolitionists, including the Centralia Massacre in 1864.

Profile