Texas War for Independence: James Bowie

One name forever linked to the Battle of the Alamo is James Bowie. Although not yet a household name like “Crockett” at the time of the battle, Bowie and his exploits had gained renown in some quarters. His death on March 6, 1836, however, ensured his place in history as one of Texas’ most interesting figures.
Many early Americans were drawn to the western frontier of the new republic — among them the Bowies. James’ parents had lived in Tennessee before moving to Kentucky, where James was born 1796. On the move again in 1800, the family crossed the Mississippi River into Missouri and settled in what was then Spanish Louisiana. Following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the Bowies moved once more, this time to southeastern Louisiana. Not yet a state, Louisiana still retained a frontier atmosphere....

Jim Bowie was a fighter in Texas Revolution who died during the defense of the Alamo. He became an American folk hero and the "Bowie Knife" is named after him....

After a duel turns into an all-out brawl on September 19, 1827, Jim Bowie disembowels a banker on a sandbar near the eastern shore of the Mississippi River, with an early version of his famous Bowie knife. The actual inventor of the Bowie knife, however, was probably not Jim Bowie, but rather his equally belligerent brother, Rezin Bowie, who reportedly came up with the design after nearly being killed in a vicious knife fight....