Born: May 1, 1852?
Died: August 1, 1903
AKA: M. E. Burke
Calamity Jane—although not exactly an outlaw—was unconventional. At a time when women did not wear men’s clothing, go to bars, or appear in public drunk, she did so—and then some. A hard-bitten alcoholic, she died in her early fifties, aged far beyond her years.
Like many other frontier figures, Calamity Jane was a legend in her own time. Tall tales about her exploits traveled from town to town throughout the West. Dime novels published in the East printed episodes from her life—most of which had little to do with the truth. And Calamity Jane’s autobiography (a biography written by the subject) was no more reliable. Printed and distributed when Calamity Jane was a theatrical attraction, the “autobiography” presented a sensational—and often fictional— account of her life.
Even the simplest details about Calamity Jane’s life are uncertain. She might have been born in Illinois, Missouri, or Wyoming. Her father could have been a minister, an army man, or a gambler. According to one version, she was born near Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and orphaned at an early age when Indians killed and scalped her parents.
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