Giacomo Beltrami
Encyclopedia
Giacomo Costantino Beltrami (Bergamo
, 1779 – Filottrano, January 6, 1855) was an Italian
jurist
, author
, and explorer, best known for claiming to have discovered the headwaters of the Mississippi River
in 1823 while on a trip through much of the United States
(later expeditions determined a different source, however). Beltrami County
in Minnesota
is named for him, as are some other sites in the state. He had an extensive network of notable figures for friends and acquaintances, such as members of the powerful Medici
family.
in the northern Italian region of Lombardy
. His exact birth date is unknown because a fire in the area destroyed baptism
al records in 1793. He apparently had a fair amount of schooling in literature
, law
, and other subjects before leaving to become a soldier for the Cisalpine Republic
in 1797. The republic was an extension of France
at the time, and Beltrami worked his way into the Napoleonic government after becoming a Mason
. Years later, when the Marche
region again came under purview of the papal government, he was questioned for his activities.
In 1809, Beltrami became the friend of Giulia Spada dei Medici. When she died at the age of 39 in 1820, he put together a collection of different writings in her honor. He was distraught by her death, and this, combined with pressures about his background during French occupation, led him to begin traveling. He visited a number of different cities in Europe
, reaching Liverpool
, England
in 1822. From there, he set out to the United States
on a voyage that proved to be very treacherous. He finally arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
after more than two months on the ocean in December 1822 or January 1823.
with the intention of following it to the Mississippi and then south to New Orleans, Louisiana
. However, while onboard he met with the prominent United States Indian agent, Lawrence Taliaferro
, who was planning to travel upriver on the Mississippi. Beltrami soon became obsessed with the idea of finding the river's source. In 1823, the two later joined with Stephen H. Long as they traveled upriver to Fort St. Anthony.
Beltrami followed Long and Taliaferro as they went about exploring and mapping
, and interacting with the local Native American
tribes. However, in July, after about three months of this, tension began to grow between Beltrami and the others. He eventually split from their expedition in August, when the group had reached Pembina
, and instead set off with some Ojibwe Indian guides on his personal quest to find the source of the river. After only a week and a half, his guides abandoned him and he had to carry on alone, seeking help from other natives that he came across.
At some point during this trip, Beltrami collected two indigenous flutes, which he later sent back to Italy along with his collection of Native American
artifacts. One of these flutes provides us with the oldest extant Native American flute
, and is now in the collection of the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali in Bergamo, Italy.
On August 28, he found what he believed was the source of the Mississippi, as well as the Red River of the North
. He named the place Giulia
after his departed friend, and named eight other nearby lake
s after her children. He began the return trip downriver to Fort St. Anthony. Beltrami then continued south to his original destination of New Orleans, finally arriving in December.
In the city, he began writing an account of his travels thus far. By late January, it was completed, and it was published a few months later.
Beltrami himself was away from the discussion for about a year, however, as he had gone on another voyage through Mexico
. He collected Aztec
objects, classified plant
s and animal
s, and observed the area's political system. Particularly because of his work with flora, he would eventually be included in several scientific societies of France.
He returned to New Orleans in 1825, but soon left to return to Philadelphia where many copies of his book were being stored. The Catholic church was also displeased, and condemned him and his work. By November, he was hob-nobbing with elites at festivities surrounding the opening of New York
's Erie Canal
.
, Santo Domingo
, and elsewhere, Beltrami made a return trip across the Atlantic
in 1826, arriving in London
in the late part of the year. He moved to Paris
two years later, and joined several scientific societies through the early 1830s.
In 1834, Beltrami moved to Heidelberg
, Germany
and befriended Josef Anton Mittermaier, a notable jurist of the time. A few years later he finally returned to his estate in Filottrano
. He attempted to have his books published in Italy, but the church-led government denied his requests. In his final years, he patterned his life on that of Franciscan
monk
s, and called himself "Fra Giacomo." Most of his time was spent working in his house and garden. He died there in 1855.
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, 1779 – Filottrano, January 6, 1855) was an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and explorer, best known for claiming to have discovered the headwaters of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in 1823 while on a trip through much of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(later expeditions determined a different source, however). Beltrami County
Beltrami County, Minnesota
Beltrami County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 44,442. Its county seat is Bemidji. Portions of the Leech Lake and Red Lake Indian reservations are in the county. The northernmost portion of the Mississippi River flows...
in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
is named for him, as are some other sites in the state. He had an extensive network of notable figures for friends and acquaintances, such as members of the powerful Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
family.
Early life
Beltrami was the 16th of 17 children, born in the city of BergamoBergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
in the northern Italian region of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
. His exact birth date is unknown because a fire in the area destroyed baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
al records in 1793. He apparently had a fair amount of schooling in literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, and other subjects before leaving to become a soldier for the Cisalpine Republic
Cisalpine Republic
The Cisalpine Republic was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802.-Birth:After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte proceeded to organize two states: one to the south of the Po River, the Cispadane Republic, and one to the north, the Transpadane...
in 1797. The republic was an extension of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the time, and Beltrami worked his way into the Napoleonic government after becoming a Mason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. Years later, when the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
region again came under purview of the papal government, he was questioned for his activities.
In 1809, Beltrami became the friend of Giulia Spada dei Medici. When she died at the age of 39 in 1820, he put together a collection of different writings in her honor. He was distraught by her death, and this, combined with pressures about his background during French occupation, led him to begin traveling. He visited a number of different cities in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, reaching Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1822. From there, he set out to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on a voyage that proved to be very treacherous. He finally arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
after more than two months on the ocean in December 1822 or January 1823.
Exploring North America
In the U.S. he also began visiting a number of different cities. He eventually began a voyage down the Ohio RiverOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
with the intention of following it to the Mississippi and then south to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. However, while onboard he met with the prominent United States Indian agent, Lawrence Taliaferro
Lawrence Taliaferro
Lawrence Taliaferro was a United States Army officer best known for his service as an Indian agent at Fort Snelling, Minnesota from 1820 through 1839 and also as an individual who played a part in the saga of the famous African American slave Dred Scott.Taliaferro was born at Whitehall...
, who was planning to travel upriver on the Mississippi. Beltrami soon became obsessed with the idea of finding the river's source. In 1823, the two later joined with Stephen H. Long as they traveled upriver to Fort St. Anthony.
Beltrami followed Long and Taliaferro as they went about exploring and mapping
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
, and interacting with the local Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes. However, in July, after about three months of this, tension began to grow between Beltrami and the others. He eventually split from their expedition in August, when the group had reached Pembina
Pembina
-Canada:*Pembina , a neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta*Pembina Institute, an environmental research group*Pembina River , a river in central Alberta*Pembina River Provincial Park, a provincial park in Alberta...
, and instead set off with some Ojibwe Indian guides on his personal quest to find the source of the river. After only a week and a half, his guides abandoned him and he had to carry on alone, seeking help from other natives that he came across.
At some point during this trip, Beltrami collected two indigenous flutes, which he later sent back to Italy along with his collection of Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
artifacts. One of these flutes provides us with the oldest extant Native American flute
Native American flute
The Native American flute has achieved some measure of fame for its distinctive sound, used in a variety of New Age and world music recordings. The instrument was originally very personal; its music was played without accompaniment in courtship, healing, meditation, and spiritual rituals. Now it...
, and is now in the collection of the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali in Bergamo, Italy.
On August 28, he found what he believed was the source of the Mississippi, as well as the Red River of the North
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
. He named the place Giulia
Giulia
Giulia is the Italian translation of Julia. The Italian male name is Giulio. Giulia is a name given to some women and places:- Name :* Giulia Farnese , mistress of Pope Alexander VI.* Giulia Grisi , Italian singer...
after his departed friend, and named eight other nearby lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s after her children. He began the return trip downriver to Fort St. Anthony. Beltrami then continued south to his original destination of New Orleans, finally arriving in December.
In the city, he began writing an account of his travels thus far. By late January, it was completed, and it was published a few months later.
Beltrami himself was away from the discussion for about a year, however, as he had gone on another voyage through Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He collected Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
objects, classified plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s and animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, and observed the area's political system. Particularly because of his work with flora, he would eventually be included in several scientific societies of France.
He returned to New Orleans in 1825, but soon left to return to Philadelphia where many copies of his book were being stored. The Catholic church was also displeased, and condemned him and his work. By November, he was hob-nobbing with elites at festivities surrounding the opening of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
.
Return to Europe
After some trips to HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, and elsewhere, Beltrami made a return trip across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in 1826, arriving in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the late part of the year. He moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
two years later, and joined several scientific societies through the early 1830s.
In 1834, Beltrami moved to Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and befriended Josef Anton Mittermaier, a notable jurist of the time. A few years later he finally returned to his estate in Filottrano
Filottrano
Filottrano is a comune in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about 25 km southwest of Ancona. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 9,449 and an area of 70.2 km²....
. He attempted to have his books published in Italy, but the church-led government denied his requests. In his final years, he patterned his life on that of Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s, and called himself "Fra Giacomo." Most of his time was spent working in his house and garden. He died there in 1855.
Offices and titles
- Ispettore dei Magazzini della Commissione (TurinTurinTurin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, 1801) - Sotto-Ispettore degli Equipaggi (ParmaParmaParma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, 1805) - Cancelliere di Giustizia nel Dipartamento del Taro (Parma, 1805)
- Vice-Ispettore delle Armate (1806)
- Giudice della Corte del Dipartamento del Musone (MacerataMacerataMacerata is a city and comune in central Italy, the capital of the province of Macerata in the Marche region.The historical city center is located on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza rivers. It consisted of the Picenes city named Ricina, then, after the romanization, Recina and Helvia Recina...
, 1809) - Medaglia d'Onore di Napoli (1815)
Societal memberships
- Accademia dei Catenati di Macerata (1821, under the name Alcandro Grineo)
- Societas Medico-Botanica Londinensis (1828)
- Société Géographie di Paris (1829)
- Ateneo di Bergamo (1832)
- Société Géologique de FranceSociété géologique de FranceThe Société géologique de France is a French learned society founded on 17 March 1830. As of 2006, it counts 1,200 members....
(1832) - Société Universelle de Civilization (1833)
- Société dell'Institut Historique de France (1834)
External links
- Giacomo Costantino Beltrami, 1779-1855. Washington University, St. Louis.
- Michael J. Martin Improbable Explorer: Giacomo Beltrami's Summer of Discovery.
- (2000). Giacomo Costantino Beltrami. Civica Biblioteca di Bergamo.