Giacomo Constantino Beltrami (1779 – 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. 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A jurist is a professional who studies, develops, applies or otherwise deals with the law. ... The word author has several meanings: The author of a book, story, article or the like, is the person who has written it (or is writing it). ... See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. ... Length 6,270 km Elevation of the source 450 m Average discharge Saint Louis¹: 5,500 m³/s Vicksburg²: 16,800 m³/s Baton Rouge³: 12,800 m³/s Area watershed 2,980,000 km² Origin Lake Itasca Mouth Gulf of Mexico Basin countries United States (98. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Beltrami County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. ... State nickname: North Star State Other U.S. States Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty Official languages None Area 225,365 km² (12th)  - Land 206,375 km²  - Water 18,990 km² (8. ... The Medici family was a powerful and influential Florentine family from the 13th to 17th century. ...

Early life

Beltrami was the 16th of 17 childern, born in the city of Bergamo in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. His exact birthdate is unknown becase a fire in the area destroyed baptismal 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 Le Marche province again came under purview of the papal government, he was questioned for his activities. Bergamo is a town in Italy, in Lombardy, about 40km northeast of Milan. ... Lombardy (in Italian Lombardia) is a region in northern Italy between the Alps and the Po Valley. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Wikisource Every Author - Online books and writers forums A Bibliography of Literary Theory, Criticism, and Philology (José Ángel García Landa, University of Zaragoza, Spain) Open Directory Project: Literature World Literature Electronic Text Archives Magazines and E-zines Online Writing Writers Resources Libraries, Digital Cataloguing, Metadata Distance Learning T... Law (a loanword from Old Norse lag), in politics and jurisprudence, is a set of rules or norms of conduct which mandate, proscribe or permit specified relationships among people and organizations, provide methods for ensuring the impartial treatment of such people, and provide punishments for those who do not follow... The flag of the Cisalpine Republic was the Transpadane Republic vertical Italian tricolour, with the square shape of the Cispadane Republic The Cisalpine Republic (Italian: Repubblica Cisalpina) was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802. ... 1797 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... American Square and Compasses Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization. ...

In 1809, Beltrami befriended 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. 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Liverpools skyline, as seen from the River Mersey. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... 1822 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Independence Hall Philadelphia (sometimes referred to as Philly or the City of Brotherly Love) is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States and the most populous city in the state of Pennsylvania, occupying all of Philadelphia County. ...

Exploring North America

In the U.S. he also began visiting a number of different cities. He eventually began a voyage down the Ohio River with the intention of following it to the Mississippi and then south to New Orleans, Louisiana. However, while onboard he met with Lawrence Tagliaferro, who was planning to travel upriver on the Mississippi. Beltrami soon became obsessed with the idea of finding the river's source. The two later joined and Stephen Long as they traveled to Fort St. Anthony (now Fort Snelling) upriver. The Ohio River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, 981 mi (1,579 km) long in the eastern United States. ... City nickname: The Crescent City, The Big Easy, The City that Care Forgot Location of New Orleans Country   State     Parish United States   Louisiana     Orleans Parish Mayor C. Ray Nagin Area  - Land  - Water 350. ... Stephen Harriman Long (1784 - 1864) was a U.S. army officer and explorer. ... Fort Snelling is a former military fortification located at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers in Hennepin County, Minnesota. ...

Beltrami followed Long and Tagliaferro 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 Fort Pembina, and instead set off with some Chippewa 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 seek help from other natives that he came across. Cartography or mapmaking (in Greek chartis = map and graphein = write) is the study and practice of making maps or globes. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, Amerindians, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... For other uses of Chippewa, see Chippewa (disambiguation). ...

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 lakes after her children. He began the return trip downriver, arriving back at Fort St. Anthony two days later. Beltrami then continued south to his original destination of New Orleans, finally arriving in December. August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... See also the Red River disambiguation page. ... A lake is a body of water surrounded by land. ...

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. However, it was criticized as a fantastical account. Over time, Long's version of events would become dominant.

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 plants and animals, 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. The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th century. ... Divisions Green algae Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria Acoelomorpha Orthonectida Rhombozoa Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia    Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ...

He returned to New Orleans in 1825, but soon left to return to Philadelphia where many copies of his book were being stored (rather than sold). The Catholic church was also displeased, and condemned him and his work. Despite all of his setbacks, however, Beltrami was known for maintaining an impossibly optimistic attitude. By November, he was hob-nobbing with elites at festivities surrounding the opening of New York's Erie Canal. 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Erie Canal - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

Return to Europe

After some trips to Haiti, 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. Santo Domingo, population 2,061,200 (2003), is the capital of the Dominican Republic. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Events and Trends Dutch-speaking farmers known as Voortrekkers emigrate northwards from the Cape Colony. ...

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 monks, and called himself "Fra Giacomo." Most of his time was spent working in his house and garden. He died there in 1855. 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Map of Germany showing Heidelberg Castle of Heidelberg pictured from the Old Bridge Heidelberg (halfway between Stuttgart and Frankfurt) is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans) is a mendicant religious order of men tracing their origin to Francis of Assisi and following the Rule of St. ... A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ...

Offices and titles

• Ispettore dei Magazzini della Commissione (Torino, 1801)
• Sotto-Ispettore degli Equipaggi (Parma, 1805)
• Cancelliere di Giustizia nel Dipartamento del Taro (Parma, 1805)
• Vice-Ispettore delle Armate (1806)
• Giudice della Corte del Dipartamento del Musone (Macerata, 1809)
• Medaglia d'Onore di Napoli (1815)

Torino may refer to: Torino, a major industrial city in northwestern Italy. ... 1801 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Parma is a medieval city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, with splendid architecture and a fine countryside around it. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Macerata is a town and provincial capital in the Marche region of Italy. ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

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 France (1832)
• Société Universelle de Civilization (1833)
• Société dell'Institut Historique de France (1834)

1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1828 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Bibliography

• Deux Mots sur les promenades de Paris a Liverpool etc. (1823)
• Le découverte des sources du Mississippi (1824)
• A Pilgrimage in Europe and America (1828) – English translation of the first two books, plus some extra material
• Le Mexique (1830)
• L'Italie et L'Europe and L'Italia ossia scoperte (1834) – French and Italian, respectively

1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1828 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

References

• Giacomo Constantino Beltrami, 1779-1855. (http://library.wustl.edu/units/spec/manuscripts/mlc/beltrami/beltrami.html) Washington University, St. Louis.
• Michael J. Martin Improbable Explorer: Giacomo Beltrami's Summer of Discovery. (http://www.mikewrite.com/beltrami.html)
• (2000). Giacomo Constantino Beltrami. (http://www.bibliotecamai.org/cataloghi_inventari/archivi/archivi_collezioni_doc/inventario_beltrami/welcome/welcome.html) Civica Biblioteca di Bergamo.