Title: Benjamin Clapp Diary (VMF029), 1824-1825
Administrative/Biographical History
Benjamin Clapp was born in New York in 1790. In 1811, he sailed from New York as part of the Astorian expedition. He was involved for many years with John Jacob Astor’s China trade, and during the War of 1812 he served as a midshipman in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific. Working for the American Fur Company and at times as an independent fur trader, Clapp traveled extensively, spending time in the West Indies, the Great Lakes region, and New York City. In the late 1830s, he settled in St. Louis where he was connected with the western American Fur Company. He died June 24, 1849, in St. Louis.
