Parker H. French

Who is Parker H. French?

Parker H. French was a nineteenth-century adventurer, entrepreneur, and swindler. He left no personal records such as letters or diaries, and very few formal records have been found about him. However, he was a central figure in several gold rush memoirs, participated in William Walker's conquest of Nicaragua, and was often in the news in the 1850s because of his exploits —criminal and otherwise. While not a figure of great consequence in American history, French's life provides an insight into antebellum America.