James Grant was an early pioneer within America. His life story is set within the context of a rapidly changing society in the second half of the 19^th century. In that period slavery was rampant; huge numbers of new immigrants continued to arrive from Europe; people began to travel into the vast interior, which opened the west; a brutal civil war ravaged the country; railroads were established nationwide; financial depression hindered growth; and two US Presidents were murdered.

He witnessed at first hand slaves working on southern plantations. He led a wagon train west across the expanse of the Great Plains. He built businesses in Wyoming and in Kansas. He inherited a ranch in Texas, where he also found true love. He had financial successes, and a reputation damaging failure. Later in life he worked to help immigrants settle in New York, where his actions created dangerous enemies.

James Grant was without question a man whose stoicism and above all his humanity shine through his life story.