Editing Albert Pike (section)

==Early life and education==
Albert Pike was born in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], on December 29, 1809, the son of Benjamin and Sarah (Andrews) Pike. He grew up in [[Byfield, Massachusetts|Byfield]] and [[Newburyport, Massachusetts]]. His colonial ancestors had settled in the area in 1635,<ref name=mscacw/> and included [[John Pike (settler)|John Pike]] (1613–1688/1689), the founder of [[Woodbridge, New Jersey]].<ref>Albert's descent from his immigrant ancestor John Pike is as follows: John Pike (1572–1654); John Pike (1613–1688/89); Joseph Pike (1638–1694); Thomas Pike (1682–1753/4); John Pike (1710–1755); Thomas Pike (1739–1836); Benjamin Pike (1780–?); Albert Pike (1809–1891).</ref> 

He attended school in Newburyport and [[Framingham, Massachusetts|Framingham]] until he was 15. In August 1825, he passed entrance exams at [[Harvard University]], though when the college requested payment of tuition fees for the first two years, he chose not to attend. He began a program of self-education, later teaching school in [[Gloucester, Massachusetts|Gloucester]], [[Bedford, Massachusetts|North Bedford]], [[Fairhaven, Massachusetts|Fairhaven]] and Newburyport.<ref>Hubbell, Jay B. (1954) ''The South in American Literature: 1607–1900''. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. p. 640.</ref>

Pike was an imposing figure; {{convert|6|ft|m|sigfig=3}} tall and {{convert|300|lb|kg}} with hair that reached his shoulders and a long beard.<ref name="smithassoc">{{Cite web |title="Albert Pike – Hero or Scoundrel?", ''The Smithsonian Associates Civil War E-Mail Newsletter'', Volume 5, Number 1, Civil War Studies.org, Smithsonian Associates |url=http://civilwarstudies.org/articles/Vol_5/pike.shtm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808063358/http://civilwarstudies.org/articles/Vol_5/pike.shtm |archive-date=August 8, 2017 |access-date=June 10, 2016}}</ref><ref name=Cutrer/> In 1831, he left Massachusetts to travel west, first stopping in [[Nashville, Tennessee]]. 

He later moved to [[St. Louis, Missouri]], where he joined a hunting and trading expedition to [[Taos, New Mexico]].<ref name=mscacw/> En route his horse broke and ran, forcing Pike to walk the remaining {{convert|500|mi|km}} to Taos. After this, he joined a trapping expedition to the [[Llano Estacado]] in New Mexico and Texas. Trapping was minimal and, after traveling about {{convert|1300|mi|km}}, half of it on foot, he finally arrived at [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]].<ref name="Cutrer">{{cite web| url = http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpi18| title = Cutrer, Thomas W., "Pike, Albert", ''The Handbook of Texas'', Texas State Historical Association}}</ref>