Daniel Boone was one of the most famous American frontier explorers and is considered one of the most heroic figures in the history of
the U.S. What Daniel Boone went through in his quest to settle Kentucky is what garnered him the most fame. Born in Berks
County, PA, in 1732, Boone was a trailblazer, outdoorsman and skilled hunter who also gained international attention when
his autobiography was included in part of a book entitled "The Discovery, Settlement and Present State of Kentucke" by
John Filson. The facts and information listed below, written in a kid-friendly format, highlight why Daniel Boone was such an
important part of U.S. history.
Daniel Boone- Early Years and Interesting Facts
Ever since Daniel Boone was a young child, one of his favorite things to do was to explore the outdoors and the woods near
his home. He would tend to the family's cows and hunt using homemade weapons.
After getting his own rifle at the age of thirteen, he fined tuned his marksman skills and became an excellent
sharpshooter, often winning awards in competitions. He would disappear for days on hunting excursions for his family.
When Daniel Boone was about sixteen years old, his family moved from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. Because settlements
in the area were continually under attack by Native American Indians, Boone joined the local militia to help defend the
land.
Daniel Boone was taught the basics of reading and writing, not through formal education, but from his older brother's
wife.
He fought in the French and Indian War, which began in 1754, where he was fortunate to escape with his life when the French overpowered his team near Fort
Duquesne.
In 1756 he married a woman named Rebecca Bryan, whom he had ten children with; six boys and four girls.
Daniel Boone - Expedition and Settlement of Kentucky
Boone first learned of a place called "Kentucke" through a friend named John Findley, whom he had met during the French
and Indian War. He described the land as a paradise to hunters with deer, wild turkey, buffalo and bears roaming the land.
Boone's dreams of exploring Kentucky frontier were finally realized when he accompanied his friend, John, and several others on a
lengthy and daring expedition which brought them through the Appalachian Mountains where they discovered a narrow
passageway called the Cumberland Gap.
On his first trip to what is now the state of Kentucky he was captured by the Shawnee Indians who took his furs and all of his supplies. He was forced to
return home with nothing.
In 1775, Boone returned once again to Kentucky via the Wilderness Trail, a trail he helped to build by chopping down trees and building bridges so that wagons
could
travel through it. A fort, which was named Boonesborough, was built near the
Kentucky River.
Once the Wilderness Trail was established, Boone moved his family to this promising new frontier land.
Daniel Boone- Later Years
In 1799, after many years spent in Kentucky, Boone and several other local families moved westward into frontier territory that was then under the control of Spain
and
that is now part of the state of Missouri.
He was appointed by the Spanish as a commandant (or syndic) which meant he had the authority to settle disputes that arose among the frontiers people of the region
where he lived.
Boone is remembered for settling local land disputes among settlers under what became known as the "Judgment Tree".
The last twenty years of his life were spent in Missouri, where he continued to explore until his death from natural causes in 1820.