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Daniel Boone

by Gunner from Weyauwega


Daniel Boone was a hero to many people a long time ago and is still a hero today. He created a trail through the Cumberland Gap that later led 200,000 settlers west. He was a great hunter that loved to explore and was one of the first of his time to explore eastern Kentucky. Daniel Boone was a hero because he settled west of the Appalachian Mountains which opened up a path for the other settlers.

Daniel Boone had a pretty average homelife for a kid growing up in the "new world". He never went to school and he spent most of his time hunting. He was born in Pennsylvania in late October or early November of 1734. He had 11 siblings and his family was a quaker family. He never went to school when he was younger but he was homeschooled by his mom. His dad wasn't worried about his lack of education because he knew how good of a hunter he was. He spent most of his time hunting when he was younger. Boone got his first rifle at the age of 12. He learned most of his hunting and trapping skills from local white men and some native Americans. His family moved to North Carolina when he 16 years old. He hunted and farmed in his teen years to help support his family. When he was 23 years old he married Rebecca Bryan. They went on to have 10 children together and he hunted a lot to provide food for the family.

Boone was an avid explorer and that's what he's most famous for. In 1769 an old friend of Boone's got Boone and five other men to go with him while he looked for a route to Kentucky. They went through the Cumberland Gap and they called it the wilderness trail. The wilderness trail led 200,000 settlers into eastern Kentucky. When they got there they found themselves a hunter's paradise. Boone was hired six years later to clear a path to the heart of Kentucky. He then founded a town in Kentucky called "Boonesborough" (Chew, Robin). He then moved his family and 50 emigrants west on his wilderness trail. The group had troubles with the local Native Americans and some of his party left due to the brutality of them.

Daniel Boone was still a busy guy even when he wasn't exploring. He was a militia officer in the Revolutionary War as long as an explorer. He was captured by a tribe of native Americans and he was adopted into their tribe. He later escaped from the tribe and decided to help defend the new settlements in Kentucky from native American attacks. He was also a part of the Virginia General Assembly during the war. He got elected to three terms. He fought in the Battle of Blue Licks in 1782 which was one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War. After the war he went into deep debt because of Kentucky becoming a state. When Kentucky became a state many settlers lost their land because they didn't legally own it and Boone was one of those settlers. After he lost his land he moved to Missouri with his son. His wife died on March 18, 1813. Boone lived the rest of his years with his son and he died at the age of 83 on September 26, 1820.

Daniel Boone was a very accomplished guy especially for his time. He managed to find a path that was really needed by the other settlers. He didn't have many supplies to work with but somehow he still managed to explore Kentucky and successfully guided many people on the wilderness trail. He is a hero to me because he was a big catalyst in the settlement of America.

Page created on 4/26/2013 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 4/26/2013 12:00:00 AM

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