Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone

Introduction When Daniel Boone was born in 1734, parts of what is now the United States still belonged to the British. He was born in Pennsylvania. At that time, Pennsylvania was as far west as most Europeans had ever been. The Americans and the British still fought over the wild land between the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania and the Mississippi River. Daniel Boone brought American settlers into those lands for the first time.

The Adventurous Boy As a boy, Daniel Boone rarely went to school. He loved the trees and wild animals of the forest. He spent all his days in the woods, listening for the calls of birds and the footsteps of animals. He became an extremely skilled hunter. Though he was tall and sturdy, he learned to walk silently. One day he decided he would live in the woods he loved. He got his rifle, whistled to his faithful dog, and disappeared into the gloomy forest.

His parents were not worried at first. Daniel often camped overnight. But by the third night, they decided to gather a search party. The forest rang with their shouts, but nobody had any luck. Daniel hadn't left a trace. Finally, someone spotted a tiny stream of smoke. The party found a simple cabin made of sticks, bark, and moss. Sitting by the fire was Daniel himself. He was surprised that so many people were worried about him. He apologized, picked up his things, and followed the party home. This was the first of many times Daniel Boone disappeared into the forest, leaving his family to worry.

The Quiet Life Daniel's family moved to North Carolina when he was a young man. There he met and married his wife. Soon they had children. He had to work on his farm to support his family. He had to live near town so they could buy goods. He didn't have many chances to go hunting in the woods he loved. But one day, a friend of Daniel's returned from a hunting trip. He had been to Kentucky, which was part of the wild land being fought over. Daniel listened longingly to stories of forests stretching to the horizon and teeming with wildlife. From that day, Daniel vowed he would live in Kentucky.

Daniel went camping in Kentucky with his brother. He had never seen such a beautiful land in his life. The brothers returned to North Carolina, but only long enough to gather their families and friends. They set out for Kentucky with nearly eighty people. The trip took almost two months, and it was dangerous. Daniel Boone and his party were not the only people who wanted to live in Kentucky.