Daniel Boone
By
Alana Rainey
Some might think of Daniel Boone as a children’s book character with a raccoon skin hat,
a musket and moccasins, and that’s partially true except Daniel Boone was a very real
outdoorsman. Daniel Boone was an American pioneer and frontiersman who was the first folk
hero in the United States. He is know as a legendary hero for his adventures trail blazing through
the Cumberland Gap in the Appalachian Mountains and for his relationship with the native
Americans.
Boone was born on November 2, 1974, in Pennsylvania to Squire Boone Sr and Sarah
Morgan. He had 10 siblings and grew up in a Quaker homestead where his father was a
blacksmith and his mother a homemaker. He was home schooled by his mother and his father
taught him survival skills such as hunting, gathering, trapping, and woodwork. His father
considered a formal education more for his daughters and preferred Daniel to only learn the
basics such as reading and writing and had him focus more on his hunting skills. He quickly
found that he had a talent for hunting and was one of the youngest in his area to successfully kill
a bear. His family moved to North Carolina in 1750 where the settled near the Yadkin River.
He married Rebecca Bryan on August 14, 1756, after he returned from the military where
he fought during the French and Indian war as a wagon driver during the Battle of Monongahela.
In the battle they worked to drive out the French which ended the Braddock expedition. The
Braddock expedition was a failed attempt to capture the French Fort Duquesne in 1755. Together
Daniel and Rebecca had 10 kids and 1 of whom died as an infant. During one of his expeditions
Rebecca thought that Daniel had died so she began a relationship with one of his brothers and
together they gave birth to a daughter. When Daniel returned they reunited and he raised the little
girl as his own. They had 68 grand kids and their grandson Enoch was the first white man to ever
be born in Kentucky.
Daniel Boone
By
Alana Rainey
In 1767 Daniel made his first journey to Kentucky where he explored the Cumberland
Gap. The Cumberland Gap is located in the Cumberland Mountains which is within the
Appalachian Mountains and is a passage way through the long ridge of the mountains.
Nowadays the Gap is a part of the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and is an important
part of the Wilderness Road. When Boone first visited the Gap on a brief excursion he realized
that he wanted to come back and explore it further. He made a second trip on May 1, 1769,
where he was successful is helping open up a trail that would be used by pioneers for generations
to come. He was captured by Shawnee Natives and was told to never come back to the area as it
was their land, but that did not stop him from wanting to explore the region once again. He
decided to make another trip to the Cumberland Gap with his family and friends and was
