Daniel Boone was one of the first great figures of American folklore. He was an intrepid hunter, tracker, soldier, surveyor, and very much more. There are stories of Boone – barely a teen – killing an attacking panther with a single shot. And Boone killing 100 bears in one year. And tracking down his daughter after she was kidnapped by native Indians. He blazed a trail through the mountains, and led the first colonists into modern-day Kentucky. He explored the frontiers of North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky and Missouri. The only question is – what was really true?
Episodes
Daniel Boone – Part 1 – Early Life
In the first part of our series on American pioneer Daniel Boone, we look at his early life, including his years growing up on the North Carolina frontier, his time in the French and Indian War, and his first excursions over the Appalachian Mountains.
Download this episode or listen online.
Daniel Boone – Part 2 – Kentucky
In part 2 of our series, Daniel Boone becomes a woodsmen of legend as he comes to know Kentucky like no man. In the process, he will identify the Cumberland Gap – one of the great mountain passes in American history – and establish the first European settlement in Kentucky – Boonesborough. In the process, he will lose his eldest son in the never-ending wars with the Native Indians.
Download this episode or listen online.
Daniel Boone – Part 3 – The American Revolution
In part 3 of our series, Daniel Boone and the settlers of Kentucky struggle to survive in the early years of the American Revolution. Boonesborough will withstand many attacks. Also, Boone’s own daughter will be kidnapped – making for one of the most dramatic events in Boone’s life. We will wrap up with Boone’s capture of the Shawnee in 1778.
Download this episode or listen online.
Maps
Wilderness Road. Includes the Cumberland Gap and Boonesborough and other important places in Kentucky region. Source: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1797882
Resources
There are many books about Daniel Boone. I’ve included a couple of very good ones that I recommend that were essential to my research on the man. There are probably other good books out there that I didn’t read – but I just didn’t get to them.
Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer, by John Mack Faragher. Published in 1992. Faragher’s biography was the first modern look at Boone – and is still one of the best.
Boone: A Biography, by Robert Morgan. Published in 2008, Morgan really builds on Faragher’s work, making it an even more in-depth look at the legend.
Daniel Boone’s Wikipedia page.
“Boone’s First View of Kentucky” by William Tylee Ranney, 1849. Source.
John Findley pointing to the beautiful lands of Kentucky to Daniel Boone and others in their hunting party, June 7, 1769.
Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap – By George Caleb Bingham – Bridgeman Art Library: Object 29102, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23197838
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