14. | Daniel Boone was born on 22 Oct 1734 in Oley, Berks, PA, USA (son of Squire Boone and Sarah Morgan); died on 26 Sep 1820 in St. Charles Co., Missouri. Other Events and Attributes:
- Category: USA Famous People
- Fact: 1775, Cumberland Gap, TN; Cumberland Gap
Notes:
Early Life Daniel Boone was born around November 2, 1734, in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. Although he had little formal schooling, he learned to read and write. As a youth, his family (English Quakers) moved to the Yadkin River valley region on the North Carolina frontier. Boone spent most of his life as a wandering hunter and trapper, venturing as far south as Florida and possibly as far west as present-day Missouri and Nebraska during his travels.
Exploring the Frontier Boone is best known for helping blaze a trail through Cumberland Gap, a notch in the Appalachian Mountains near the juncture of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. While many white people had traversed Kentucky before him, Boone’s explorations contributed significantly to the region’s knowledge. In 1767, he first ventured a short way through Cumberland Gap to hunt, and later, from 1769 to 1771, he returned to Kentucky to trap and hunt. His explorations provided valuable insights into the Kentucky and north-central Tennessee region.
Trailblazing and Settlement In 1773, Boone led his own and several other families to Kentucky, but they were attacked by Cherokee Indians just beyond the last settlement. Despite this setback, Boone persevered. In March 1775, he and 28 companions were employed by Richard Henderson’s Transylvania Company to blaze a trail through Cumberland Gap. The result was the Wilderness Road, which ran from eastern Virginia into the interior of Kentucky and beyond. This road facilitated the immediate opening of the first settlements in Kentucky, including Boonesborough, Harrod’s Town, and Benjamin Logan’s.
Boone’s legacy as an early American frontiersman and trailblazer remains indelible, and his adventures continue to capture our imagination.
Daniel married Rebecca Bryan between 1753 and 1783 in North Carolina. Rebecca (daughter of Joseph Bryan and Alice Or Aylee Linville) was born on 9 Jan 1739 in Berkely, WV; died in 1813 in MO. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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