Daniel Boone

The Legacy of a Great Pioneer

Daniel Boone was a man with a vision. The thrill of nature and journey within it were grounded in him since childhood and stuck with him all of his life. Ahead of his time he was a pioneer in all aspects of the word. He was a man of the frontier and an exploring trailblazer in search for new and promising lands west in the new country. But most importantly he was a man who developed new techniques and new areas of thought when it came to hunting and dealing with the native peoples. Because of this he was able to gain such insight into many concepts foreign to his anglo-european people that would prove to be lifesaving and groundbreaking on several occasions.

Daniel began shooting rifles at a young age and realizing his talent for it he became quite fond of hunting for game. Because of this he was often in the woods for days as a teenager and met a diverse group of people from this. He learned the hunting ways of the Indians by being in their woods with them and was able to gain a wealth of knowledge and respect from them. His Grandfather George Boone was known to the Indians for befriending and assisting natives as he helped retrieve two native girls kidnapped by settlers with terrible intentions. So in the woods young Daniel realized the name Boone meant well with the Indians as he was befriended by them. I especially liked the way Faragher put it when he described these natives young Daniel met in the woods as his, “forest teachers.” (Faragher 19) He goes on by explaining that, “These men of the forest frontier instructed Daniel in a way of life that combined elements of both cultures and bridged many differences between Indian and European.”( Faragher 20) This why I also believe Daniel was a pioneer in understanding and communicating with the natives in a peaceful and mutual relationship. With a respect for the land and its people Daniel realized and understood the ways of Indians at a very young age from hunting and interacting with them in the woods in his nearby Pennsylvania home. These hunting techniques and philosophies learned in the forest would prove to be some of the most valuable insight Daniel would come across in his life.

Understanding the ways that these different people thought enabled him to have such confidence in dealing with altercations, and the ability to come to a reasonable solution.