Daniel Boone became one of the most famous frontiersmen in American history, but the real story behind the legend was filled with violence, personal tragedy, captivity, and conflict over the future of Kentucky. Long before the United States existed, Boone crossed the Appalachian Mountains into territory claimed by Britain, Native nations, and competing land speculators.
After Boone’s eldest son was captured and killed during an attempted settlement expedition, the Boone family abandoned Kentucky. Daniel Boone eventually returned, helping carve the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap and establishing Boonesborough along the Kentucky River. The settlement soon became a major target during the American Revolution as British officials and their Native allies attempted to stop American expansion into the region.
Boone survived capture by the Shawnee, escaped in time to warn Boonesborough of an approaching attack, and helped defend the fort during one of the most dramatic sieges of the American frontier. Yet the man who opened Kentucky to hundreds of thousands of settlers ultimately lost much of his own land through disputed claims, mounting debts, and years of legal battles. This is the complicated true story of Daniel Boone and the struggle that transformed the American frontier.
Written and hosted by Mike Droberg. Forgotten History is a 10th Legion Pictures Production.
