Speaker 1: The land along Virginia's coastline had long been settled by
Speaker 1: the eighteenth century, but the territory west of that along
Speaker 1: the Blue Ridge in Piedmont was a different story. Even
Speaker 1: centuries later, those rolling hills and valleys remained largely uninhabited.
Speaker 1: The British government took notice when the French began to
Speaker 1: colonize the Ohio Valley. If the territory became exclusively French,
Speaker 1: their British settlements would be limited to the region east
Speaker 1: of the Appalachian Mountains. To aid in the British colonization
Speaker 1: of unappropriated lands, the Virginia Council and Governor made land grants,
Speaker 1: some of which were quite large. Colonist John Lewis headed
Speaker 1: up the Loyal Company of Virginia, a survey company that
Speaker 1: secured one of the Governor's grants on July twelfth of
Speaker 1: seventeen forty eight. The Loyal Company was granted over eight
Speaker 1: hundred thousand acres surrounding the Virginia and North Carolina area
Speaker 1: and ran westward to present day Kentucky Key. Essentially, the
Speaker 1: company enticed settlers to purchase land. It goes without saying
Speaker 1: that neither the French nor the British consulted the indigenous
Speaker 1: people regarding this landgrad The grant and the company were
Speaker 1: quite the endeavor, but John had help. His neighbors Peter
Speaker 1: and Joshua, as well as friends Thomas Walker and Thomas Merriweather,
Speaker 1: were also Loyal Company grant recipients. When John secured the grant,
Speaker 1: he appointed Thomas Walker as an agent and sent him
Speaker 1: and several other men westward to explore potential land acquisitions.
Speaker 1: The Loyal Company wasn't the only business surveying and selling land, though,
Speaker 1: and got into conflict with another surveying business, the Ohio Company.
Speaker 1: The Loyal Company began advertising promising settler's cheap land. They
Speaker 1: offered buyers the option of reasonable payments. Squatters were forced
Speaker 1: to pay the Loyal Company's asking price. Before Thomas Walker
Speaker 1: and a few of the other men set out to
Speaker 1: survey parts of eastern Kentucky, Peter made a name for
Speaker 1: himself through another more notable expedition. Peter's reputation as a
Speaker 1: skilled surveyor had long preceded him. He had come from
Speaker 1: a family who owned considerable property near present day Richmond, Virginia.
Speaker 1: In addition to his skills and intelligence, his physical strength
Speaker 1: and endurance were about to be tested. Peter had teamed
Speaker 1: up with another surveyor, Joshua Fry, in seventeen forty six,
Speaker 1: to mark off property owned by Lord Fairfax. The uncharted
Speaker 1: territory across the state proved to be quite a dangerous adventure.
Speaker 1: The pair first headed south, marking the dividing line between
Speaker 1: Virginia and North Carolina. The terrain across the Blue Ridge
Speaker 1: Mountains was treacherous, and reportedly the men fought off attacks
Speaker 1: from local wildlife at night. The pair had to sleep
Speaker 1: in trees for safety. Their expedition led Louis Burwell, Virginia's
Speaker 1: acting governor, to commission the men to create a map
Speaker 1: of the region in seventeen fifty. The governor worried that
Speaker 1: the French were potentially encroaching on British territory, and the
Speaker 1: surveyor's previous expedition and detail held material made them the
Speaker 1: most logical choice. Peter and Joshua worked tirelessly on the map,
Speaker 1: printed in seventeen fifty one. In the following years, the
Speaker 1: map's accuracy benefited British generals during the Seven Years War.
Speaker 1: Four copperplate engravings were made of the map, making it
Speaker 1: Virginia's most significant map of its day, and most importantly,
Speaker 1: the map would be used decades later, in seventeen eighty
Speaker 1: one by Peter's son Thomas, as part of a book
Speaker 1: that he would write called Notes on the State of
Speaker 1: Virginia and what was Peter's son's full name, Thomas Jefferson.
Speaker 1: I'm Aaron Mankee, and welcome to the Wild West. From
Speaker 1: Alaska and parts of Canada and throughout the lower forty
Speaker 1: eight States, the indigenous peoples lived independently, each self supporting.
Speaker 1: They built homes or followed the migration of animals. They
Speaker 1: formed their own systems of government and trade whatever foods
Speaker 1: or products they traded. Most indigenous people valued one thing
Speaker 1: above all, their land, and other countries agreed. Europeans first
Speaker 1: began to set up colonies shortly after Christopher Columbus's journey,
Speaker 1: and the Spanish conquistro or Hernando de Soto arrived in
Speaker 1: search of gold in the mid sixteenth century, ordering the
Speaker 1: slaughter of any tribe thought to be hiding gold. Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: the French began to settle in the territories from Canada
Speaker 1: down to what is present day Louisiana. The first English
Speaker 1: attempts at settlements in fifteen eighty five and again two
Speaker 1: years later during the Roanoke Colony failed. The English first
Speaker 1: found success in sixteen oh seven with Jamestown, Virginia. However,
Speaker 1: survival wouldn't have been possible without the help from local
Speaker 1: indigenous tribes. Further north, England established a colony at Plymouth
Speaker 1: in sixteen twenty with assistance from the native peoples. More
Speaker 1: Europeans arrived, all looking to seize land from local tribes.
Speaker 1: Although Native Americans fought to keep their land, the onslaught
Speaker 1: of immigrants and the diseases that they brought forced them
Speaker 1: further into the nation's interior. While England began colonizing the
Speaker 1: New World's eastern regions, the French kept busy with the interior.
Speaker 1: Although we think of the English settlements taking over much
Speaker 1: of present day America, in the mid eighteenth century, France
Speaker 1: controlled more US territory than England or Spain. On April
Speaker 1: ninth of sixteen eighty two, French explorer Robert Cavalier stood
Speaker 1: before a group of Native Americans and announced that their
Speaker 1: land now belonged to King Louis the fourteenth and named
Speaker 1: the region Louisiana after the French monarch. Later, in seventeen eighteen,
Speaker 1: Jean Baptiste Lemoyne founded Nouvelle or Leone in honor of
Speaker 1: Prince Philippe, regent to France and the Duke of Orleon.
Speaker 1: The French and Indian War brought changes in land rights,
Speaker 1: and France surrendered the Louisiana territory west of the misiss
Speaker 1: Sippy to Spain in seventeen sixty two and the rest
Speaker 1: to Great Britain a year later. To Thomas Jefferson, the
Speaker 1: western frontier held great potential. Jefferson shared his father's love
Speaker 1: of exploration and land, and like his father, Jefferson had
Speaker 1: extensive knowledge of American territory. In fact, in seventeen seventy nine,
Speaker 1: while still Virginia's governor, he attempted to strike a deal
Speaker 1: with the Spanish for land access in Louisiana. While the
Speaker 1: deal failed, Jefferson kept his eye on the prize the
Speaker 1: port city of New Orleans. During his rise to power
Speaker 1: in seventeen ninety nine, Napoleon sought to re establish France
Speaker 1: in America. In eighteen hundred, Spain quietly exchanged land in
Speaker 1: Italy for Louisiana. Jefferson feared that Napoleon would cut off
Speaker 1: access to the Mississippi River and the port city. By
Speaker 1: eighteen oh one, Jefferson had become the nation's third president.
Speaker 1: What lay beyond a fifty mile westward radius from most
Speaker 1: settlements remained mostly unknown, though in his address Jefferson promised
Speaker 1: to change that. In support of his belief that God
Speaker 1: had given men land to explore and tame, Jefferson offered
Speaker 1: George Rogers Clark funding to explore the western territory. Clark declined,
Speaker 1: but suggested that his brother William might be up to
Speaker 1: the task instead. When Spain's King Charles the Fourth officially
Speaker 1: signed over Louisiana in eighteen oh two, tensions between the
Speaker 1: US and France escalated. US rights to the ports expired,
Speaker 1: risking large amounts of goods. As Jefferson feared, frontiersmen suggested
Speaker 1: taking Louisiana by force instead, an opportunity presented itself, you
Speaker 1: see years earlier, in seventeen ninety one, a revolt in
Speaker 1: Sandamanga among the enslaved people there started a domino effect,
Speaker 1: forcing France to abolish slavery to stem the violence. It
Speaker 1: didn't work, though, before long, enslaved people took over, and
Speaker 1: more revolts in French owned territories followed. When winter weather
Speaker 1: thwarted Napoleon's plans to send troops from the Netherlands to
Speaker 1: New Orleans and eighteen oh three, Jefferson offered to buy
Speaker 1: the city. To his surprise, the French gave him the
Speaker 1: opportunity to buy the entire Louisiana territory, from Canada to
Speaker 1: the Rocky Mountains and south from the Mississippi River. While
Speaker 1: France had plenty of reasons, Jefferson didn't ponder them too much.
Speaker 1: He had been granted nine million dollars to make the deal,
Speaker 1: hardly close to the twenty two million asking price. Through negotiations,
Speaker 1: the agreed price was dropped to fifteen million dollars, Jefferson
Speaker 1: accepted without Washington's approval. While some approved of Jefferson overstepping
Speaker 1: his bounds, others did not. On May second of eighteen
Speaker 1: oh three, France and the US signed the deal and
Speaker 1: backdated it to April thirtieth, though the US wouldn't take
Speaker 1: over until later that year. The day was bright and
Speaker 1: sunny on December twelfth of eighteen oh three in New
Speaker 1: Orleans main square, officials lowered the French tricolor and hoisted
Speaker 1: the American flag throughout the port. People cheered. Meanwhile, though
Speaker 1: French politician Pierre Clement de la Sas stood on the
Speaker 1: balcony at the town hall and quietly wept go West.
Speaker 1: It's a phrase we've often heard, and even before the
Speaker 1: Louisiana purchase, Jefferson had his mindset on sending explorers on
Speaker 1: an expedition to the Pacific. He wrote Congress on January
Speaker 1: eighteenth of eighteen oh three, asking for twenty five hundred
Speaker 1: dollars for the Core of Discovery. The purpose, he explained,
Speaker 1: would be to establish trade with the indigenous tribes, and
Speaker 1: a CFO water route to the Pacific Ocean existed. Congress
Speaker 1: approved the expedition in February of eighteen oh three. Jefferson
Speaker 1: wrote his secretary Meriwether Lewis four months later, asking him
Speaker 1: to lead the expedition. Lewis had served with the militia
Speaker 1: during the Whiskey Rebellion before becoming Jefferson's secretary. At the
Speaker 1: age of twenty seven. He had risen to the rank
Speaker 1: of captain in the arm Although he was born in Virginia,
Speaker 1: Lewis spent most of his youth in Georgia, where he
Speaker 1: had learned to hunt. Jefferson asked Lewis to document everything
Speaker 1: from plants and animals to the soil, weather and topography,
Speaker 1: and the indigenous people that they encountered. To prepare, Lewis
Speaker 1: studied under the nation's top scientists in Philadelphia. He also
Speaker 1: visited Harper's Ferry to stock up on rifles, ammunition, and
Speaker 1: other supplies that Jefferson thought necessary for the journey. While
Speaker 1: the supplies were shipped to Philadelphia, Lewis began selecting recruits
Speaker 1: to join him. He chose William Clark to be his
Speaker 1: partner and sent him a letter on June nineteenth. In
Speaker 1: addition to his military record, Clark excelled at making maps.
Speaker 1: Lewis explained that their journey would take them well outside
Speaker 1: of US territory, although France and Great Britain had granted
Speaker 1: them a passport. Lewis planned to start from the mouth
Speaker 1: of the Mississippi River. The journey wouldn't be easy, though
Speaker 1: The river current was swift and downed logs submerged under
Speaker 1: the surface might capsize boats. Every observation and every recording
Speaker 1: must be cared for and protected. Jefferson orders included that
Speaker 1: they were to treat all indigenous tribes with courtesy and friendliness.
Speaker 1: He supplied Lewis with smallpox vaccines to give to the tribes.
Speaker 1: On July eighteenth, Clark replied, accepting Lewis's request. Clark was
Speaker 1: also a Native Virginian, although his family had moved to
Speaker 1: Kentucky when he was a teenager. During the summer, Lewis
Speaker 1: had a custom boat made to accommodate the crew. Construction
Speaker 1: took longer than expected, but on August thirty first, Lewis
Speaker 1: and a crew of eleven set off down the Ohio River.
Speaker 1: After overcoming some initial difficulties, they arrived in Clarksville, Indiana
Speaker 1: on October fourteenth, where Clark and an additional nine men
Speaker 1: joined them. And if that coincidence of names Clark and
Speaker 1: Clarksville makes you curious, yes, the place was named after
Speaker 1: a Clark, William Clark's brother George Rogers Clark, the man
Speaker 1: responsible for William's involvement in the first place. It seems
Speaker 1: maybe they were looking for a poetic start to their journey.
Speaker 1: Two months later, the team arrived in Saint Louis. The
Speaker 1: men spent the winter recruiting and training others, growing the
Speaker 1: Corp of Discovery to over seventy people. On May fourteenth
Speaker 1: of eighteen oh four, after gathering additional supplies, the Corps
Speaker 1: headed up the Missouri River on their custom keel boats
Speaker 1: and additional canoes. Strong currents, insects, and heat made for
Speaker 1: a slow and uncomfortable start. Lewis and Clark journaled everything, too,
Speaker 1: naming streams, animals, and plants along the way. Every morning,
Speaker 1: hunters searched for food, and while Lewis walked the shoreline
Speaker 1: documenting what he found, Clark stayed on the boat. Over
Speaker 1: the course of the expedition, Lewis and Clark met with
Speaker 1: and took council with about fifty different local tribes to
Speaker 1: establish goodwill. Lewis and Clark presented the tribe's leader with
Speaker 1: a Jefferson Indian peace metal and offered to trade goods.
Speaker 1: Interestingly enough, they also informed the tribes that America owned
Speaker 1: their lands, and in a shoe of peace, offered military protection.
Speaker 1: In late September, they traveled through Sioux Territory in what
Speaker 1: is now Pierre, South Dakota. Lewis and Clark knew that
Speaker 1: the Tensions between the Sioux and the settlers were high,
Speaker 1: as well as with another neighboring tribe. At first, their
Speaker 1: interactions did not go well, but in the end they
Speaker 1: shared a meal and stories before traveling on. When the
Speaker 1: frost began to appear with regularity and the nights grew cooler,
Speaker 1: the men built a fort for the winter just north
Speaker 1: of present day Bismarck, North Dakota, and nearby lived two
Speaker 1: notable Native American tribes, the Mandan and the Hidatsa. The
Speaker 1: two coexisted peacefully during their more than one hundred and
Speaker 1: fifty day residency. At the camp that they named Fort Mandan,
Speaker 1: they met Sheheke, a member of the Mandan tribe. Much
Speaker 1: of the survival of the corps is owed to him.
Speaker 1: Although white settlers had brought smallpox to the area and
Speaker 1: wiped out a significant amount of his tribe, he still
Speaker 1: offered his assistance, even providing them with a map. But
Speaker 1: the Mandan, of course, weren't the only Native Americans to
Speaker 1: help Louis and Clark. The expedition westward meant crossing the
Speaker 1: Rocky Mountains, and without the help of the Shoshone, the
Speaker 1: trip would be impossible. Fortunately for Lewis and Clark, they
Speaker 1: met Toussaint Charboneau, a trapper and fur trader who had
Speaker 1: two Shoshone wives. One of Charboneau's wives was a teenage
Speaker 1: Shoshone girl named Sakajuwea. In February of eighteen oh five,
Speaker 1: Sakajuia gave birth to a little boy named Jean Baptiste.
Speaker 1: Lewis and Clark learned that she had come to live
Speaker 1: with the Hidatsas when she was a child. Her tribe
Speaker 1: had traveled from the area of Colorado. The Hidatsa attacked,
Speaker 1: taking the women and children with them with a snow
Speaker 1: and ice melting In the spring of eighteen oh five.
Speaker 1: Lewis and Clark sent some of the party back to
Speaker 1: Saint Louis with a variety of soil samples, artifacts, seeds,
Speaker 1: and small animals. The remainder of the camp, including the
Speaker 1: addition of Charboneau, Sakajuwea, and their infant son, began their
Speaker 1: journey west. Lewis journaled new plants and animal specimens, including
Speaker 1: grizzly bears, which they hunted until a few of the
Speaker 1: bears hunted back. That is, on June thirteenth, they came
Speaker 1: to the great Falls. Lewis wrote that the rapids made
Speaker 1: crossing at that point impossible, forcing them to continue on
Speaker 1: foot for eighteen miles, and as you imagine, carrying the
Speaker 1: supplies was backbreaking. Mosquitoes and rattlesnakes were plentiful, and the
Speaker 1: hunters had to contend with those grizzly bears when they
Speaker 1: were out foraging for food. In late July, they reached
Speaker 1: the location on the map marked three forks of the
Speaker 1: Missouri River. They took a few days to rest in
Speaker 1: late July before setting off toward the Continental Divide along
Speaker 1: the deepest of the three streams. At one point, Sakajuwia
Speaker 1: recognized a landmark from her childhood. This was good news
Speaker 1: to Lewis. He was anxious to meet the Shoshone. If
Speaker 1: they were to cross the mountains before winter, they needed horses,
Speaker 1: but the first Shoshone man they met was spooked and
Speaker 1: ran off, fearing that they were the Hidatsa or some
Speaker 1: other tribe who might attack them. It was August twelfth
Speaker 1: when Lewis stood at the Lem High Pass. Instead of plains,
Speaker 1: mountains as far as the eye could see greeted him.
Speaker 1: The view was a thing of beauty, but they needed
Speaker 1: horses now more than ever. Luckily, the very next day,
Speaker 1: the group came upon a few shoshonees. Louis did his
Speaker 1: best to show them that he meant no harm. The
Speaker 1: Shoshone agreed to bring the travelers to their village. They
Speaker 1: were met with warriors, but again Lewis managed to calm
Speaker 1: their fears. Suspicions arose the next day when Lewis pushed
Speaker 1: them for horses. Fortunately, Sakajawea was the chief's sister and
Speaker 1: managed to negotiate the sale of some of the tribe's horses.
Speaker 1: Leuis listened to the Shoshone's advice about their route to
Speaker 1: the Colorado River. These sheer cliffs and rapids would be
Speaker 1: more than just treacherous. The Shoshone advised against the route,
Speaker 1: although they did provide Lewis and Clark with a guide
Speaker 1: to help them over the mountain range. Old Toby, as
Speaker 1: the Shoshone called him, didn't lead the expedition party over
Speaker 1: the easiest terrain, though. Instead he took them due north
Speaker 1: over the rugged Bitter Root Range. From there, he led
Speaker 1: them through a pass along the Continental Divide, where they
Speaker 1: met the Salish, a tribe similar to the Shoshone. Lewis
Speaker 1: and Clark attained more horses and supplies from them while
Speaker 1: they rested for a few days. Lewis and Clark also
Speaker 1: learned that the river leading to the ocean was a
Speaker 1: five day journey through the Bitter Root Range. The corps
Speaker 1: set out on September eleventh of eighteen oh five. Instead
Speaker 1: of five days, the journey took them eleven. The descent
Speaker 1: down the range was difficult on the best of days,
Speaker 1: but winter had come early and the snow was deep.
Speaker 1: One of the horses carrying supplies lost its footing and
Speaker 1: fell to its death. In desperation, Clark set out with
Speaker 1: six men ahead of the group. He hoped to find
Speaker 1: a tribe of Native Americans who might help them, especially
Speaker 1: with food, and thankfully, after just a couple of days,
Speaker 1: the group came across the Nez Perce. The explorers were
Speaker 1: the first white men the tribe had ever seen. Louis
Speaker 1: and the rest of the corps arrived a few days later.
Speaker 1: Due to the language barrier, the group took to sign
Speaker 1: language for communication. They learned that travel by water was
Speaker 1: once again possible, and the men got to work making canoes.
Speaker 1: After leaving their horses with the Nez Perce. The Core
Speaker 1: of Discovery set out on five canoes on October seventh.
Speaker 1: By October sixteenth, they had reached the Columbia River. Lewis
Speaker 1: and Clark finally arrived off the Oregon coast in November
Speaker 1: of eighteen oh five. With winter closing in, the weary
Speaker 1: but joyful explorers set up camp, choosing to stay until
Speaker 1: March of eighteen oh six. As he marveled at the
Speaker 1: beauty of the Pacific, Clark carved a few words on
Speaker 1: the bark of a large pine. William Clark December three,
Speaker 1: eighteen o five. The corp of Discovery made their way
Speaker 1: back across the country in the late spring of eighteen
Speaker 1: oh six. Every time hown they passed through on their
Speaker 1: return journey celebrated their success, and Jefferson rewarded both of
Speaker 1: the men Upon their return to Washington. In addition to
Speaker 1: his salary, Lewis received sixteen hundred acres of land and
Speaker 1: was given the office of governor over the Louisiana Territory. Sadly,
Speaker 1: Lewis developed a drinking problem. On October eleventh of eighteen
Speaker 1: oh nine, he died in Tennessee. Some say that he
Speaker 1: took his own life, while others believe that he may
Speaker 1: have actually been murdered. Clark fared much better. Jefferson appointed
Speaker 1: him an agent for indigenous people's affairs. He also ascended
Speaker 1: to the rank of brigadier general. In eighteen o eight.
Speaker 1: He married Julia Hancock, and when Sakajuea passed away in
Speaker 1: eighteen twelve, Clark and his wife raised her children. The
Speaker 1: following year, he became the governor of the Missouri Territory.
Speaker 1: He passed away in eighteen thirty eight. Without saka Juea's help,
Speaker 1: perhaps the Lewis and Clark expedition would have been different,
Speaker 1: although there are misconceptions regarding her part to play. She
Speaker 1: led the men to her place of birth, where they
Speaker 1: met up with the Shoshone, but she was not the
Speaker 1: guide for the entire expedition. Even so, her translation skills
Speaker 1: and resourcefulness and knowledge of familiar land were crucial to
Speaker 1: the expedition's success. Lewis and the other members of the
Speaker 1: corps noted that her presence with the child helped tensions
Speaker 1: when making contact with new tribes. Warriors knew that no
Speaker 1: woman with a child would travel with a war party.
Speaker 1: It's also noted that saka Juea helped the others become
Speaker 1: more in tune with Native Americans and to see nature
Speaker 1: a bit more from their perspective. Her part in bringing
Speaker 1: together different cultures was immeasurable. On August fourteenth of eighteen
Speaker 1: oh six, Sakajuea, her son, and her husband returned to
Speaker 1: the Hidatsa Mandan settlement. Three years later, Clark offered them
Speaker 1: land to farm in exchange for educating their son. Farming
Speaker 1: life didn't suit zaka Juea and Charboneau, and they returned
Speaker 1: to fur trading. Saka Juea died in eighteen two twelve
Speaker 1: at the age of twenty five, near what is now
Speaker 1: present day Bismarck, North Dakota, and while some believe that
Speaker 1: she was buried on the Wind River Reservation where the
Speaker 1: Lemhi Shoshone tribe lived, others disagree. And as I said before,
Speaker 1: Clark took in her two children, Lizette and Pierre Baptiste.
Speaker 1: Although Jefferson instructed Lewis to take detailed notes on the
Speaker 1: people they met, Lewis never gave the same attention to
Speaker 1: Sakajawea or anyone else in the Core for that matter.
Speaker 1: Although she is undeniably one of the key figures in
Speaker 1: American history. There exists no painting, no descriptions, and no
Speaker 1: drawings of the woman herself. Our history with the indigenous
Speaker 1: peoples of North America is obviously complex and nuanced. It's
Speaker 1: clear from the story of Lewis and Clark that their
Speaker 1: journey west would not have been possible without Native American assistance,
Speaker 1: and to be clear, they seemed grateful for that in
Speaker 1: the moment. Still, the results of that interaction are far
Speaker 1: from ideal. With that in mind, we've set aside one
Speaker 1: more story of exploration, complex relationships, and the pain of history.
Speaker 1: Stick around through this brief sponsor break to hear my
Speaker 1: teammates Ali Steed tell you all about it.
Speaker 2: Daniel Boone was born in seventeen thirty four in Pennsylvania,
Speaker 2: where his parents worked as weavers and blacksmiths. As a
Speaker 2: young boy, he helped his mother tend to the cattle
Speaker 2: in the pastures, where it said his deep love for
Speaker 2: the wilderness and the hunter's life began. Boone was an
Speaker 2: excellent marksman and frequently neglected the cows, choosing to spend
Speaker 2: his days in the woods. Numerous Indigenous settlements existed within
Speaker 2: some twenty or thirty miles of his home, giving young
Speaker 2: Boone the opportunity to learn from several different tribes, and
Speaker 2: his time with them strongly influenced the remainder of his life.
Speaker 2: Deep in the forest, he also met other hunters of
Speaker 2: European descent. White and indigenous hunters hot Boone the ways
Speaker 2: of the forest, and most considered him a friend. In
Speaker 2: the spring of seventeen fifty, the Boone family moved near
Speaker 2: the Yadkin River in North Carolina. After serving in the
Speaker 2: militia during the French and Indian War, Boone returned home
Speaker 2: in the summer of seventeen fifty five. A year later,
Speaker 2: he married Rebecca Bryan, and they settled in the Yadkin Valley.
Speaker 2: Over the years, the family grew with several hungry mouths
Speaker 2: to feed. Boone disappeared for months at a time during
Speaker 2: the fall and winter to hunt for food, returning in
Speaker 2: the spring to sell his pelts to traders. While Boone hunted,
Speaker 2: his wife was left to maintain and defend the homestead
Speaker 2: and raise their children all alone. In seventeen fifty nine,
Speaker 2: a group of Cherokee raided the Yadkin Valley, forcing the
Speaker 2: Boone family and many others to flee to Culpepper County, Virginia.
Speaker 2: Boone remained friends with many of his fellow militiamen, including
Speaker 2: John Findley, a trader that told him stories about the
Speaker 2: lands beyond the Appalachians. In the fall and winter of
Speaker 2: seventeen sixty seven and sixty eight, Boone traveled across the mountains,
Speaker 2: though he never saw the areas. Findley described. Boone's relationship
Speaker 2: with many of the Cherokee people remained good, and he
Speaker 2: occasionally hunted with them while on his travels. He and
Speaker 2: a few other hunters set out for a second trip
Speaker 2: to Kentucky in May of seventeen sixty nine. They followed
Speaker 2: the Great Warrior's Path and crossed Appalachian ridges and valleys.
Speaker 2: Others like Thomas Walker of the Loyal Land Company, had
Speaker 2: also made the same journey. Eventually, the hunters came upon
Speaker 2: the most famous gap in North America, the Cumberland Gap.
Speaker 2: Boone's love of the area prompted him to stay, and
Speaker 2: he didn't return home to his family until May of
Speaker 2: seventeen seventy one. Determined to settle in the area beyond
Speaker 2: the Cumberland Gap, Boone convinced five other families to move
Speaker 2: with him, and in seventeen seventy three he led those
Speaker 2: families along the trails he had previously traveled. Unfortunately, Native
Speaker 2: Americans were upset by the influx of settlers taking over
Speaker 2: their lands and attacked the party, killing one of Boone's sons.
Speaker 2: Despite this tragedy, Boone continued his work in Kentucky. His
Speaker 2: explorations had gained him widespread fame and admiration, and in
Speaker 2: seventeen seventy four, Judge Richard Henderson hired him to explore
Speaker 2: Kentucky and mark at a trail that became known as
Speaker 2: Wilderness Road. In seventeen seventy five, Boone founded a town
Speaker 2: along the banks of the Kentucky River, which he called Boonsborough. However,
Speaker 2: local Shawnee and Cherokee tribes met this settlement with resistance.
Speaker 2: The tribes temporarily kidnapped his daughter in July of seventeen
Speaker 2: seventy six, and the following year Boone was shot during
Speaker 2: an attack, but he recovered. The Shawnee captured Boone in
Speaker 2: seventeen seventy eight, though he managed to escape while on
Speaker 2: his way to buy land permits. Boone was ambushed and robbed.
Speaker 2: The settlers demanded that he repay their money, and some
Speaker 2: even sued. By seventeen eighty eight, Boone left Kentucky and
Speaker 2: relocated to Point Pleasant, West Virginia. There he served as
Speaker 2: lieutenant colonel and legislative delegate of his county before moving
Speaker 2: to Missouri. During the Revolutionary War, Boone lost another son,
Speaker 2: and in seventeen eighty three, as the war ended, Boone
Speaker 2: and his family moved to a settlement along the Ohio
Speaker 2: River in Limestone, Kentucky. Boone had become a legend before
Speaker 2: his death, in part thanks to author John Filson. In
Speaker 2: seventeen eighty three, Philson toured Kentucky, interviewing prominent men. Philson
Speaker 2: met with Boone, who happily shared his stories. The more
Speaker 2: Philson learned, the more he sensed an epic tale, certainly
Speaker 2: far grander than the guide books he had set out
Speaker 2: to write. With guidance from Boone and others, Philson completed
Speaker 2: his book. In the first half, Philson described Kentucky's geography,
Speaker 2: its rivers and soil and climate, and provided a detailed map.
Speaker 2: But in the second half, Philson transformed Boone's stories, enthralling
Speaker 2: readers for Generations to come.
Speaker 1: Grimm and Maud Presents The wild West was executive produced
Speaker 1: by me Aaron Mankey and hosted by Aaron Manke and
Speaker 1: Alexandra Steed. Writing for this season was provided by Michelle Mudo,
Speaker 1: with research by Alexandra Steed, Sam Alberty, Cassandra de Alba,
Speaker 1: and Harry Marx. Fact checking was performed by Gamie Vargas,
Speaker 1: with sensitivity reading by Stacy Parshall Jensen. Production assistance was
Speaker 1: provided by Josh Stain, Jesse Funk, Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick.
Speaker 1: To learn more about this and other shows from Grim
Speaker 1: and Mild and iHeartRadio, visit Grimandmild dot com