In two weeks, the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving Day, with family dinners, the National Football League on television, and memories to last a lifetime. History books used in schools long held the notion that the meetings between Native Americans and European settlers were harmonious and full of warmth. The image its projects is heartwarming and removes the dark truth behind a clash of cultures which saw horrific violence, death, destruction, and the extinction of Indigenous people. Settlers courageous enough to venture in unsettled areas faced life or death decisions daily, and in some cases, they paid the ultimate price for their curiosity. Among these settlers in search of new territory was Daniel Boone (1734-1820), a frontiersman who is credited with westward expansion resulting in the settlement of what is known today as the State of Kentucky. This book is a discussion of his life and the turbulent continent of North America by authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. And to call it eye-opening would be an understatement. This book is must-read.
Boone’s name is known in American history. However, the full story is far more complex than the snippets provided in textbooks. The story told here is not a “feel good” account but a raw and unfiltered look at hardships of life during the 1700s and the deadly battles which raged as white settlers pushed further west. I must warn readers that this book is vivid, containing graphic descriptions of battlefield injuries and post-mortem desecration by both Native Americans and the new explorers. Scalping is a well-known custom of Native tribes but the extent to which remains were altered surpasses the depravity of the head wounds one would receive on the losing end of a conflict. Boone would come to have his own experiences battling Native tribes but before we reach the part of the book where blood is spilled, we are provided with a recap of the Boone family and Daniel’s upbringing.
A sizeable portion of the story takes place before the creation of the United States of American on July 4, 1776. Of course, the war is discussed, but it is a back story to Boone’s account. The North America examined by the authors was a land of open territory home to Native Americans. However, the Indigenous people who lived here had a vastly different view of land, and this difference in cultures would set the stage for the bloody battles to follow. I had previously read books which focused on the American frontier and the expansion of the United States, and while those stories were eye-opening, this book is just as gripping, and there were sections of the story which gave me chills.
As I read, I noticed that the version of Boone we have come to know is different from the real Daniel Boone. We see in the story that the real Danie Boone did not see himself as a folk hero but as a frontiersman with a deep understanding of the complexities of Native American tribes and the dangers of being captured by the Indians. Proof of this comes from Boone’s own ordeal following his capture by a Native Americans. The surreal story is revisited, and it provides us with an inside look at the experiences of people taken as property. Boone lived to tell his tale, but others did not. Grisly fates awaited those chosen for death, and those scenes rival the battlefield atrocities we learn of as the story progresses. And both the tensions and acts of vengeance increase tenfold through the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774 and Battle of Blue Licks in 1782. Boone was not at the first battle, but the latter would have tragic consequences for Boone and his family. The role of Boone’s brother Squire (1744-1815) was a curveball I did not see coming and left me speechless. The same applies with brother Edward “Neddie” Boone (1740-1780). And at home was Boone’s wife Rebecca (1739-1813) who increases their family size repeatedly throughout the story. This is significant because the amount of time Boone and other explorers were away from home was extensive, and without the aid of telephones and other means of quick communication, information traveled slowly, sometimes taking months to arrive. Frankly, Rebecca was left at home and more than once believed Boone had died. Today it seems unthinkable but in the 1700s, this was the reality of life as an explorer.
Eventually, the American colonists declare war on their British rulers, and the movement for independence kicks into high gear. Although the story here does not focus on the war extensively, it is a factor in the story. Further, the settlement of Boonesborough comes into focus, and the showdown Boone has with Native American tribes lead by the Shawnee in September 1778. It is a pivotal moment in the story, and it help to cement his legacy in American history. Additionally, there are other figures in the story who were also in charge of campaigns against the native tribes, and their roles in the reshaping of North American should not be overlooked such as Richard Henderson, the man behind the ill-fated Transylvania Purchase in March 1775 and Brigadier General George Rogers Clark (1752-1818) of the Virginia Militia.
Following the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the story winds down and Boone life enters the final stages in the 1820s. Surprisingly, for a man who experienced a staggering amount of physical and emotional pain, he lived longer than most of the people around him but never forgot the pain which came from the tremendous losses his family suffered as North America was engulfed by conflict. The United States Government eventually succeeded in claiming lands once inhabited by Native Americans, and in the process, many became victims of extinction. These dark chapters in American history should not be forgotten and when we give thanks for the lives we have, we should remember those who died in violent conflicts across the continent. Highly recommended.
ASIN: B08BYC44VP
Publisher : St. Martin’s Press, April 20, 2021
FREETHINKING BIBLIOPHILE 
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