Boone, Daniel: - Daniel Boone was an American pioneer and frontiersman. He was born on November 2, 1733, and died on September 26, 1820. His adventures made him one of the first American folk heroes. He became well-known because he explored and settled Kentucky, which at the time was west of the Thirteen Colonies. In 1775, Boone cut the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky, despite opposition from American Indians who used the area as a hunting ground. He started Boonesborough, which was one of the first places where people spoke English west of the Appalachians. By the end of the 18th century, more than 200,000 people had followed the path Boone had marked to get into Kentucky. Even though not everyone remembers him well, Boone is still a famous person in American history. He was a legend in his own time, especially after a book about his travels came out in 1784 and made him well-known in the United States and Europe. After he died, many brave tall tales and works of fiction were made about him. His real and made-up adventures helped build the classic American frontier hero of folklore.