Excerpt

Excerpt from The Adventures of Col. Daniel Boon, by John Filson

Curiosity is natural to the soul of man, and interesting objects have
a powerful influence on our affections. Let these influencing powers
actuate, by the permission or disposal of Providence, from selfish or
social views, yet in time the mysterious will of Heaven is unfolded,
and we behold our conduct, from whatsoever motives excited, operating to
answer the important designs of heaven. Thus we behold Kentucke, lately
an howling wilderness, the habitation of savages and wild beasts, become
a fruitful field; this region, so favourably distinguished by nature,
now become the habitation of civilization, at a period unparalleled in
history, in the midst of a raging war, and under all the disadvantages
of emigration to a country so remote from the inhabited parts of the
continent. Here, where the hand of violence shed the blood of the
innocent; where the horrid yells of savages, and the groans of the
distressed, sounded in our ears, we now hear the praises and adoration
of our Creator; where wretched wigwams stood, the miserable abodes
of savages, we behold the foundations of cities laid, that, in all
probability, will rival the glory of the greatest upon earth. And we
view Kentucke situated on the fertile banks of the great Ohio, rising
from obscurity to shine with splendor, equal to any other of the stars
of the American hemisphere.

The settling of this region well deserves a place in history. Most
of the memorable events I have myself been exercised in; and, for the
satisfaction of the public, will briefly relate the circumstances of my
adventures, and scenes of life, from my first movement to this country
until this day.

It was on the first of May, in the year 1769, that I resigned my
domestic happiness for a time, and left my family and peaceable
habitation on the Yadkin River, in North-Carolina, to wander through the
wilderness of America, in quest of the country of Kentucke, in company
with John Finley, John Stewart, Joseph Holden, James Monay, and William
Cool. We proceeded successfully, and after a long and fatiguing journey
through a mountainous wilderness, in a westward direction, on the
seventh day of June following, we found ourselves on Red-River, where
John Finley had formerly been trading with the Indians, and, from the
top of an eminence, saw with pleasure the beautiful level of Kentucke.
Here let me observe, that for some time we had experienced the most
uncomfortable weather as a prelibation of our future sufferings. At this
place we encamped, and made a shelter to defend us from the inclement
season, and began to hunt and reconnoitre the country. We found every
where abundance of wild beasts of all sorts, through this vast forest.
The buffaloes were more frequent than I have seen cattle in the
settlements, browzing on the leaves of the cane, or croping the herbage
on those extensive plains, fearless, because ignorant, of the violence
of man. Sometimes we saw hundreds in a drove, and the numbers about the
salt springs were amazing. In this forest, the habitation of beasts of
every kind natural to America, we practised hunting with great success
until the twenty-second day of December following.

---

Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Adventures of Col. Daniel Boon by John Filson

This passage is from The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone (1784), a semi-autobiographical account attributed to the famous American frontiersman Daniel Boone but largely written and edited by John Filson, a Pennsylvania schoolteacher and land speculator. The work blends Boone’s firsthand experiences with Filson’s romanticized, propagandistic vision of American expansion. Published during the early years of the United States, it served to promote Kentucky as a land of opportunity, encouraging settlement despite the dangers of Native American resistance and the hardships of frontier life.

The excerpt functions as both a mythic origin story for Kentucky and a justification for American westward expansion, framing colonization as a divinely ordained progress from savagery to civilization. Below is a breakdown of its key elements, focusing on the text itself while incorporating broader context where necessary.

---

1. Themes in the Excerpt

A. Providence and Divine Destiny

The passage opens with a theological justification for human action, suggesting that even selfish or violent motives ultimately serve a higher, divine purpose:

"Curiosity is natural to the soul of man... yet in time the mysterious will of Heaven is unfolded, and we behold our conduct... operating to answer the important designs of heaven."

• Key Idea: Filson (via Boone) presents settlement as part of God’s plan, absolving settlers of moral responsibility for displacement and violence. The transformation of Kentucky from a "howling wilderness" to a "fruitful field" is framed as inevitable and righteous.
• Historical Context: This reflects the manifest destiny ideology that would later dominate 19th-century American expansionism—the belief that Euro-American settlement was destined and morally justified.

B. Civilization vs. Savagery

The text contrasts the past (wild, violent, "savage") with the present/future (civilized, prosperous, divine):

"where the horrid yells of savages, and the groans of the distressed, sounded in our ears, we now hear the praises and adoration of our Creator; where wretched wigwams stood... we behold the foundations of cities laid."

• Dichotomy: The language demonizes Native Americans ("horrid yells," "miserable abodes") while glorifying Euro-American progress ("cities," "splendor").
• Literary Function: This binary opposition reinforces the idea that colonization is a moral improvement, erasing the complexity of Indigenous cultures and the violence of displacement.
• Rhetorical Effect: The repetition of "we now behold" creates a sense of inevitability and triumph, as if civilization is a natural evolution.

C. The Frontier as a Land of Abundance and Opportunity

Boone’s description of Kentucky emphasizes its fertility and potential wealth:

"The buffaloes were more frequent than I have seen cattle in the settlements... Sometimes we saw hundreds in a drove, and the numbers about the salt springs were amazing."

• Economic Appeal: The passage markets Kentucky as a land of plenty, where game is so abundant that it surpasses domesticated livestock. This would have been highly attractive to potential settlers.
• Mythmaking: The imagery of "extensive plains" and "beautiful level" landscapes contributes to the pastoral myth of America as an untouched Eden, ignoring the fact that Native peoples had managed these lands for centuries.

D. Hardship and Heroism

Despite the romanticized outcome, Boone acknowledges the physical suffering of frontier life:

"for some time we had experienced the most uncomfortable weather as a prelibation of our future sufferings."

• "Prelibation" (a foretaste): This word choice suggests that the hardships were a necessary trial before the rewards of settlement—framing Boone and his companions as enduring heroes.
• Contrast with Reward: The later description of hunting success ("we practised hunting with great success") reinforces the idea that perseverance leads to prosperity.

---

2. Literary Devices and Stylistic Choices

A. Biblical and Classical Allusions

• "Howling wilderness" → Echoes the Book of Deuteronomy (32:10), where Israel is led through a desolate land. This casts Boone as a Moses-like figure, guiding settlers to a promised land.
• "Stars of the American hemisphere" → Evokes the rising of a new nation, comparing Kentucky to a celestial body (a common metaphor in early American writing, e.g., "city upon a hill").
• "The mysterious will of Heaven" → Reinforces the idea of divine providence, a recurring theme in Puritan and Enlightenment-era American writing.

B. Juxtaposition and Contrast

• Past vs. Present:

  • "where the hand of violence shed the blood of the innocent" → "we now hear the praises and adoration of our Creator."
  • "wretched wigwams" → "foundations of cities."
  • This before-and-after structure creates a narrative of progress, erasing the violence of colonization in favor of a teleological (goal-directed) history.

• Nature vs. Civilization:

  • The "wild beasts" (buffalo, described as "fearless, because ignorant, of the violence of man") symbolize the untamed frontier, while the settlers represent order and dominion.

C. Sensory and Emotional Appeal

• Auditory Imagery:
  • "horrid yells of savages, and the groans of the distressed" → Creates a soundtrack of terror, making the past seem chaotic and threatening.
  • "the praises and adoration of our Creator" → Replaces fear with harmony and piety.
• Visual Imagery:
  • "the beautiful level of Kentucke" → Invokes a pastoral ideal, appealing to settlers’ desires for land and beauty.
  • "the foundations of cities laid" → Suggests permanence and grandeur, contrasting with the "wigwams" of Native peoples.

D. First-Person Narrative and Authenticity

• The use of "I" and "we" gives the account a personal, eyewitness quality, making it seem more credible and immediate.
• However, since Filson heavily edited Boone’s words, the voice is partly constructed—blending Boone’s frontier experiences with Filson’s promotional and ideological goals.

---

3. Historical and Cultural Significance

A. Promotion of Kentucky Settlement

• Filson’s pamphlet was propaganda for the Transylvania Company, a land speculation group that wanted to sell Kentucky as a new frontier.
• The exaggerated descriptions of fertility and game were meant to lure settlers, despite the very real dangers of Native resistance (e.g., Shawnee and Cherokee attacks) and the hardships of frontier life.

B. The Myth of the American Frontiersman

• Boone is portrayed as the archetypal frontier hero: self-reliant, brave, and divinely guided.
• This narrative helped shape the American identity as one of expansion, individualism, and conquest over nature.
• Later writers (like James Fenimore Cooper with Leatherstocking Tales) would build on this myth, creating the noble pioneer trope.

C. Erasure of Native Perspectives

• The text dehumanizes Native Americans, referring to them as "savages" and their homes as "wretched wigwams."
• The violence of displacement is framed as a necessary step in progress, a common justification in colonial literature.
• Modern readers often critique this as racist and revisionist, ignoring the complex societies of Indigenous peoples and the ethical costs of expansion.

D. Early American Nationalism

• The passage reflects post-Revolutionary optimism, positioning Kentucky as a new Eden in the American hemisphere.
• The comparison to "the glory of the greatest [cities] upon earth" suggests that America is destined for greatness, a theme that would dominate 19th-century manifest destiny rhetoric.

---

4. Close Reading of Key Lines

1. "Let these influencing powers actuate, by the permission or disposal of Providence, from selfish or social views..."

   • Meaning: Human actions (even greedy or violent ones) are tools of God’s plan.
   • Effect: Justifies colonization by removing moral agency from settlers—if Providence allows it, it must be right.

2. "Kentucke, lately an howling wilderness, the habitation of savages and wild beasts, become a fruitful field..."

   • "Howling wilderness" → A biblical phrase (Isaiah 35:1) used to describe desolation before redemption.
   • "Savages and wild beasts" → Conflates Native people with animals, dehumanizing them to justify removal.

3. "where the hand of violence shed the blood of the innocent..."

   • Irony: The "violence" likely refers to Native attacks, but the text ignores settler violence (e.g., Boone himself was involved in conflicts with Shawnee).
   • Propaganda: Portrays settlers as victims, not aggressors.

4. "the buffaloes were more frequent than I have seen cattle in the settlements..."

   • Exaggeration for Effect: The abundance of game is romanticized to attract hunters and farmers.
   • Economic Incentive: Suggests that Kentucky is a land of easy prosperity.

5. "fearless, because ignorant, of the violence of man."

   • Anthropomorphism: The buffalo are naïve, unaware of human cruelty—mirroring how the text portrays Native people as unprepared for "civilization."
   • Foreshadowing: Implies that innocence will be lost as humans (settlers) bring "order."

---

5. Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is a foundational text in American frontier mythology, blending personal narrative, religious justification, and nationalist propaganda. It:

• Glorifies expansion while erasing Indigenous perspectives.
• Creates the archetype of the American frontiersman (Boone as the prototype for figures like Davy Crockett and Lewis & Clark).
• Uses literary devices (contrast, biblical allusion, sensory imagery) to persuade and inspire readers.
• Reflects the contradictions of early America: freedom vs. conquest, progress vs. violence, divine will vs. human greed.

For modern readers, it serves as both a historical document (revealing 18th-century attitudes) and a cautionary tale about how national myths are constructed—often at the expense of marginalized voices.

Would you like any specific aspect explored in more depth?