Daniel Boone was an 18th-century American explorer best known for his exploration and settlement of what is now Kentucky. His explorations and exploits as a frontiersman catapulted him to the status of a folk hero—one of the first ones to emerge from the United States. He was born into a family of Quakers who had been persecuted in England for their dissenting beliefs and had thus moved to Pennsylvania. As one of the several children in his family, Daniel started hunting at the age of 12 to be able to gather enough food for his large family. Even though the children in his family were provided a good education, his interests lay more in hunting and exploring than in reading and writing. He became a skilled hunter and this kindled in him a love for adventure. Hunting also made him familiar with traveling and exploring newer routes in the wilderness. Even though the Quakers were primarily pacifists, he had served during the Revolutionary War as a militia officer. He participated in several expeditions including the military expedition that was part of the French and Indian War in which he served as a wagoner for Brigadier General Edward Braddock during his army's defeat at Turtle Creek. Eventually, he led his own long hunting expedition during the course of which he explored the place which is now Kentucky.