Daniel Boone and Harry Truman

Today is Daniel Boone's birthday. I suppose we should go out into the wilderness, what wilderness we might find, and find something new. Daniel Boone was a part of the great migration in America from the east westward toward the limits of this continent. At the beginning, the presence of the claims of other countries and cultures and the mandates of the King of England forbade the movement of colonists from the coastal states westward toward Kentucky and beyond. It is a simple act of free will which caused Dr. Thomas Walker and Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton to cross over the great geographical barrier of the Appalachian mountain range from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky and North Carolina into the new lands beyond the horizon.

This was the physical manifestation of the words written by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.

This is also the anniversary of the day upon which Harry Truman, a former senator from Missouri, Vice President of the United States, and sudden President after the death of Franklin Roosevelt won the election of 1948, against the conventional wisdom and opinions of nearly everybody. The picture of Harry Truman holding a copy of the Chicago Tribune declaring that Governor Thomas Dewey had beaten Truman in the election became a famous example of just how wrong 'experts" can be concerning political elections.

Part of the irony of this photograph derives from the fact that these 'experts' were so certain about their opinions that they were willing to declare Dewey the winner even when the numbers weren't even counted. The second factor present in the allure of this photograph derives from the fact that the 'experts' didn't respect Harry Truman in the manner in which he should have been considered. He was a politician from Independence, Missouri, had no college education, and had been a political unknown on the national political scene prior to being picked by Roosevelt to be his Vice President. Of course, Roosevelt was so strong at the time that he could probably carry a ticket by himself, the identity of his Vice President being somewhat insignificant.

When Roosevelt died in office in 1945, the presence of Harry Truman as the successor in line became suddenly significant. Ironically, President Roosevelt's relative, Theodore, was also considered a political neophyte when the death of the President thrust him into the office of the President. Both presidents earned respect for their actions during their tenure in office.

We might garner two lessons from the lives of Daniel Boone and Harry Truman. First, it is in the nature of Americans to strive for new worlds and new possibilities, no matter what the obstacles. Secondly, you should never underestimate the desires and efforts of Americans when they want to achieve something.