The state of Kentucky was founded in 1792 and has grown to now have 120 counties, with a population of about 4.509 million. However, how did Kentucky grow to be what it is now? Before the Europeans, many native tribes lived on Kentucky’s resourceful land. Native Americans are said to have been the first people to live in Kentucky and have been estimated to have lived on the land for more than 12,000 years. The Cherokee were one of the largest tribes living in Kentucky, and they were the first to make contact with Spanish explorers in the 1500s. In the 1600s, European settlers in Virginia developed trading with the Cherokee. In the 1700s, The British smallpox epidemic was brought over to the U; sadly, smallpox affected the Cherokee and halved the large population. After the Seven Year War with the Native Americans, England, and France, the British decided that Kentucky was Indian territory and couldn’t be taken without their permission.
Dr. Thoman Walker and Christopher Gist were the first to explore Kentucky in 1750-1751; however, the Seven Year War affected the exploration and had to come to an abrupt stop. After the war, Daniel Boone came to Kentucky and realized the potential that the land held. In 1775, Daniel Boone led over 200,000 settlers into Kentucky, and they began to set up forts. Virginia had possession over Kentucky’s land, and after the Revolutionary War, the people of Kentucky wanted separation. On June 1st, 1792 Kentucky won independence from Virginia and became the 15th state.
In the late 1700s, Native tribes and settlers started to clash over Kentucky’s land. After a long battle for nearly 50 years, in 1805-1811, the Cherokee ultimately were forced to cede their land to the U.S. government. Following the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Trail of Tears began and Indigenous groups were killed, separated from their family, and forcefully moved from their homes to live in Indian reserves.
As Kentucky’s population grew and the U.S. began to add on states, Kentucky started to learn how to use its resources to invent new ideas. The people of Kentucky learned that they had the best climate for producing whiskey. Bourbon County was where the first whiskey was produced. Kentucky didn’t just learn that the climate was ideal for whiskey, but also horse racing. Kentucky is home to the first-ever circular horse racing unit, which was built in the 1780s. Kentucky has been built from all different people and continues to grow and build new traditions all around us.
