Johnny Appleseed’s real name was John Chapman. He earned his nickname by planting thousands of apple seeds in America’s Midwest. For this, he became a legend during his own lifetime.
Johnny Appleseed was best known as an apple lover, but he was many other things as well.
He was a peacemaker who tried to calm the trouble between settlers and Native Americans.
He was a religious person who preached to pioneers.
He was a friend to animals and helped forest creatures whenever he could.
He was an eccentric person. That means he did things differently from most other people.
He lived alone in the wilderness. He never settled in one place. And he dressed oddly—really oddly. Settlers always remembered meeting him because he stood out.
He was a storyteller. When Johnny visited pioneer cabins to sell apple seedlings, he talked about his adventures on the frontier. The settlers told his stories to other settlers. Over time, some of his stories were exaggerated or changed. By now, it’s sometimes hard to separate the tales from the truth.
What is the real story behind the legend of Johnny Appleseed? |