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Johnny Appleseed Facts & Worksheets

Johnny Appleseed is a folk hero whose story is based on the life of John Chapman.

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Johnny Appleseed is a folk hero whose story is based on the life of John Chapman. He was an American nurseryman who built an orchard along the American Midwest.

See the fact file below for more information on Johnny Appleseed or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Johnny Appleseed worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Man Behind the Name

  • John Chapman was born on September 26, 1774, in Leominster, Massachusetts. 
  • He was the son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Chapman. 
  • His father was a minuteman at the Battle of Concord. 
  • He served under General George Washington in the Continental Army.
  • In July 1776, John’s mother died after giving birth to his brother who also died a few days after he was born. 
  • In the year 1780, his father returned home and married Lucy Cooley. 
  • They had a big family with ten children together.
  • John persuaded his half-brother Nathan Cooley Chapman to go west to Ohio with him. 
  • The brothers had lived a nomadic life until their father brought their family to Marietta, Ohio in 1805. 
  • Nathan Cooley Chapman decided to stay and help their father while John had begun his apprenticeship with Mr. Crawford as an orchardist. 
  • Johnny Appleseed was known for randomly spreading apple seeds everywhere he went. 
  • He traveled, particularly in Pennsylvania and Ohio. 
  • He built nurseries, left them under the care of neighbors, and returned every year to tend the nursery. 
  • He was also easily identified due to his clothing. 
  • He wore a sack with holes for his head and arms and worn-out shoes or sometimes, no shoes at all. 
  • Besides using it for cooking, Johnny Appleseed also wore a tinpot as his hat. 
  • He also always carried a bag of apple seeds. 
  • Johnny Appleseed’s first nursery is located at the bank of Brokenstraw Creek, the southern part of Warren, Pennsylvania. 
  • He then moved to Venango County along the shore of French Creek. 
  • Nurseries were mostly built in the Mohican River.
  • Johnny Appleseed planted the trees for several purposes but those did not bear edible fruits. 
  • These can only be primarily used to make hard cider and applejack.
  • Orchards he had also served as an important legal purpose of establishing land claims.
  • In 1819, John Appleseed was in an accident. 
  • While he was hop-picking, he fell and his neck was caught in the fork of the tree. 
  • One of his helpers, John White, who was just 8 years old back then, found him struggling on the tree. 
  • As he couldn’t get Appleseed out of the tree, John saved Appleseed’s life by cutting the tree instead. 

Beliefs

  • John Appleseed was a follower of the New Church. 
  • While traveling, he would tell stories to children and also spread his faith, and preach to both Anglo-American and indigenous people he met. 
  • In return, he received a temporary shelter where he could sleep or sometimes have food for supper. 
  • He was also able to convert many Native Americans by sharing the gospel. 
  • He was a vegetarian and never married. 
  • John Appleseed was a believer of animal rights and condemned cruelty in all living things including insects.
  • In the 19th century, a man named Henry Howe visited all the countries in Ohio and collected many stories about John from the 1830s. 
  • In relation to him being caring and respectful with animals, an excerpt from Henry Howe’s story tells that: 

“One cool autumnal night, while lying by his campfire in the woods, he observed that the mosquitoes flew in the blaze and were burned. Johnny, who wore on his head a tin utensil which answered both as a cap and a mush pot, filled it with water and quenched the fire, and afterward remarked, “God forbid that I should build a fire for my comfort, that should be the means of destroying any of His creatures.” Another time, he allegedly made a campfire in a snowstorm at the end of a hollow log in which he intended to pass the night but found it occupied by a bear and cubs, so he removed his fire to the other end and slept on the snow in the open air, rather than disturb the bear.”

  • Another story from Eric Braun stated that Appleseed had a pet wolf whom he healed when it injured its leg.
  • Johnny Appleseed was said to be welcomed everywhere and was treated with kindness even by Indians.

Death and Legacy

  • There were conflicts on the exact place and time of the death of Chapman. 
  • According to the Goshen Democrat, John Appleseed died on March 18, 1845. 
  • He left his sister an estate of over 1,200 acres of nurseries. 
  • He owned four plots in Allen County, Indiana; a nursery in Milan Township with 15,000 trees; two plots in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
  • The financial panic that happened in 1837 greatly affected his estate. 
  • His trees brought only two or three cents each, in contrast with the six and quarter cents he usually got. 
  • To pay his taxes, some of his lands was sold and others were used for litigation. 
  • Johnny Appleseed festivals were celebrated up to date and statues were built in Northeastern and Midwestern United States to honor him. 
  • Johnny became an official folk hero of Massachusetts. 
  • Johnny Appleseed’s character was made as an inspiration in creating several children’s books, movies, and stories. 
  • In 1948, Walt Disney Productions even produced an animated version of the life of Johnny Appleseed.

Johnny Appleseed Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Johnny Appleseed across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Johnny Appleseed whose story is based on the life of John Chapman, an American nurseryman who built an orchard along the American Midwest.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Johnny Appleseed Facts
  • Identification
  • True or False
  • Check It Out
  • Legend
  • Qualities
  • Johnny Appleseed
  • Garden
  • A-p-p-l-e-s
  • You Are Legendary
  • Is It Important?

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Link will appear as Johnny Appleseed Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 28, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.