Davy Crockett

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Alternate meaning: Davy Crockett (nuclear device)

Davy Crockett

David Crockett (David de Crocketagne August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an 19th century American folk-hero usually referred to as Davy Crockett. He represented Tennessee in the U.S. Congress, served in the Texas rebellion, and died at the Alamo.

1 Early life
2 Political career
3 Texas Revolution
4 Post Alamo
5 Davy Crockett on Film
6 See also
7 External links
8 Further reading

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Early life

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Crockett was born in Greene County, Tennessee, descended mostly from Ulster-Scots. He was the fifth of nine children of John and Rebecca Hawkins Crockett. David was named after his paternal grandfather.

Crockett stood about 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) and weighed approximately 190 lb (86 kg).

On 12 August 1806 David married Polly Finley. Their first child was born 10 July 1807 (John) and William (b.1809) then Margaret. In 1815 his wife Polly (1788-1815) died. David remarried in 1816 to Elizabeth Patton and had four children by her. On 24 September 1813 he enlisted in the Second Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Riflemen for ninety days and served under Col. John Coffee in the Creek War. He was discharged from service on 27 March 1815. Crockett won the election of lieutenant colonel of the Fifty-seventh Regiment of Militia on 27 March 1818.

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Political career

On 17 September 1821 Crockett was elected to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances. In 1826 and 1828 he was elected to Congress. As a Congressman, Crockett supported the rights of squatters, who were barred from buying land in the West without already owning property. He also opposed President Jackson's Indian Removal Act, and his opposition to Jackson caused his defeat when he ran for re-election in 1830 but won when he ran again in 1832.

Crockett's last home in Rutherford, Tennessee, Gibson County.

In 1834, his book, titled A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, was published. Crockett went to the East to promote the book, and was narrowly defeated for re-election. In 1835 he was again defeated for re-election, saying "I told the people of my district that I would serve them as faithfully as I had done; but if not, , .."You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas" and he did just that, joining the Texas Revolution. In November of 1835, he left Tennessee for Texas. On 14 January 1836 Crockett and 65 other men signed an oath before Judge John Forbes to the Provisional Government of Texas for six months. Each man was promised about 4,605 acres (19 km²) of land as payment. On 6 February 1836 Crockett and about a dozen remaining men rode into San Antonio de Bexar.

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Texas Revolution

On 31 October 1835 Crockett leaves for Texas, writing "..I want to explore Texas well before I return". He arrives in Nacogdoches, Texas in early January 1836. " I have taken the oath of government and have enrolled my name as a volunteer and will set out for the Rio Grande in a few days with the volunteers from the United States". He took part in the Battle of the Alamo (February 23 - March 6, 1836) and was assigned to defend the south palisade in front of the chapel. The Texas forces of 180-250 were overwhelmed by the attacking 1,300-1,600 Mexican soldiers. Tradition has it that Crockett went down fighting inside the Alamo. Controversial evidence has come to light since 1955 (Jose Enrique De la Pena diary) indicating that there may have been a half dozen or so survivors, with Crockett perhaps among them, taken prisoner by Mexican General Manuel Fernandez Castrillon after the battle and summarily executed on orders by General and President of Mexico Antonio López de Santa Anna.

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Post Alamo

In 1838 Robert P. Crockett went to Texas to administer his father's land claim. In 1854 Elizabeth Crockett finally came to Texas where she died in 1860.

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Davy Crockett on Film

Davy Crockett (1910) A silent film
Davy Crockett (1916)
Davy Crockett at the Fall of the Alamo (1926)
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1954)
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

The publicity for Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier spawned a brief Davy Crockett Craze amongst the children of Britain in 1956. This Crockett phenomenon is referenced in books of the time such as the Molesworth series by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle.

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