There might be no greater folk hero in American history than Davy Crockett. He epitomized the emphasis of Western expansion and the idea of it being a manifest destiny. Learning to fire a rifle at the tender age of 8, he attended just 4 days of formal schooling. You see, he beat up the bully at the school and never came back in case there were consequences by the teacher or revenge taken by the bully.
1. 3x Congressman
Crockett served three times in Congress representing his district. He also served a term in the state house as well. Showing the signs of the times, he was elected in two different parties for his three different terms. His defeat for a fourth term, however, may have sealed his fate as he went off to fight for the independence of Texas.
2. Remember the Alamo
His defeat for a fourth term actually made Crocket begin to hate politics. He decided to go back to his roots, remembering his service during the War of 1812 and other battles he fought on behalf of the US Army. In 1836, he was killed during the famed Battle of the Alamo. A lieutenant for the Mexican army at the time documented that Crockett didn’t complain or humiliate himself while being tortured.
3. Larger Than Life
Crockett had a lot of experience being a woodsman. That’s where he fled after beating up the school bully and developed his hunting skills. He would often go hunting with his brothers and this turned him into quite the sharpshooter. Many of the tales that were spun about him grew into stories that were larger than life, but that status is what carried him into a political career and into American history.
4. A Father of 5
What is often lost in the story of Davy Crockett is his family life. It took him 4 years to work off his father’s debt, which he began doing about the age of 16. He was married twice and had five children. He even sacrificed time for his country by re-enlisting after the War of 1812 because of this love, eventually being discharged as a 4th Sergeant.
Davy Crockett is known as a frontiersman, a soldier, and a legend. His story may have come to a tragic, premature end, but his heroics will continue to live on as long as the US remains a nation. His fierce desire for independence is what many attribute to the modern American spirit.
