Davy Crockett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Davy Crockett
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Davy Crockett portrait by Chester Harding (1834)
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 12th district |
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| In office March 4, 1833 – March 4, 1835 |
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| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Adam Huntsman |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 9th district |
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| In office March 4, 1827 – March 4, 1831 |
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| Preceded by | Adam Rankin Alexander |
| Succeeded by | William Fitzgerald |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Crockett
August 17, 1786 Limestone, Greene County, Tennessee, (at that time, part of North Carolina) U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 1836 (aged 49) Alamo Mission, San Antonio, Texas |
| Political party | National Republican (Anti-Jacksonian) Whig (after 1833) |
| Spouses | Polly Finley (1806–1815; her death) Elizabeth Patton (1815–1836; his death) |
| Occupation | Pioneer, soldier, politician |
| Signature |  |
David Crockett (born August 17, 1786 – died March 6, 1836), often called Davy Crockett, was a famous American frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He was also known as the “King of the Wild Frontier.” He represented the state of Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1827 to 1831 and again from 1833 to 1835. He played a part in the Texas Revolution and died during the Battle of the Alamo when he was 49 years old.
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Davy Crockett's Early Life and Family
Davy Crockett was born in Tennessee. A copy of the cabin where he was born can be seen today at Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park.
His family name, Crockett, came from a French captain named Monsieur de la Croquetagne. His family became Protestants and left France in the 1600s.
Davy had a challenging childhood. He traveled a lot and had many adventures. He started hunting with his brothers before he was nine years old. Soon after starting school, he got into a fight with a bully. He left school to avoid being punished by his teacher. When his teacher told his father, Davy ran away from home to avoid a beating. He then moved around Tennessee, Virginia, and other places. This story comes from a book Davy Crockett wrote about himself.
He returned home when he was 15, and his family welcomed him. He married Mary (Polly) Finley just before his twentieth birthday. They had three children together. Sadly, Polly died young. In 1815, he married another woman named Elizabeth Patton. They also had three children.
Davy Crockett's Time in Politics
Crockett served in the Tennessee Militia for a few years. Then, he decided to run for Congress in 1824 but lost the election. However, he ran again in the next election. In 1827, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives.
As a Congressman, he disagreed with President Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act. This act forced Native Americans to leave their traditional lands. Davy Crockett spoke out against it. He lost his re-election in 1830. But he ran again in 1832 and won his seat back.
In 1834, he wrote a book about his own life called A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett. Written by Himself. He lost his re-election to Congress that same year.
Davy Crockett and the Texas Revolution
Around December 1834, Crockett told friends he might move to Texas. Texas was part of Mexico at that time. The next year, he talked with his friend Benjamin McCulloch about going to Texas to fight in a Texas Revolution against Mexico. When Martin Van Buren became president, Davy left Tennessee on November 1, 1835. He traveled to Texas with three other men.
He arrived in Nacogdoches, Texas, in early January 1836. On January 14, 1836, Crockett and 65 other men took an oath (a serious promise) to the Provisional Government of Texas. They promised to volunteer for six months and head to the Rio Grande. Each man was promised about 4,600 acres (about 19 km²) of land.
Davy Crockett arrived at the Alamo on February 8. There were over 100 other men there. On February 23, a Mexican army, led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna, surrounded the Alamo. They were ready to attack it. After the Mexican army had been there for eight days, 32 more men arrived to help defend the Alamo.
On March 6, the final battle began. According to one witness, Susana Dickinson, Davy Crockett stopped to pray in the chapel before going to his fighting spot. When the Mexican soldiers climbed over the walls of the Alamo, they pushed the few remaining defenders back toward the church. The Battle of the Alamo lasted about 90 minutes. All the men defending the Alamo died, including Davy Crockett.
Davy Crockett's Legacy
One of Crockett's famous sayings was: "Always be sure you are right, then go ahead." This saying, along with others, was published in almanacs between 1835 and 1856.
Even when he was alive, many books and plays were written about Crockett's life. Some of these stories made the truth a bit bigger. After his death, he became a very popular figure in American folklore (traditional stories and legends). In the 1950s, there was a popular television show about him. It featured a famous song called "The Ballad of Davy Crockett." Many children at the time wore "coonskin" hats to look like him.
In 1967, the U.S. Postal Service released a 5-cent stamp to honor Davy Crockett.
Images for kids
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A stone honoring Davy Crockett's birthplace.
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A replica of the cabin where Crockett was born.
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The marriage contract for David Crockett and Margaret Elder, October 21, 1805.
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A U.S. postage stamp from 1967 featuring Davy Crockett. -
Davy Crockett in a painting by William Henry Huddle, 1889.
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A portrait of Davy Crockett by John Gadsby Chapman.
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A knife believed to have been used by Davy Crockett during the Battle of the Alamo.
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A coffin in the San Fernando Cathedral said to hold the ashes of the Alamo defenders. Historians believe the ashes were likely buried near the Alamo.
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The David Crockett Spring in Crockett, Houston County, Texas.
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A statue of Colonel Crockett in Lawrenceburg Public Square.
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The Alamo Cenotaph, a monument honoring the defenders.
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See also
In Spanish: Davy Crockett para niños
