User Reviews

If you're as old as I am, you might have caught Fess Parker back in the mid-Fifties portraying Davy Crockett on 'Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color'. I remember watching those shows even if I can't remember a single one, although I can still recall the opening line of that popular song - 'Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier'. I wouldn't know until watching this show the other day that Crockett wasn't particularly fond of the name Davy, much preferring David instead.

Most folks regard David Stern Crockett as a famous frontiersman in history, but in addition to his skill as a hunter, he was an affable man, a jokester and someone who could tell a good story. As he grew up, he became ambitious with political aspirations which took him from the Tennessee legislature right up to Congress in Washington, D.C. Probably the most surprising thing to learn in this episode of 'Legends and Lies' was the fact that Crockett's father placed him into bond servitude at the age of twelve to help pay off a family debt; young David spent a full year in the employ of a neighboring family.

Traumatized by the brutality he witnessed during the Creek Indian War, Crockett found he had more in common with Native American tribes than with the military leaders he served under. This, along with the popularity he achieved as a frontiersman and soldier, put him at odds with the Democratic Party establishment in Washington and future President Andrew Jackson. Crockett voted against Jackson's Indian Removal Act, meant to relocate Indians to reservations distant from their homelands.

Following his disillusionment with Washington, Crockett headed westward to Texas and took up the cause of Sam Houston against the Mexican Army making inroads into that state. Determined to take back a former mission and now a military fortress known as The Alamo, Mexican General Santa Anna launched a thirteen day siege against the structure with forces that exceeded those defending on an order of almost ten to one. Choosing to stay and fight, Crockett was killed at The Alamo in one of the country's defining historical events.

So if all you know about David Crockett is based on TV shows and movies, this episode will prove to be an eye opener. Like the other shows that have already aired, you'll come away with new insights into this man of legend, along with gaining some new historical insight into the early days of the country.

When David Stern Crockett (1786-1836) reached the age of twelve, he became a "bound boy," which was the equivalent of an indentured servant, or essentially a slave. His father John Crockett was an "Over-Mountain Man," crossing the Appalachians to settle in Tennessee. When he went bust, John farmed out his boy for a year as a servant to help pay off the family debts. This experience shaped the ruggedness of David Crockett.

Crockett, who preferred the name David over Davy, developed a reputation as a great hunter with legends surrounding the use of his "long rifle" named "Old Betsy." After marrying Polly Finley and siring a couple of children, Crockett headed off to serve as a scout in the War of 1812. He famously defied his superior, Andrew Jackson, insisting on seeking provisions when the company was starving.

Like Jackson, Crockett had politics in his blood. He moved up the ladder to finally become a Congressman representing the State of Tennessee. Crockett was an early member of the Whig party that challenged the Democratic politics of Jackson. After Polly died, the widower Crockett married Elizabeth Patton, who helped to finance his campaigns. While in Congress, Crockett took a strong stand against the Indian Removal Act of Jackson.

But Crockett was not especially shrewd in politics, and his career came to a screeching halt. At heart, Crockett was not a soldier either, and he felt profound empathy for the Indians. Derisively known as the "Gentleman from the Cane," Crockett now looked to Texas for a fresh start. Crockett was only in Texas for two months before the beginning of the thirteen-day siege of the Alamo by Santa Anna. Crockett's death fighting for the liberation of Texas led to something he could never attain as a Congressman. He became the stuff of legends, King of the Wild Frontier.