t's true that most of our heroes aren't what they seem to be. Sometimes I believe people make up the tales to give others inspirations to be better people. People see what they want to see, and often that would be the legend rather than the real person . History is full of legend, but the truth is usually far more interesting. Davy was not actually born in Tennessee.. Rather he was born in a long lost state called Franklin that was a branch off from north Carolina
Even though it seems Davy was quite an uneducated vagabond, his fame served as an inspiration to many. Maybe that's why he was made out to be so magnificent. .Most of the information about Davy Crockett was taken from his own autobiography and a series of Crockett's almanacs, published between 1835 and 1856. His versions were largely skewed in his favor.
What truly brought Crockett back to fame was Walt Disney. In 1854 Disney launched a TV mini-series about the hero calling it "Davy Crockett, Indian fighter." Davy Crockett became an instant success and folk hero. In just a few months millions of dollars worth of official Davy Crockett bubblegum cards, toy guns, jackets, and the famous coonskin caps sold. The well-known Davy Crockett theme song hit the top 20 four times nationally.
Davy Crockett actually deserted his wife and family. And this was not the first time. When he was a boy he also ran away from home for three years to avoid punishment for skipping school. Davy Crockett stayed out on the frontier because it was much easier than to live at home with his large flock of children. He left them and never bothered to return ever again.
In reality, Crockett avoided battle like the plague. He was known for sending someone in his place. As a congressman he had the worst absentee record in thehistory of America.
The only true facts that seem to be consistent with legend is that Crockett did actually die at the Alamo. However, in Paul Sann's book Fads, Follies, and Delusions, he states that Crocketts death was stupidity not heroism. We were taught that Crockett went down fighting. However, in truth, he actually tried to bargain for his life before being executed.
James Crips, Ph. D. From Yale, wrote a book, Sleuthing the Alamo, that agreed with the diary of Jose enrique de la Pena, a Mexican officer who was present at the Alamo. Pena wrote about his witnessing the capture of the American defenders and Crockett's attempt to talk his way out of dying. Crockett, according to Pena's writings, was identified to Santa Ann (Mexican General and President of Mexico) with two other officers. Santa Anna denied his pleas, and ordered all survivors be immediately executed. Crisp's book tends to authenticate Pena's account at the Alamo, which was written in the 1950s.
One of the first books written about the Alamo was written in the same year that the Alamo fell, by Richard Penn Smith, titled Colonel Crockett's Exploits and Adventures in Texas . The book states that Crockett was captured and eventually executed.
The tall tale that Crockett went down fighting came about by those who were dissatisfied with the notion that Davy Crockett allowed himself to be captured. He had been a huge legend in his life, and it was expected he remain true to his hero status in dying. Despite the myth being based on no evidence whatsoever, this myth has been passed down through history year after year. Until 1975, when the actual facts of what happened caught up to the myth.
John Fisher stated in Harper's magazine that the tall tale of Crockett shooting over 100 bears in nine months was also a lie. He states that Crockett's friends and listeners of the tale didn't believe a word of it because they knew Crockett couldn't count that high. People tend to believe what they want. It makes people feel better to support pre-existing ideas than believe the horrible truth.
Was Davy Crockett a hero or a coward? Either way it is certainly debatable.
I enjoyed reading this very much!
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