Davy (David) Crockett, originally known as David De Crocketagne, was born in east Tennessee on August 17, 1786. Davy was the fifth of nine children in a self sufficient family. He mostly decended from french Hugunots and was named after his grandfather. Despite oppurtunities, he had very little schooling. He ran away from home at the age of thirteen in 1799 to avoid a beating from his father after getting in trouble at school. in order to avoid getting whippings from his teacher, he skipped school. During the years of 1811 through 1813 he served under the command of General Andrew Jackson in the Creek War as a commander of a battalion. He gained a reputation as an Indian fighter and frontiersman in Tennessee. Although he was popular for his military talents, he was also well known for his humor as well as being a great storyteller. Crockett was known as the Spirit of the American Frontier and, by some, as an eccentric woodsman.

Before entering the army, Crockett started his independent life as a cattle farmer. Two years after leaving, he returned home and paid off h is father's debts. Upon returning to his previous employer, he began using rifles (in local shooting contests). Crockett named his first rifle "Betsy." Later, he served as a member of the Tennessee legislature for two terms (1821-1824) and was elected to congress three times, first serving from 1827-1829. He served again from 1829-1831 and from 1831-1833. In 1828 Crockett broke ties with Jackson and the Democratic-Jacksonian party and became a Whig for the remainder of his political career.

Crockett married Polly Finlay in 1806 at the age of twenty. They had two sons, John Wesley and William. After the death of his first wife in 1815, Davy remarried to the widow Elizabeth Patton.

In March of 1836 the Alamo was attacked. Davy, along with 139 other men, was massacred in the bloody battle. The battle of the alamo was unique because there were no survivors to retell what actually happened. Davy Crockett died during the Battle of the Alamo as a hero at the age of forty nine.

Davy Crockett's moto was "Be always sure you are right, then go ahead."

(1996). American West. Retrieved November 13, 2006, from Davy Crockett Web site: http://www.americanwest.com/pages/davycroc.htm

Price, Angel Retrieved November 13, 2006, from David Crockett Web site: http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/projects/price/acrocket.htm

(November 12, 2006). wikipedia. Retrieved November 13, 2006, from Davy Crockett Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett