Davy Crockett Biography

Have you ever heard the song about Davy Crockett? One line calls him the "king of the wild frontier." But the song only tells part of his amazing story. Crockett was a hunter, a scout, a soldier, and a politician. He was born in Greene County, Tennessee, on August 17, 1786. He didn't have much education, but he knew a lot of the people, animals, and land of the West. Growing up, he worked as a farm hand, a wagon driver, and other odd jobs.

In 1813, Crockett joined the military and served in the Creek War. The U.S. government was locked in a battle with Creek Indians over land. During the war, he acted as a scout and fought in Alabama and Florida. He even served under Andrew Jackson, a future U.S. president. In 1817, Crockett started a political career in Tennessee. First he held local positions, and then he became a member of the Tennessee legislature in 1821. Crockett joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 1827. He was even considered a possible candidate for president in the 1830s. Even as a popular politician, he never lost his love for the woods and wilderness. Crockett still liked to go hunting for bears while in office.

When his political career ended, Crockett went to Texas in 1835. Texas was part of Mexico at the time. He made a lot of money selling land there. He also helped in the fight for Texas independence. He joined some men at a fort in San Antonio called the Alamo in 1836. Crockett and the others fought off Mexican troops for nearly two weeks. Brave until the end, he died on March 6 defending the Alamo.

© 2009 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.