User:Seria 24

Sandy Ramirez Ms. Hasty May 3, 2008 Period 3

David Crockett

Introduction David Crockett was born in Greene Country Tennessee on August 17, 1786. Davy Crockett’s parents were John and Rebecca Hawkins Crockett. David was the fifth child out of the ninth they had. David’s paternal grandfather was killed in his home in Rogersville Tennessee. David was named after him. The elder Davy Crockett, Davy's grandfather, left the settled lands of North Carolina and crossed the mountains into present-day East Tennessee, in search of fresh territory to settle. While his older sons were away with the Revolutionary army at King's Mountain in 1777, the grandfather and his wife were two of a dozen or so settlers living near present-day Rogersville who were massacred by Creek and Cherokee Indians. Crockett stopped attending school because a school bully embarrassed him on his first day. Also, to avoid being beat at the hands of the over strictly school teacher, he began skipping school. After many weeks past, the teacher wrote to David’s father why his son was not attending school. Crockett tried explaining to his father but he would not listen to his own sons’ side of story. David was afraid of his fathers beating so he decided to run away from home to avoid any more trouble with his father. This happened at age thirteen in 1799.

Events That Happened While He Ran Away In the two years that he had runned away from home Crockett visited many villages and towns in Tennessee. He also learned his skills as a backwoodsman, hunter, and a trapper. At age of sixteen, David returned home. Crockett married a woman named Mary (Polly) Finley. Crockett had two children one was named John Wesley Crockett and William Finley Crockett. John was born July 10, 1807 and William was born in 1809 followed by John. They also had a daughter named Margaret Finley (Polly) Crockett. Unfortunately, Polly died and David got married to a woman named Elizabeth Patton and they had three children named Robert, Rebecca and Matilda.

What Took Place at Congress Crockett joined the second regiment of Tennessee Volunteered mounted Riflemen for an initial term. He served under Colonel John Coffee in the Creek war, marching south into present–day Alabama. He took part in the fighting including the final victory under Andrew Jackson at the battle of Horseshoe Bend. He was discharged on March 27, 1815. He was elected lieutenant colonel of the fifty seventh regiment of Tennessee militia on March 27, 1818. Crockett was justice of the peace of town Comitioner. In colonel of the country militia in Tennessee. Crockett was elected to the committee of propositions and Grievances in September 17, 1821. He was also elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1826 and 1828. He supported the rights of Squatters Advertisement. In Congress Crockett became known for the coonskin cap he wore and for his rustic wit and native shrewdness. A courageous legislator, he was dedicated to the defense of his squatter constituents against land speculators and planter aristocrats. His political career was dominated by his determination to pass a bill granting land to people living as squatters in western Tennessee. These efforts involved him in political conflict with such powerful leaders as Jackson and James Polk, later 11th president of the United States.

Results of Congress Terms He opposed Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal act, this cost his defeat for reelection in 1831. In 1833, he ran again and won. The Whig party promoted him as a presidential candidate for the election of 1836. In 1835, Crockett had lost his reelection bid for congress and that ended his presidential for ambitions. First became involved in politics as magistrate of his local community. By 1821, he was elected to the State Legislature, and was reelected to that position in 1823. From 1827 through 1833, Crockett served in the Congress of the United States. However, in his run for a fourth term in Congress, he was defeated by a narrow margin. He unfortunately defeated once again in the reelection of 1835.

Conclusion Crockett published an autobiography in 1834. One of his favorite phrases was “I told the people of my district that I would serve them as faithfully as I had done, but if not…you may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas”. After Crockett’s defeat in the reelection, he left to Texas defeat in the reelection he left to Texas. He wanted to renew his political career. At that time Texas was fighting Mexico for its independence. In 1836, Crockett joined the Texans at the forts at the Alamo with 188 men.

The Texans were able to hold off the Mexican troop for two weeks but in March 6 the Mexicans over ran the Alamo. In March 1836, Davy Crockett, with 139 others, was massacred at the Alamo. Usually, in battles, someone is left to tell the story, but the Alamo had no one. One hundred and eighty-seven men for eleven days withstood the Mexican army of the despot, Santa Anna. When the battle was done, all of the one hundred eighty-seven brave Americans, including Davy Crockett, lay dead on the ground; but with them also lay over two thousand Mexicans, who had died at their hands.

Illustration 1: Alamo Battle David Crockett died in March 6, 1836 at the age of forty-nine. After the Alamo battle, the Mexican burned the dead Texans. It is said that Crockett was secretly buried. They also say he was transported back to Tennessee to prevent Santa Anna from using his body as a trophy. This is not confirmed the conspiracy theories say that the body was cremated with the other Alamo defenders. They believed that few people survived including Crockett, but were executed by Mexicans. Others believed that everyone died in the battle. People say that there were witnesses that say Crockett died in the battle. Crockett fought in the Alamo for the independence of Texas.

Davy Crockett’s heroic death at The Alamo established him as a national hero. On the strength of this fame, his son John Wesley Crockett went to Congress in 1839 and 1841, where he succeeded in securing passage of the Tennessee Vacant Land Bill for which his father had fought so desperately. Davy Crockett of Tennessee, went far in his day by his own effort and achievement, and rose high in the esteem of his fellow men from the humblest of beginnings, as is attested by the rough-hewn native limestone slab, still to be seen at the site of his birth in upper Greene County, near Limestone, in East Tennessee. His tombstone reads: "Davy Crockett, Pioneer, Patriot, Soldier, Trapper, Explorer, State Legislator, Congressman, and Martyred at The Alamo. 1786 – 1836."

Illustration 2: Texas Revolution After taking San Antonio, many Anglo-Americans returned to their homes, leaving about one hundred men in the town, many of whom were volunteers from the United States. Despite rumors that Santa Anna was amassing troops at the Rio Grande, most Texans believed that he would wait until late spring before invading Texas. On February 23, 1836, Santa Anna’s forces entered San Antonio and the Anglo-Americans withdrew to The Alamo, a former mission in San Antonio. William B. Travis, the commander of Texan forces at San Antonio, sent pleas for reinforcements, but only thirty-two men from Gonzales answered the call. For thirteen days, the small force defended the Alamo against more than 2000 Mexican troops.

On March 6, The Alamo fell and its defenders were killed, including Tennessee born frontier hero, pioneer, and politician, Davy Crockett, and Georgia born pioneer, James Bowie. On October 31, 1835, Crockett left Tennessee for Texas, writing "I want to explore Texas well before I return". He went along the Kawesch Glenn, a southwest trail with historical insight. He arrived in Nacogdoches, Texas, in early January 1836. On January 14, 1836, Crockett and sixty-five other men signed an oath before Judge John Forbes to the Provisional Government of Texas for six months: "I have taken the oath of government and have enrolled my name as a volunteer and will set out for the Rio Grande in a few days with the volunteers from the United States.” Each man was promised about 4,600 acres of land as payment.  On February 6, Crockett and about five other men rode into San Antonio de Bexar and camped just outside of the town.  They were later greeted by James Bowie and Antonio Manchaca and taken to the home of Don Erasmo Seguin.

William B. Travis was the commander in charge at the siege at the Alamo. He asked for help against the Mexican forces, to which Crockett responded. The attacking of 8000 Mexican soldiers overwhelmed The Texas forces were of 180-250. Santa Anna raised a blood red flag, which made his message clear. No quarter would be given for the defenders. The numbers estimated of deaths is 189 Texans and at least 1600 Mexicans. Travis supported his entire force but except one of it, he refused to surrender! Davy Crockett died at the Battle of the Alamo. However, the only survivors that survived were three people of the Texans, which was one woman a man, and one child. Crockett was killed at the last final minutes of the siege, having to go back down to Alamo’s redoubt position of the Barracks with the last dozen of them other Texans of Travis’ men.

The survivors who survived the attack were sent and put as prisoners by the Mexican General Manuel Fernandez Castrillon and then they were executed by the order of Mexican General and the president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.