Davy Crockett, born August 17, 1786
0 comment Sunday, June 1, 2014 |
Davy Crockett was born on this day in 1786. We all know of him as one of the heroes of the Alamo, and those who are old enough will remember the Walt Disney TV series based on Crockett's life. The media image of him, even in his day, was based on a great deal of exaggeration and what we would call 'hype' today.
The image above is that of Crockett's Almanack, a book of tall tales which was published in the 1830s into the 1850s, purportedly written by Crockett although this website indicates he did not write the material nor have control over what was written. The Crockett of the Almanacks was a wild man, something of a mythical figure like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, or other such larger-than-life heroes. (By the way, do the younger generations even know Paul Bunyan?)
If you are interested in the real life Davy Crockett's life, you might navigate around the website linked, though beware of the political correctness.
Another biography of Crockett is here.

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