Davy Crockett Biography

Davy Crockett is a famous hunter and known for all of his hardships throughout his life. He was born on August 17, 1786, in eastern Tennessee. He then died in the battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. Davy Crockett was a very influential person because he is a great frontiersman, patriotic politician who worked for the Tennessee legislature, and soldier. In his early life he was hired out to a man named Jacob Siler, and was then forced to drive cattle. Crockett describes this as “… as little as I knew about travelling, or being from home, he hired me to the old Dutchman, to go four hundred miles on foot, with a perfect stranger, that I never had seen until the evening before.” (Crockett, 1834 p. 23) His parents had never even met this man, but yet sold him out for seven dollars. Even though Crockett was in a confused state, he went onward, knowing that he may never see his precious family again. After four or five weeks of staying with Jacob, he began to plan an escape. He recognized merchants that periodically would travel by his father’s work. Who had promised to take him back to his home, and protect him. As he traveled it began to snow, despite the inhospitable conditions that showed he pushed himself, and eventually returned home to his father. (Crockett, 1834) (Lofaro) Shortly after he returned home, a school opened up, and Davy joined with great excitement. However, he did not stay for long due to a bully, who would beat him. Instead, during school sessions, he would retreat into the woods and return home when school was over so he would not have to confront the bully. “He repeated this pattern for a few days, until the schoolmaster sent a note to his father, asking why he was absent.” (Bartlett) After this, he knew there was an even more painful beating awaiting him from his own father. Davy then fled his home to the woods and evaded his father until he was too enraged to follow him and went home. (Marck) (Bartlett) Davy then ran away with a