Davy Crockett Died at the Alamo, But the Story of How He Lived Remains

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Happy streaming. us to celebrate his image in song, story, and cinema. Here to tell the story of Davey Crockett is Roger McGrath, author of Gunfighters, High Women, and Vigilantes. And he's also a frequent contributor on the History Channel documentaries and a regular contributor here on Our American Stories.

Take it away, McGrath. One of the truly iconic figures of the American frontier is David Crockett. He was a legend in his own lifetime. Now he certainly had tales spun about him that were hyperbolic or entirely fictional, but that was only because his real-life rise from backwoodsmen to congressmen and his extraordinary adventures were heroic and quintessentially American. He stood as a symbol of the new American, the man of the West, and the future of the new republic.

He lived at the dawn of the age called Manifest Destiny, the time of an expanding America that is moving west. Crockett is born just 10 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in a log cabin in Greene County, Tennessee on August 17th, 1786. Davey Crockett is a third generation frontiersman and becomes the fifth of John and Rebecca Crockett's nine children. Davey's father, John, is one of the famous over-mountain men who fights in the pivotal American victory at the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780. But while he is away fighting during the American Revolution, John's parents are slaughtered by Cherokee who align themselves with the British to take advantage of the war to raid and pillage.

One of John's brothers is badly wounded in the attack and left for dead, and another is taken captive by the Cherokee and made a slave for 17 years. Born into this rugged, patriotic environment of pioneering mountain folk, Davey learns marksmanship at a young age, both for hunting and for protection against marauding Indians. Here's Crockett biographer Buddy Levy. Crockett came from a tradition of woodsmen and he would have learned from his father and his uncles how to hunt. He learned how to track. He learned how to identify sign, scat, broken twigs. He also learned rough and tumble fighting from his older brothers.

Here's historians Stephen Harden and David Eisenbach. Crockett's a jokester. He's remarkably funny and he's affable.

People like him. Well, Tennessee at the time was still the American frontier. You got wild animals, you got fights, and it was in this world where there's no kind of solid established law that David Crockett, you know, begins the process of becoming the myth. By the time Davey is 12, his father bounds him out to a perfect stranger to travel 400 miles on foot in a cattle drive to the eastern seaboard with no arrangements for his eventual return home. Three months of intensive labor pass before Davey travels alone in snow and on foot back to his mountain home where his family runs a tavern. But Davey is in for a surprise.

His parents decide he will benefit from formal schooling. He isn't thrilled with confinement in a classroom, but his father is paying for it, so Davey accepts the inevitable. I went four days and had just begun to learn my letters a little when I had an unfortunate falling out with a boy much larger and older than myself, Davey Crockett. Davey begins playing hooky from school, but after a week the schoolmaster contacts John Crockett. Davey now thinks he'll be whipped by both the schoolmaster and his own father. My father told me he would whip me if I didn't start immediately to the school. Finding me rather too slow about starting, he gathered about a two-year-old hickory stick and broke after me. I put out with all my might and soon we were both up to our top speed, but mind me not on the schoolhouse road for I was trying to get as far t'other way as possible.

Davey Crockett, 1834. Davey doesn't stop running and is soon on another cattle drive to the eastern seaboard. For the next two years he has more adventures than most people have in their lifetime. Davey returns home just shy of his 15th birthday.

Here's Crockett historians Gary Foreman and Paul Hutton. David has well reached the age of puberty and his growth is enormous. He has grown several inches. He's changed his features and he is now a young man.

He's no longer the little boy that ran away from home. When Davey got back to the tavern it was nighttime and the evening meal was being served to the hurdles and teamsters. He moved unannounced into the tavern and sat down amidst the other men.

So he got inside the tavern, sat amongst the other travelers at the same table with the family. Finally one of his sisters looked at him, recognized his features and discovered she has just found her long lost brother David. For dear life is constant struggle and the family farm bankrupts the Crocketts. In order to pay his debts Davey's father is forced to make a difficult decision.

Here's criminology professor Arnett Gaston and Stephen Harden. Davey Crockett becomes what is known as a bound boy. It's really a form of indentured service to pay off a debt. It was slightly above being a slave. This had a significant impact on Crockett. We shouldn't as modern people judge John Crockett too harshly. The role of children in the early 19th century was vastly different than it is now. And you've been listening to the story of Davey Crockett and what a story indeed. Born in 1786 his Tennessee frontiersman father, one of nine kids and his father fought in the Revolutionary War and as was so well said there, we can't judge people out of their times. Don't judge the father too harshly.

The role of children was different in the 18th century than it is today. When we come back more of the story of Davey Crockett here on Our American Stories. Here at Our American Stories we bring you inspiring stories of history, sports, business, faith and love. Stories from a great and beautiful country that need to be told.

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Happy streaming. And we continue with our American stories. We last left off with Davy Crockett paying off his father's debts by becoming an indentured servant.

Let's pick up from there. Here again is Roger McGrath. After a year of grueling work, paying off his father's debts to Abraham Wilson and John Kennedy, Davy does something for himself. He understands he needs at least the rudiments of an education. And coincidentally, Kennedy's son runs a school.

Davy strikes a deal. He works for the son two days a week in return for four days a week of schooling for six months. That's the only education Crockett ever had. But in that time, he says, I learned how to read, I learned how to write, and I learned how to cipher. With just six months of formal schooling, young Crockett's real education comes from the frontier itself.

His skill with his rifle becomes his trademark. His reputation begins to grow, but evidently not enough to win himself a girl. Now Davy tried to make his own way. And he was consumed, as young men often are, with thoughts of finding a wife. He courted a young lady named Margaret Elder and took out a marriage license. But she jilted him at the altar and broke his heart. Then in a dance in 1806, he meets the beautiful Mary Polly Finley. He courts her for several months and they fall in love. Polly's mother is initially impressed by the young man, but soon is trying to dissuade her daughter from marrying him. This Davy Crockett is recklessly adventurous.

Polly deserves a settled man with property. It becomes a battle between Crockett and Mrs. Finley. Finally, Davy simply rides up to the Finley house with a wedding party consisting of relatives, friends, and a minister in tow and says he has come for Polly. William Finley convinces his wife to step outside and talk with Crockett. She surprises everyone by apologizing to her daughter's suitor for the way she has treated him and invites the wedding party into the Finley home. The two are married.

Davy is turning 20 and Polly is 18. Crockett feels blessed. As he puts it, he has his own horse and his own rifle and now his own wife. Says Crockett, I needed nothing more in the whole world. Crockett rents property near the Finleys and goes to work establishing a farm.

Children come quickly. A son in 1807, another son in 1809, and a daughter in 1812. By the time his daughter is born, the family has moved farther west twice and Crockett becomes a land owner rather than a renter. Here's Crockett from his 1834 autobiography. I found that farming wasn't what it was cracked up to be.

It was therefore more necessary that I should hunt to get along. In 1812, war with Britain erupts again and the trans-Appalachian country is in the thick of it. Not fighting British troops, but fighting their Indian allies. The Creeks are especially troublesome. The majority of them support the British and become known as the Red Sticks.

A minority, the White Sticks, support the Americans. Receiving arms, trading goods, and occasionally military advisors from the British, the Red Stick Creeks begin raiding outlying American settlements. The Creek attack that caused Crockett and other Tennessee boys to volunteer for service occurs on August 30th, 1813 at Fort Mims, about 40 miles north of today's Mobile, Alabama. So-called Fort was not much more than a palisade of logs around the homestead of Samuel Mims. With the Red Stick Creeks on the warpath, American settlers and peaceful Indians crowd into the Fort for protection.

By late August, the number of people inside the Fort reaches 500, militia men accounting for about half. At noon on the 30th of August, upwards of a thousand Creek warriors assault the Fort and finally set it ablaze, where everyone inside is forced to flee into the old site is forced to flee into the open. The Creek grabs small children by the ankles and swinging them through the air, dash out their brains and logs. Men, women, and children are scalped and dismembered. Pregnant women have their bellies split open and their fetuses ripped out. Said one witness, the fearful shrieks of women and children put to death in ways as horrible as Indian barbarity could invent, could be heard a half mile off.

About three dozen Americans escape, some mortally wounded. Their descriptions of what the Creeks have done reverberate across the frontier. Remember Fort Mims becomes a rallying cry. Tennessee Legislature authorizes the raising of an army of militiamen. Andrew Jackson is named the army's commander.

At the time, Jackson is recovering from a severe wound suffered in a duel. Though he's too weak to get up from his bed, he accepts the appointment saying he'll have an army on the march in nine days. Immediately issues a call for Tennesseans to volunteer for duty.

Although Polly cries and begs David to stay home, he is one of the first to answer Jackson's call. Here's Crockett from his autobiography and Stephen Harden. If every man waited for his wife to be willing for him to go to war, we'd all be killed in our homes. These are the people who murdered his grandparents. These are the people who forced Crockett to leave a loving wife and family. Now we have David Crockett, the soldier, for the first time in his life. When Crockett joined the militia, he was perfect to chase rogue Creeks and got to observe how they move through landscape.

It was something that he in fact emulated. As the army moves southward, Crockett is put in command of a small party of men and is sent out on a scouting mission to find the Creek Indians. Among the volunteers, Davey is very popular. He is known to be honest. One man's account called David the merriest of the merry, keeping the camp alive with his jokes and stories.

During the harsh winter, David spends his own money to buy blankets for the soldiers. In just two weeks, Crockett finds them penetrating deep into Creek country. This gives Jackson all the information he needs to attack. In the early morning hours on November 3, 1813, Crockett and 900 other Tennessee militia under the immediate command of John Coffey race ahead and surround the Creek village of Tallahassee. There are dozens of cabins there with more than 200 well-armed Creek warriors in them. Coffey has his volunteers encircle the village and then sends a portion of his force in a feint at the center cabins. The trap works and the Red Stick Creek warriors are all killed while 84 women and children are taken prisoner. One of the children, a 10-month-old boy orphaned by the fight, is about to be killed by squaws when the troops intervene. He is carried to Andrew Jackson who takes him into his tent and coaxes him to drink a mixture of brown sugar and water. The boy becomes Andrew Jackson Jr. And you've been listening to Roger McGrath tell the story of Davy Crockett and what a story indeed. How he becomes a military man following in his father's footsteps. His father again had fought in the Revolutionary War at a time when the country needed him and here was Davy Crockett well doing what Andrew Jackson wished more men would do. He scouted and tracked down that village and then the Tennessee militiamen did their work on killing all of the Creek warriors and taking the women and children hostage not doing the same thing that the Creeks had done to the women and children of the villages that Jackson was fighting on behalf of. When we come back, more of the story of Davy Crockett here on Our American Stories. So you say hey meta how do I make a latte to make a latte brew two shots of espresso after meta AI gets you caffeinated you start walking to work and you need a soundtrack hey meta play hip-hop music with the built-in camera you snap a pic of a dope mural on the side of a building that you think is worth sharing hey meta text my last photo to Eva sending message after work you had to meet some friends hey nice glasses ray-ban meta glasses the next generation of AI glasses just say hey meta to harness the power of meta AI listen to music make hands-free calls with open your audio and built-in microphones and so much more all while staying present to the world around you shop ray-ban meta glasses at meta.com smart glasses small business owners this one's for you chase for business and I heart bring you a podcast series called the unshakable this one-of-a-kind series will shine the spotlight on small business owners like you who faced a do-or-die moment that ultimately made their business what it is today learn more at chase.com business podcast chase make more of what's yours chase mobile app is available for select mobile devices message and data rates may apply JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC copyright 2024.

Immerse yourself in a world of over a billion vibrant colors with Vizio's Quantum Q-LED TVs no matter where you're sitting everyone gets the perfect view thanks to wide viewing angle enjoy truly immersive gameplay with 120 fps at 1080p you can even stream your favorite songs with the iHeart radio app ready to go on every Vizio Quantum TV from movie nights to gaming marathons the Vizio Quantum TV delivers unparalleled performance and picture head to Walmart to find your Vizio Quantum TV today all right we're all set for the party I've trimmed the tree hung the mistletoe and paired all those weird shaped knives and forks with the appropriate cheeses and I plugged in the partition partition it's a home cocktail maker that makes over 60 premium cocktails plus a whole lot of seasonal favorites too I just got it for 50 off so how about a Closmopolitan or a mistletoe margarita I'm thirsty watch I just pop in a capsule choose my strength and wow it's beginning to feel more seasonal in here already if your holiday party doesn't have a bartender then you become the bartender unless you've got a Bartesian because Bartesian crafts every cocktail perfectly in as little as 30 seconds and I just got it for $50 off tis the season to be jollier add some holiday flavor to every celebration with the sleek sophisticated home cocktail maker Bartesian get $50 off any cocktail maker at bartesian.com slash cocktail that's b-a-r-t-e-s-i-a-n.com slash cocktail it's beginning to sound a lot like the holidays the Roku channel your home for free and premium tv is giving you access to holiday music and genre bass stations from iHeart all for free find the soundtrack of the season with channels like iHeart Christmas and North Pole Radio the Roku channel is available on all Roku devices web Amazon Fire TV Google TV Samsung TVs and the Roku mobile app on iOS and Android devices so stream what you love and turn up the cheer with iHeart Radio on the Roku channel happy streaming and we continue with our American stories and with the story of Davy Crockett we last left off with Crockett and the Tennessee militia battling against the British backed Red Stick Creek warriors in the war of 1812. Let's pick up where we last left off here again is Roger McGrath. The war of 1812 is over in March of 1815 after a treaty is signed recognizing the military stalemate Crockett returns to his family and home in the backwoods of Tennessee but his bliss is short-lived no sooner had he returned home then Polly died she had been fine after the birth of their third child Margaret but she soon took ill and passed on rapidly Davy was devastated Crockett forges on as a widower and a year later marries Elizabeth Patton a widow with two small children of her own she lost her husband in the creek war Crockett will father three children with her he moves west again in 1817 to Lawrence County Tennessee and at the same time he began his political career first his majesty later is colonel of the local militia regiment thus the title Colonel Crockett and soon he began to think about running for the state legislature Crockett's reputation as a frontiersman and soldier make him a standout candidate he becomes the voice of laborers tradesmen pioneers and farmers those building America into the powerhouse it's becoming his camp and style is simple one that involves whiskey drinking and laughable storytelling as hot as blazes out here I bet you all are thirsty we need to wet our whistle here's historian David Eisenbach I hope I get your vote you got my vote yes sir good David Crockett was a politician the frontiersman was part of his image-making campaign in order to get elected to a population that did not want to hear from the old-time politicians when Crockett's elected to the United States Congress he arrives in Washington and still takes the floor of the house pretty much dressed in his buckskins in 1821 he's elected to the Tennessee General Assembly and re-elected in 1823 he's elected in a landslide to the US House of Representatives in 1826 and re-elected in 1828 David Crockett looms huge in the notion of what the American frontier was he became a symbol of possibility of hope that the common man could actually rise to great heights a man with six months education ends up in the halls of Congress it's a uniquely American story Andrew Jackson becomes president in 1829 and the year after he signs the Indian Removal Act which Crockett to Jackson's dismay opposes with Crockett running for re-election Jackson backs his opponent William Fitzgerald who immediately begins running a smear campaign against Crockett's character at a campaign stop in northwest Tennessee Crockett confronts Fitzgerald when Crockett and Fitzgerald arrived for one of their co-stump speeches Crockett stood up and strode toward the stage and said you know if you continue with these casting aspersions I'm going to give you a country caning Fitzgerald leveled his pistol at Crockett's chest and said take one more step and it'll be your last the event with William Fitzgerald and the pistol was devastating to Crockett he had run part of his campaign on his courage and here he was publicly slinking away in front of someone it was kind of an assault to his manhood after a brutal campaign Crockett loses a stunning upset in his re-election bid in 1830 when Crockett lost his bid for Congress he sort of slung home with his tail between his legs he was now broke arriving to find out that his his wife had also left him and he was living alone and he was living alone it was a very low low point in his life that is until a play opens on April 25th 1831 in New York City one of the things that revitalized Crockett in his career was the creation of this play called The Lion of the West at the beginning Crockett was sort of offended by this he felt like he was being made fun of but as it turned out the play actually made him an international celebrity when Crockett loses his election bid for a fourth term in 1834 he starts thinking about moving to the Mexican-held territory of Texas. Bioneers looking for cheap land stream across modern-day Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas into a new frontier full of opportunity. By 1836 30,000 Americans have moved to Texas. Davy Crockett is one of them. By the time the 49-year-old Crockett reaches Memphis some 30 like-minded friends have joined him. The night before they cross the Mississippi a celebration is held in his honor. Bar hopping finally takes the revelers to Neil McCool's. They hoist a whiskey-filled Crockett up on a counter he stands up surveys the crowd and says you may all go to hell I'm going to Texas.

Here's historian Donald Frazier. The Texians were essentially the Anglo settlers in Mexican Texas. These guys were coming to Texas in order to make Texas into a new America. Like the United States Mexico is a new country. It has recently won independence from Spain. One of the heroes of Mexico's war against Spain is General Santa Ana. He is now elected the Mexican president. Bit by bit the ruthless Santa Ana who promotes himself as the Napoleon of the west seizes more power.

He raises taxes takes away freedoms. Now the angry Texians are calling for revolution. They want independence from Mexico. In response Santa Ana sends 500 troops to confiscate weapons from the Americans. When the Texians refuse to surrender their guns Santa Ana makes plans to retaliate. What began as a fresh start in Texas is now a call to arms. Commander of the Texian army General Sam Houston dispatches Crockett and his companions to a garrison where the Texian soldiers recently expelled Mexican troops seizing control of the former Spanish mission now a military fortress called the Alamo located in San Antonio.

They arrive at the Alamo on February 8, 1836. And you've been listening to Roger McGrath tell the story of Davey Crockett. We're lucky to have him. We're honored to have him. What a professor he was for so many years out on the west coast. Any students lucky enough to have studied under him and Greg Hengler did. Well they'll be happy to hear his voice on our national show telling stories about this country Cal State Northridge UCLA Pepperdine that's where Dr. Roger McGrath taught and again we've all had those teachers who brought history to life and they're a blessing and we need more of them now than ever here in this great country. When we come back more of the story of Davey Crockett here on our American stories.

Fought single-handed through the Injun war till the creeks was whipped and peace was in store and while he was handling this risky chore made himself a legend forevermore. You wake up put on your Ray-Ban meta glasses classic style innovative tech you're in you realize you need coffee desperately so you say hey meta how do I make a latte to make a latte brew two shots of espresso after meta ai gets you caffeinated you start walking to work and you need a soundtrack hey meta play hip-hop music with the built-in camera you snap a pic of a dope mural on the side of a building that you think is worth sharing hey meta text my last photo to Eva sending message after work you had to meet some friends hey nice glasses Ray-Ban meta glasses the next generation of ai glasses just say hey meta to harness the power of meta ai listen to music make hands-free calls with open air audio and built-in microphones and so much more all while staying present to the world around you shop Ray-Ban meta glasses at meta.com smart glasses small business owners this one's for you chase for business and I heart bring you a podcast series called the unshakable this one-of-a-kind series will shine the spotlight on small business owners like you who faced a do-or-die moment that ultimately made their business what it is today learn more at chase.com business podcast chase make more of what's yours chase mobile app is available for select mobile devices message and data rates may apply JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member fdic copyright 2024 JP Morgan ready to unleash the power of 4k Vizio's 4k tv collection has you covered with sizes ranging from 43 inches all the way up to a jaw-dropping 86 inch screen experience stunning clarity like never before bringing your favorite shows and movies to life and with watch free plus built in you'll enjoy free live and on-demand tv right out of the box you can even stream your favorite songs with the iHeartRadio app ready to go on every Vizio 4k tv upgrade your entertainment head to Walmart to find your Vizio 4k tv today all right we're all set for the party I've trimmed the tree hung the mistletoe and paired all those weird shaped knives and forks with the appropriate cheeses and I plugged in the partition partition it's a home cocktail maker that makes over 60 premium cocktails plus a whole lot of seasonal favorites too I just got it for 50 off so how about a Closmopolitan or a mistletoe margarita I'm thirsty watch I just pop in a capsule choose my strength and wow it's beginning to feel more seasonal in here already if your holiday party doesn't have a bartender then you become the bartender unless you've got a Bartesian because Bartesian crafts every cocktail perfectly in as little as 30 seconds and I just got it for 50 off tis the season to be jollier add some holiday flavor to every celebration with the sleek sophisticated home cocktail maker Bartesian get $50 off any cocktail maker at bartesian.com slash cocktail that's b-a-r-t-e-s-i-a-n dot com slash cocktail it's beginning to sound a lot like the holidays the Roku channel your home for free and premium tv is giving you access to holiday music and genre bass stations from iHeart all for free find the soundtrack of the season with channels like iHeart Christmas and North Pole Radio the Roku channel is available on all Roku devices web Amazon Fire TV Google TV Samsung TVs and the Roku mobile app on iOS and Android devices so stream what you love and turn up the cheer with iHeart Radio on the Roku channel happy streaming and we continue with our American stories and the story of Davy Crockett let's pick up where we last left off with the arrival of Davy Crockett and his fellow soldiers the Alamo on February 8, 1836 y'all halt right there and state your business we're volunteers from the United States here to fight for the Republic of Texas open the gates up William Travis who is in command of the Texas regulars gets word of an advancing Mexican army here's Crockett from his autobiography take note when this war is won and Texas has achieved their independence these people are going to need a strong leader and I intend to give them what they need on February 22nd the San Antonians celebrate George Washington's birthday dancing and eating tamales and enchiladas what Crockett and those stationed inside the walls of the Alamo including numerous women and children don't know is that an enraged Santa Ana and his army of nearly 2,000 soldiers will arrive the following day and surround the Alamo if you're going to teach these Texians a lesson you need to teach them that lesson at the Alamo so the first thing he does is try to scare them raises a black flag of no quarter the black flag means none of you will be spared and he sets his guns up in strategic position to begin bombarding the Alamo several different times during the siege the sharp shooting of Crockett and his Tennesseans are instrumental in driving back the Mexicans Crockett is living up to his reputation what people need to understand about the battle of the Alamo is that it is a siege and this battle lasted 13 days after one of the battles William Travis writes the honorable David Crockett was seen at all points animating the men to do their duty colonel William Travis 1836 March 5th 1836 starving sleep-deprived and outnumbered more than 10 to 1 Davy Crockett and some 190 Texians refused to surrender and prepared a fight to the death here's the author of Lone Survivor retired U.S. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell man there's a thing that happens when death sets the door most people don't know when the Reaper's going to show up right you just kind of hopefully you die in peace or you die quickly when you see the Reaper standing outside the door and you know he's coming in here for us your world just kind of lends perspective in that moment what was important what's not important who I wish I would have talked to man it's a hell of a thing to to go through that Santa Ana is relentless accepting heavy losses to breach the fortress on the morning of March 6 he launches a massive assault so he was willing to send a political message both to the United States and to the people of Mexico using the blood of his men as the ink for this missing according to Susanna Dickinson who is there throughout the siege and is one of the non-combatants crowded into the Alamo's chapel Crockett steps into the chapel and says a prayer before joining his Tennesseans defending the south wall Crockett and all the Tennessee boys fire their rifles until out of ammunition and then use those rifles at his clubs here's retired U.S. Army General David Petraeus Davy Crockett did what many American patriots have done and that is decide to stay and fight for a cause in the face of an attacking enemy and it speaks volumes about him and about his character after 90 minutes of furious fighting it's over the Mexican army takes the Alamo all of the fort's defenders are killed as we pass through the enclosed ground in front of the church I saw heaps of dead and dying 182 Texans and 1600 Mexicans were killed I recognize Colonel Crockett lying dead and mutilated between the church and the two-story barrack building and even remember seeing his peculiar cap lying by his side Susanna Dickerson Alamo survival 1836 there are approximately 25 different accounts of how Crockett died at the Alamo there's no way to know because there are no credible witnesses to it all I can tell you is Crockett became a Texas icon by dying here he was actually only in Texas two months before he met his death at the Alamo from the smoking ruins of the Alamo a nation will soon learn that Davy Crockett gave his life defending Texas and his family and his family and his family gave his life defending Texas in the American dream General Sam Houston calls on Texans to avenge Crockett's death and remember the Alamo becomes their rallying cry hundreds of angry Texans are drawn to the cause of independence in a little over a month on April 21 1836 Sam Houston and his troops defeat Mexican forces and capture Santa Ana gaining their independence nine years later Texas will become the 28th U.S. state Davy Crockett may well have perished at the Alamo but the Crockett of legend has just begun the Crockett legend easily transfers from stage to motion pictures where he is always featured as the hero and always in a coonskin cap on the night of December 15 1954 America's first ever television miniseries begins airing on Wednesday night at 7 30 p.m 40 million people almost one-fourth of all American television sets glow with the black and white image of a young Texan named Fess Parker starring as Davy Crockett on ABC and now Walt Disney it's characteristic of American folklore that most of our favorite legends and fables are based on the lives of real men like Davy Crockett of Tennessee born on a mountaintop in Tennessee and the show's theme song a ballad of Davy Crockett becomes number one on the music charts for months killed him a bar when he was only three Davy Davy Crockett king of the wild frontier Walt Disney creates a new series called Davy Crockett king of wild frontier it's positioned perfectly because America is still in the post-war era it believes strongly in patriotism and along comes Davy Crockett another effort to re rekindle the light of a hero that people have forgotten for many so many years and it's with this timing that Crockett emerges again as a monumental hero in America's past and he does it in such a way that he captures the imagination of a whole television crowd that remembers him as Kunstkent Capps and a host of other kitsch in pop culture in America the Crockett craze certainly took off with the first episode everyone was really taken aback and unaware they didn't have any marketing ready like they would today it was just something that had to be developed after the fact but quite soon we had little boys and girls running around in Kunstkent Capps and full buckskins rifle trying to hunt bear just like Davy Crockett did trying to talk like Fess Parker did but others made do with imagination and a good stick and they played out the battle of the Alamo in backyards all across America of course more often than not Davy Crockett won his last battle because historical fact was pretty irrelevant to toddlers in America Davy Crockett has had a remarkable afterlife growing to proportions that no one at the time of his death could have ever imagined new crockets have been created meeting the needs of new generations of Americans and I think it's safe to say that Davy Crockett will always live in the American heart at least so long as Americans at least so long as Americans cherish decency and freedom and a terrific job on the production editing and storytelling by our own Greg Hengler and Dr Roger McGrath and what a story this was let's face it the story of Crockett even up to 1828 would have been complete starts with nothing six months of education and he rises to the halls of congress but that's the beginning of the story what happens in the battle of the Alamo 13 days and it was a siege not a battle well this told you everything about the man and his character as General Petraeus noted he stayed and he fought 90 minutes of furious fighting in the end and not long after nine years later Texas became America's 28th state the story of Davy Crockett story of Texas and America here on Our American Stories. Immerse yourself in a world of over a billion vibrant colors with Vizio's quantum q-led tv's no matter where you're sitting everyone gets the perfect view thanks to wide viewing angle enjoy truly immersive gameplay with 120 fps at 1080p you can even stream your favorite songs with the iHeartRadio app ready to go on every Vizio quantum tv from movie nights to gaming marathons the Vizio quantum tv delivers unparalleled performance and picture head to Walmart to find your Vizio quantum tv today it's beginning to sound a lot like the holidays the Roku channel your home for free and premium tv is giving you access to holiday music and genre bass stations from iHeart all for free find the soundtrack of the season with channels like iHeart Christmas and North Pole Radio the Roku channel is available on all Roku devices web Amazon Fire TV Google TV Samsung TVs and the Roku mobile app on iOS and Android devices so stream what you love and turn up the cheer with iHeartRadio on the Roku channel happy streaming hello it is Ryan and I was on a flight the other day playing one of my favorite social spin slot games on Chumbacasino.com I looked over the person sitting next to me and you know what they were doing they're also playing Chumbacasino everybody's loving having fun with it Chumbacasino is home to hundreds of casino style games you can play for free anytime anywhere so sign up now at Chumbacasino.com that's Chumbacasino.com and live the Chumba life sponsored by Chumba casino no purchase necessary vgw group void where prohibited by law 18 plus terms and you wake up put on your Ray-Ban meta glasses you're living all in you realize you need coffee so you say hey meta how do I make a latte brew two shots of espresso after meta AI gets you caffeinated you're ready for some beats hey meta play hip-hop music you had to meet some friends but can't remember the place hey meta call Eva Ray-Ban meta glasses the next generation of AI glasses just say hey meta to harness the power of meta AI shop now at meta.com slash smart glasses take a deep dive into the stories making the news headlines across the world the news agents we're not just here to tell you what's happening but why from me Emily Maitlis and me John Sopel with global's award-winning podcast the news agents dropping daily covering everything you need to know about politics and current affairs and the news agents USA listening to the news agents on America's number one podcast network I heart open your free I heart app and search the news agents to start listening