Davy Crockett was an American militiaman, politician, revolutionary fighter and frontiersman.
He served in the Tennessee Legislative Assembly before becoming a member of the United States Congress. Towards the last period of his life, he went to Texas where he died while fighting in the famous Battle of Alamo.
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Davy Crockett joined the Tennessee militia in 1802 was still a very young man. At the time, Andrew Jackson was leading efforts in the region to counter Native American tribes. He mainly hunted game, foraged for food and performed other non-combat activities during his service in the militia.
In 1817, Davy Crockett was appointed as the justice of the peace of the county. This marked his move towards a political career. In 1821, he ran for the Tennessee General Assembly and won his seat. After serving in the state assembly for several years, Crockett ran for the United States House of Representatives in 1825.
He lost but contested for the House once again in 1826. This time he won and became a member of the House. At the Congress, Crockett supported a better system of land titles. To this end, he tabled a number of bills, many of which were defeated due to a lack of sufficient support.
In 1828, Andrew Jackson was elected as the President of the United States. He passed the Indian Removal Act meant to dislodge Native American tribes from the eastern states and moving them towards the West. Crockett, sensitive to the plight of the Indians, actively opposed the bill.
He was the only member of the House from Tennessee who opposed the bill. His support dented his popularity back at home where he lost the next elections in 1831. In 1833, he was once again elected to the Congress. He lost in his attempt for re-election in 1835.
It was then that he spoke the famous quote attributed to him, ‘I told the people of my district that I would serve them as faithfully as I had done; but if not, they might go to hell, and I would go to Texas’.
In 1830s, there were stirrings that the white settlers in Texas were striving to seek independence from Mexican rule. Crockett knew that a revolution was about to take place and he wanted to partake in the event which might earn the independence of Texas.
He set out to Texas in 1835 and made several stops along the way, attending dinners in his honor and attending meetings. He reached Texas in early 1836 and was soon sent to the Texan volunteer soldiers at the Alamo fortress on February 8, 1836.
In late February, 1836, Mexican forces reached the Alamo fort and laid siege to it. The siege lasted until March 6 when the Mexican forces stormed the fort. Texans defending the fort, including Crockett, fought bravely and were killed to the last man once the fort fell. His adventurous life and glorious death made Crockett a folk hero of United States.
