When Disney picked up the saga of Davy Crockett in the 1950’s, they added greatly to the myth of the King of the Wild Frontier. Crockett isn’t known to have favored coonskin caps, nor to have killed a bear by the age of three.
But after reading American Legend, the Real Life Adventures of David Crockett, by Buddy Levy, you get the idea that ol' Davy would have applauded Disney’s efforts.
The book, which appeared in paperback in December of 2007, makes it clear Crockett (the Indian fighter, bear hunter and politician) cultivated, enjoyed and employed his tall tales as his main political trademark. Today’s campaign watchers have gotten so serious someone like Crockett would have been run off after the first primary.
For people who like true-life adventure, Crockett’s life had plenty of the real stuff. Before being killed at the Alamo, which immortalized him forever, Crockett had had some real close calls and big adventures, well described in this latest book.
Born in 1786 near present day Knoxville, Crockett later recounted his early years in his Narrative, portraying a Huck Finn-like youth spent at his father’s tavern and on the road up and down the east coast of the still fledgling nation.
Crockett wrote/co-wrote that it was amazing to think that a boy who was still illiterate at 16 years of age would end up in Congress.
In spite of later fame, the one driving force in Crockett’s life could be described as either a decided lack of skill or luck in business. If they weren’t sad, Crockett’s business misadventures would be comical. He had mills, gunpowder factories, farms and distilleries that were burned, flooded, or foreclosed on. He made barrel staves that were lost in a shipwreck on the Mississippi, where Crockett later gained a reputation for going down with the ship - literally.
As one critic of the book noted, Crockett was the first true media star. He became famous for being famous. Actually, he became famous for using his extraordinary skill at bear hunting, woodsmanship and yarn spinning to gain entry into politics.
While other candidates would recite their skill and knowledge of subjects in a highbrow manner, populist Crockett wrote in later works that good story telling and entertaining the voters would win the day.
Using “natural born sense,” Crockett advanced from a magistrate position (though he later admitted he had no idea of the laws) to serve in the Tennessee legislature and then the U.S. Congress for several terms––even being considered as a presidential candidate at one point.
But despite the image of Crockett going to Washington to set things straight, his record is meager at best. The only Congressional legislation he ever worked on involved land claim issues among people like himself who were settling in unsettled or Indian territory.
To his credit, he did face down president Andrew Jackson when as a congressman he lobbied and voted against the Cherokee removal as immoral and unfair––a very laudable shining spot in Crockett’s Washington career.
As an interesting comparison to modern politics, Crockett’s failure as a politician came from crossing Jackson early on, leaving Crockett without a party and without support, eventually leading to his electoral defeat. Today’s political in-fighting is nothing compared to unabashed partisan politics of the 1800’s when duels occasionally settled the questions at issue.
Following his Congressional defeat, Crockett left for Texas. Although many histories/movies indicate he went for patriotism, Crockett had a more practical motive: business opportunities. Crockett ended up at the Alamo where he was killed alongside another famous American, Jim Bowie.
But it was Crockett’s legend that skyrocketed. Even before his death, Crockett had already become famous with plays about him and books written by himself and others, including some almanacs produced in his name.
Levy’s book on Crockett is highly entertaining and provides much to ponder as to how relatively little American politics and media have changed since the 1800’s.
Based on Levy’s book, if Crockett could have seen the later lunchboxes, fake coonskin hats, tomahawks and other marketing gimmicks based on his tall-tales, he would surely have approved. |
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