Davy Crockett
(1786–1836)

One of eight children, Davy Crockett was born in Tennessee. His family struggled with poverty, and when he was only 12, his father put him to work. When he was 18, he decided to improve his education, so he returned to school but only stayed for six months. In 1805, he married Polly Findlay. They had three children. Crockett tried working as a farmer, but had little success. His true interest was in hunting. During the Creek War of 1813–1814, Crockett served as a scout in Andrew Jackson's army.

In 1815, Crockett's wife died of a fever. Devastated by his loss, Crockett and his children moved to a village called Shoal Creek. There, he got remarried to the widow of a fellow soldier, and he eventually had two more children. In 1816, despite his minimal education, the local farmers appointed him as magistrate. In the years that followed, Crocket worked as a justice of the peace, a colonel of a militia, a member of the state legislature, and a member of Congress. In 1836, Crockett fought for Texan independence and died defending the Alamo.

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