Davy Crockett
Alamo's coonskin defender
Davy Crockett was an American frontiersman, soldier, and politician who became a folk hero in his own lifetime.
He served in the U.S.
Congress representing Tennessee and died defending the Alamo in 1836.
His legend—amplified by almanacs, stage plays, and a 1950s television series—made him a symbol of rugged American individualism, often depicted in a coonskin cap.
He fancied himself a Davy Crockett type.
One who colonizes territory
- westward expansionSpreading in sunset's direction
- TennesseeSixteenth state admitted
- TexasSecond-largest American state
- frontierEdge of settlement
trailblazer · homesteader · migration · territory · exploration · American expansion · adventurer · pathfinder
House of Representatives member
- TennesseeSixteenth state admitted
- WhigAnti-monarchist political faction
- House of RepresentativesPopulation-based legislative chamber
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
constituents · Indian Removal Act · opponent · democracy · representative · campaign · election · populist
Wildly exaggerated story
- coonskin capFur hat with tail
- balladNarrative poem or song
- legendUnverified traditional tale
- mythosBody of foundational legends
American folklore · campfire stories · oral tradition · Disney · theme song · exaggeration · boasting · humor
Uncultivated, uninhabited natural region
- backwoodsmanRustic wilderness inhabitant
- hunterPursuer of prey
- trapperOne who catches animals
- scoutOne who reconnoiters
bear hunter · woodsman · survival · buckskin · rifleman · Betsy · flintlock · bushcraft
Encirclement forcing surrender
- defendersThose who shield others
- 1836A calendar year
- fortressHeavily defended military structure
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
martyrdom · garrison · standoff · fall · Santa Anna · mission · San Antonio · last stand
settler
One who colonizes territory
- westward expansionSpreading in sunset's direction
- TennesseeSixteenth state admitted
- TexasSecond-largest American state
frontier · trailblazer · homesteader · migration · territory · exploration · American expansion · adventurer · pathfinder
congressman
House of Representatives member
- TennesseeSixteenth state admitted
- WhigAnti-monarchist political faction
- House of RepresentativesPopulation-based legislative chamber
legislation · constituents · Indian Removal Act · opponent · democracy · representative · campaign · election · populist · orator
tall tale
Wildly exaggerated story
- coonskin capFur hat with tail
- balladNarrative poem or song
- legendUnverified traditional tale
mythos · American folklore · campfire stories · oral tradition · Disney · theme song · exaggeration · boasting · humor · larger-than-life
wilderness
Uncultivated, uninhabited natural region
- backwoodsmanRustic wilderness inhabitant
- hunterPursuer of prey
- trapperOne who catches animals
scout · bear hunter · woodsman · survival · buckskin · rifleman · Betsy · flintlock · bushcraft · tracking
siege
Encirclement forcing surrender
sacrifice · martyrdom · garrison · standoff · fall · Santa Anna · mission · San Antonio · last stand · Travis
- American folklorePaul Bunyan, tall tales, folk heroes, John Henry, folk narratives
- Famous TexansSam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Jim Bowie, LBJ, George W. Bush
- folklorefairy tales, fairytales, folktales, folk tales, folk tale
- TexasAlamo, Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio
- Westward ExpansionOregon Trail, Lewis and Clark, covered wagons, pioneers, frontier
- Wild Westcowboy, howdy, sheriff, giddyup, lawmen
Davy Crockettcoward
Person lacking bravery
villain · Billy the Kid · Jesse James · outlaw · bandit
Davy CrockettSanta Anna
Eleven-time Mexican president
Benedict Arnold · King George III · Pancho Villa · Sitting Bull
Davy CrockettJohn Quincy Adams
Sixth American chief executive
city slicker · Martin Van Buren · Oscar Wilde · Daniel Webster · aristocrat