Narrative of the Life of David Crockett of the State of Tennessee

I took my tomahawk in one hand, and my big butcher-knife in the other, and run up within four or five paces of the bear, at which he let my dog go, and fixed his eyes on me. I got back in all sorts of a hurry, for I know’d if he got hold of me, he would hug me altogether too close for comfort. Davy Crockett always delighted to be in the very thickest of danger. In his own frontier style, he describes his earliest days in Tennessee, his two marriages, his career as an Indian fighter, his bear hunting, and his electioneering. His reputation as a b'ar hunter (105 killed in one season) sent him to Congress. In 1834, when this autobiography appeared, Davy Crockett was already a folk hero with an eye on the White House. A year later, he lost his seat in Congress, then turned toward Texas and, ultimately, the Alamo. Narrative of the Life of David Crockett of the State of Tennessee is one of the most significant documents of the American pioneer experience in the first half of the nineteenth century. In addition, it’s a fascinating and entertaining book for anyone interested in U.S. history.