David’s father stood beside the stone chimney and spoke to his son. “It’s time to grow up, lad,” he said. “Mr. Siler has hired you to go to Virginia with him. He’s run ragged trying to keep the cattle with him, and he needs a young ’un with strong legs and keen eyes to help him out. Better hitch the wagon and say your good-byes.”

Growing up in Greene County, Tennessee, Davy Crockett was educated through the toil of hard labor. Working as a farm hand and wagon driver, he learned about the people and the land of the West—and he was captivated. The untamed wilderness, the sound of wild animals, and the roar of the river would be his destiny.

One of America’s best-known folk heroes, Crockett served as a frontiersman, a scout, a soldier, and a politician in the U.S. Congress. He died defending the Alamo, a steadfast citizen and heroic leader to the very end. (1786–1836)