Frontiersman: Early Years on the Frontier, 1786-1811 1786      Birth of David Crockett on August 17 to John and Rebecca Crockett in a cabin at the juncture of the Nolichucky River and Limestone Creek in Tennessee. 1788      Crockett's father briefly leaves him and his family to participate in a military expedition against the Chickamaugas. 1798      Young David Crockett works as a drover for Jacob Siler. 1799      Crockett runs away from home after being punished by his father for missing school. He finds employment at various unskilled jobs. 1800      Crockett travels to Baltimore, Maryland, where he works as a teamster. 1802      Crockett returns home. 1803      Crockett works to pay off two of his father's outstanding debts. 1806      Crockett marries Mary (Polly) Finley at Finley's Gap on August 14 in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Student Reading David Crockett was born on August 17, 1786 to John and Rebecca Crockett in eastern Tennessee. Young David was the fifth of nine Crockett children. "My father and mother had six sons and three daughters. I was the fifth son...I stood no chance to become great in any other way than by accident," stated Crockett in his 1834 autobiography, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett of the State of Tennessee. Between the ages of 12 and 18, Crockett worked at various jobs to help his family. He worked as a drover and teamster, tasks that sometimes kept him away from home for months at a time. He eventually enrolled in a small country school but soon left to work as a hired hand. In his autobiography, Crockett acknowledged that "all of my misfortunes growed out of my want of learning." Determined to learn more, he dedicated himself to mastering the fundamentals of literacy by enrolling at a school operated by a neighboring Quaker. Crockett grew up on the frontier and became familiar with the importance of the flintlock rifle. He realized that a qualified marksman could successfully hunt game and be able to provide enough food and clothing for himself and his family. The rifle also offered an element of protection that was important to the backwoods family. Crockett met Mary "Polly" Finley at a frontier frolic, and they quickly took a liking to each other. In his autobiography, Crockett recalled that "she looked sweeter than sugar." The young couple fell in love, and they married on August 16, 1806, one day before Crockett's twentieth birthday. Davy and Polly had three children: John, William and Margaret. In 1811, Crockett moved his family westward in search of free land. This would be the first in a series of migrations that would take him across the length of Tennessee. He began to make a reputation for himself as a skilled hunter throughout the region.		Watch this video clip from The History Channel's Boone and Crockett: The Hunter Heroes. Write down at least one fact you learn that is not included in the Student Reading. According to the documentary, what did Crockett look like? These items are part of Sunrise in His Pocket: The Life, Legend and Legacy of Davy Crockett, Temporary Exhibit at The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, March 2 - August 18, 2002.
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