The Fusion of Savage and Civilization: Davy Crockett, the Rural Representative

           

            In her article entitled, “Savage, Sinner, and Saved: Davy Crockett, Camp Meetings, and the Wild Frontier,” Catherine L. Albanese articulates numerous principles regarding the nature of folk tales, American myth, and themes of the 19^th century.  Using the life and legacy of Davy Crockett as her primary example, the author explains how the symbol of the “frontier” was cultivated and expressed.  The almanacs published throughout this time created a fictional “Crockett” that personified contemporary ideas of western life and Manifest Destiny.  As the “popular protagonist,” Crockett was depicted as a grotesque, rural, and violent man.[1]  From wrangling panthers and chasing hyenas to swallowing thunderbolts and capturing the sunrise in his pocket, the colorful tales presented a message and conveyed a strong sense of “natural mastery” and “control-gone-out-of-control.”[2]  Interestingly, Albanese shows how in all of these wild and outlandish encounters, the plot line in Crockett’s stories always pointed back to a distinctly political motif.  Although these “fabulous” images markedly contrast with the “historic” Davy Crockett, the printed pieces articulated a peculiar “fusion of savage and civilization” that, indeed, permeated and characterized the real-life Tennessean.[3] 

Davy Crockett Comic Almanac Covers

         

Jackson Assassination Attempt- 1835

   The best expression of this dual nature was Crockett’s heroic intervention during the assassination attempt of Andrew Jackson.  As the President was exiting the Capitol, a crazed, passionate, and delusional man, Richard Lawrence, attempted to shoot Jackson (although his gun, miraculously, misfired twice).[4]  In the midst of the commotion and chaos, Congressman Crockett immediately stepped in and wrestled Lawrence to the ground, disarming and detaining him in the process.[5]  In this heroic gesture to protect the President, Crockett simultaneously demonstrated his savage, “rough and tough” instincts and his commitment to the civic sphere, just as the almanacs so dramatically picture.  It seems as though the training Crockett received during his time as a fearless backwoodsman coupled with his devotion to upholding foundational American principles perfectly combined and enabled him to serve his country well in Washington D.C.  Vehemently fighting both for and against the Jackson party line at times, Crockett’s tireless efforts and aggressive debates stemmed from his rural upbringing and willingness to combat any opposition that came his way, whether lion or legislation!  Like Psalm 144:1 states, Crockett, in both the natural and political frontier, could earnestly proclaim “Praise be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle!”

Word Count: 388

Works Cited

Albanese, Catherine. “Savage, Sinner, and Saved: Davy Crockett, Camp Meetings and the Wild Frontier.” American Quarterly 33:5 (1981): 482-501. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2712799 (accessed October 30, 2013).

 

Oliver, Willard M. Killing the President: Assassinations, Attempts, and Rumored Attempts on U.S. Commanders-in-Chief. Santa Barbara: Praeger, 2010.

Tucker, Edward L. “The Attempted Assassination of President Jackson: A Letter by Richard Henry Wilde.” The Georgia Historical Quarterly 58 (1974): 193-199. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40579637 (accessed October 31, 2013).

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[1] Catherine Albanese, “Savage, Sinner, and Saved: Davy Crockett, Camp Meetings and the Wild Frontier,” American Quarterly 33:5 (1981) http://www.jstor.org/stable/2712799, 485.

[2] Ibid., 486.

[3] Ibid., 488.

[4] Willard M. Oliver, Killing the President: Assassinations, Attempts, and Rumored Attempts on U.S. Commanders-in-Chief, Santa Barbara: Praeger, 2010.

[5] Edward L. Tucker, “The Attempted Assassination of President Jackson: A Letter by Richard Henry Wilde,” The Georgia Historical Quarterly 58 (1974) http://www.jstor.org/stable/40579637 (accessed October 31, 2013), 193.