Matt McKee's "Davy Crockett: The Man and Legend" is Matt McKee's examination of the claim of an Ulster-Scott heritage made on Davy Crockett's behalf. Mr. McKee provides a relatively accurate overview of Davy Crockett’s life to give his readers a sense of the man Davy was. This image is then examined for racial traits said to be exclusive to the Ulster-Scots. Similarly, his cultural traits are also examined for traits that are said to be Ulster-Scott in nature. The end of Mr. McKee’s article makes the conclusion clear; Davy Crockett is not connected to the Ulster-Scots in any significant way. The overview of Davy’s life that Mr. McKee provides is relatively accurate, but once some outside research is done, there are a couple of …show more content…
details which vary greatly. The most noteworthy instance is the account of the Battle of Alamo. Mr. McKee says Davy Crockett, and one-hundred-thirty-six companions were besieged by five thousand Mexican soldiers of General Santa Anna's. Mr. McKee's account also said that two thousand Mexican soldiers died along with Davy and his men. However, two scholarly publications say otherwise. Paul Hutton's article "Mr. Crockett goes to Washington" claims there were only one hundred thirty-five defenders, the defenders were besieged for thirteen days, there were four thousand Mexican soldiers, and a rough estimate of six hundred of the four thousand died before Davy and his men were killed. Another account, "Davy Crockett" by Sara McGill, says there were just two thousand Mexican soldiers and one hundred eighty-six defenders. Though the account of the Battle of Alamo varies slightly from other sources, the rest of the historical overview given matches other sources, so the overall accuracy of the account is not affected. Mr. McKee next examines the racial traits of the Ulster's that Davy Crockett is said to have had. The Ulster-Scots claimed the "spirit of aggression" and "energy" were Ulster exclusive traits that Davy possessed. (McKee "Davy Crockett: The Man and the Legend" 5). Mr. McKee points out that it is hardly fair to claim traits as exclusive to any race; a fact that most people could easily agree with. Mr. McKee say that `the French and the Spanish could just as easily claim these traits as their own since these traits motivated a great many of their conquests. The rest of the Ulster-Scots claims about Davy's racial identity are just as nonexistent. Paraphrasing a quote Mr. McKee cites from A.K Moore, the Ulster claim that obstacles make warlike men try to conquer that obstacle, which is certainly a trait Davy has. Nevertheless, no one trait can be claimed by any one group of people, and on this principle alone it becomes clear that Davy is not racially connected to the Ulster-Scots. The cultural aspect is what Mr. McKee next examines. The author lists three important factors of the Ulster culture within his article. These factors are their Presbyterian religion, a love of education, and a passion for political democracy. As Mr. McKee' notes earlier on in his article, Davy Crockett was not well educated nor was he a religious man which leaves his passion for politics being the only cultural trait he could have inherited. Even so, claiming an Ulster heritage based off of that fact alone provides no proof, as once again, traits of any kind cannot be restrained to one racial group. Mr. McKee’s research proves that, once more, the connections between Davy and the Ulster-Scots are thin. The myth of Cuchulain the Great Ulster Hound is, ironically, the only facet of Ulster that has any sort tangible of connection to Davy Crocket.
The myths of Davy and Cuchulain are very similar in setting, the protagonist's personality, and the deeds their heroes have accomplished. Unfortunately for the Ulsters, these similarities are nothing more than the typical attributes of folktale heroes. Plenty of other folklore stories have stoical heroes, are set in a plentiful and wild land, and contain a hero who committed great feats of strength at a young age. The similarities between the Davy Crockett myth and the legend of Cuchulian are nothing more then a coincidence that naturally occurs between oral and folklore stories. The differences in Cuchlian’s and Davy Crockett’s legends are, upon reading Mr. McKee’s examination, as pronounced as night and day. The Cuchulian stories are superstitious and old fashioned in nature. Davy’s legend, on the other hand, is an American tall tale that is light-heartedly democratic through and through. Their legends demonstrates the difference in thinking each society holds and serve to make the difference between Davy and the Ulster-Scotts absolutely clear. Davy Crockett, even in the realm of myths and legends, was free from any Ulster
connection. The conclusion Mr. McKee reaches is definite; Davy Crockett is not related to the Ulster-Scots in any way. Mr. McKee’s examination of the various aspects of Davy Crockett’s life, cultural, and racial traits effectively make his point clear. Sources http://www.history.com/topics/alamo http://web.b.ebscohost.com.libdb.chattanoogastate.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=9dec9fd3-bf4b-48ca-9c88-1ec1fa59121d%40sessionmgr112&hid=105&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=17991847&db=f5h http://go.galegroup.com.libdb.chattanoogastate.edu/ps/retrieve.do?sort=DA-SORT&docType=Biography&tabID=T002&prodId=PPUS&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchType=BasicSearchForm&contentSegment=¤tPosition=17&searchResultsType=SingleTab&inPS=true&userGroupName=tel_a_tbr&docId=GALE%7CA59844934&contentSet=GALE%7CA59844934#
In the document “Doomed to Perish”: George Catlin’s Depictions of the Mandan by Katheryn S. Hight, she analyzes the work of George Catlin while he traveled to the Mandan colony west of the Missouri River. Hight identifies that Catlin created a false and imaginative depiction of the Mandan Indians based on his social and political ideas which ended up creating an entertainment enterprise rather than reporting history. Catlin’s extravagant depictions of the Indians, which did have an impact on the Indian Policy in America, seemingly motivates Hight to write on this subject.
“Tracing a single Native American family from the 1780’s through the 1920’s posed a number of challenges,” for Claudio Saunt, author of Black, White, and Indian: Race and the Unmaking of an American Family. (pg. 217) A family tree is comprised of genealogical data that has many branches that take form by twisting, turning, and attempting to accurately represent descendants from the oldest to the youngest. “The Grayson family of the Creek Nation traces its origins to the late 1700’s, when Robert Grierson, a Scotsman, and Sinnugee, a Creek woman, settled down together in what is now north-central Alabama. Today, their descendants number in the thousands and have scores of surnames.” (pg. 3)
I read the book Soldier X by Don L. Wulffson that takes place during the world war II period. The main character of the book is a 16 year old German boy named Erik Brandt. Although Erik lives in Germany he is also half Russian and speaks Russian very well. Erik does not want to be a part of Hilters Nazi army during world war II but he is forced to fight on the side of the Nazis. During one battle of the war is he forced under a tank during a large scale battle with the Russians. He has no choice but to change clothes and gear with the Russian soldier and be now becomes part of the Russian army. He spends some time in the Russian army and then he gets wounded. He gets send to a Russian hospital and meets a nurse named Tamara. He falls in love with her but then one day the hospital is bombed and he has to escape with her and out of Russia. The story comes to an end with Erik and Tamara escaping Europe and making to over the Atlantic ocean to the United States to have kids and live the rest of there lives.
Klos, S. (2013, March 11). George Armstrong Custer. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from George Armstrong
Hogeland, William. The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the frontiers rebels who changed America's Newfound Sovereignty. New York: Scribner, 2006.
In James McPherson’s novel, What They Fought For, a variety of Civil War soldier documents are examined to show the diverse personal beliefs and motives for being involved in the war. McPherson’s sample, “is biased toward genuine fighting soldiers” (McPherson, 17) meaning he discusses what the ordinary soldier fought for. The Confederacy was often viewed as the favorable side because their life style relied on the war; Confederates surrounded their lives with practices like slavery and agriculture, and these practices were at stake during the war. On the other hand, Northerners fought to keep the country together. Although the Civil War was brutal, McPherson presents his research to show the dedication and patriotism of the soldiers that fought and died for a cause.
In the introduction, Hämäläinen introduces how Plains Indians horse culture is so often romanticized in the image of the “mounted warrior,” and how this romanticized image is frequently juxtaposed with the hardships of disease, death, and destruction brought on by the Europeans. It is also mentioned that many historians depict Plains Indians equestrianism as a typical success story, usually because such a depiction is an appealing story to use in textbooks. However, Plains Indians equestrianism is far from a basic story of success. Plains equestrianism was a double-edged sword: it both helped tribes complete their quotidian tasks more efficiently, but also gave rise to social issues, weakened the customary political system, created problems between other tribes, and was detrimental to the environment.
In Thomas King’s novel, The Inconvenient Indian, the story of North America’s history is discussed from his original viewpoint and perspective. In his first chapter, “Forgetting Columbus,” he voices his opinion about how he feel towards the way white people have told America’s history and portraying it as an adventurous tale of triumph, strength and freedom. King hunts down the evidence needed to reveal more facts on the controversial relationship between the whites and natives and how it has affected the culture of Americans. Mainly untangling the confusion between the idea of Native Americans being savages and whites constantly reigning in glory. He exposes the truth about how Native Americans were treated and how their actual stories were
In this book, Robert M. Utley depicts the life of Sitting Bull a Hunkpapa Indian, from when he was born to his death in 1890. Utley shows both the personal life and political life that Sitting Bull endured throughout the years. Utley looks at Sitting Bull's life from both “...the white as well as the Indian perspective. From both, he emerges as an enduring legend and a historical icon, but above all as a truly great human being.” (xvi). To his tribe Sitting Bull was an extraordinary man who was brave and respected, but to many in the US government believed him to be a troublemaker and a coward. Utley works to prove how Sitting Bull was a man who became an American patriot.
A true war story blurs the line between fact and fiction, where it is neither true nor false at the same time. What is true and what is not depends on how much you believe it to be. In the chapter “How to Tell a True War Story” from the novel “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, the author provides various definitions to how the validity of a war story can be judged. The entire chapter is a collection of definitions that describe the various truths to what a true war story is. Unlike O’Brien, who is a novelist and storyteller, David Finkel, the author of “The Good Soldiers”, is a journalist whose job is to report the facts. Yet in the selection that we read, chapter nine, Finkel uses the convention of storytelling, which relies heavily on the stories the combat troops tell each other or him personally. Finkel attempts to give an unbiased view of the Iraq war through the stories of the soldiers but in doing so, Finkel forfeits the use of his own experiences and his own opinions. From O’Brien’s views on what a true war story is combined with my own definitions, I believe that Finkel provides a certain truth to his war stories but not the entire truth.
...nd a man of reserve against violence. Also as a man who will stand for the good of the community, protecting those who need protecting as the Vigilante of the western frontier. The Virginian was a true cowboy hero because he was a vigilante who followed his own moral code. The cowboy’s moral code was not dictated by the laws of society because he was an independent who was working to escape civilization. The Virginian was the first of the western heroes who gave the world someone to look unto as an example. He showed a very strong moral code which had a special responsibility to the protection and respect of women such as Molly. He also had a great many skills which gave him the realistic air that made the hero’s of the west so popular in the early 1900’s as the western frontier came to a close.
John, Davy's father, moved to Greene County where Davy was born. While Davy was still in dresses, his father moved the family to Cove Creek in Greene County, Tennessee, where he built a mill in partnership with Thomas Galbreath. When Davy was eight years old, the mill was washed away with his home. After this disaster John Crockett removed his family to Jefferson County where he built and operated a log-cabin tavern on the Knoxville-Abingdon Road. (This cabin has been restored and is now located at Morristown, 30 miles Southwest of Greeneville.) The young Davy no doubt heard tales told by many a westbound traveler - tales which must have sparked his own desire for adventure in the great western territories. In his dealings with his father's customers, Davy must also have learned much about human nature and so refined his natural skills as a leader. While Davy lived there he spent four days at the school of Benjamin Kitchen. He had a fight with a boy at school and left home to escape a "licking" from his dad.
Any discussion of the American culture and its development has to include mythology, because that is where most of the information about early America is found. Mythology is a unique source in that it gives a shared understanding that people have with regard to some aspect of their world. The most important experience for American frontiersmen is the challenge to the “myth of the frontier” that they believed in – “the conception of America as a wide-open land of unlimited opportunity for the strong, ambitious, self-reliant individual to thrust his way to the top.” (Slotkin, 5) In particular, the challenge came from Indians and from the wilderness that they inhabited.
Jim Jones was “a self-proclaimed messiah in a polyester suit, a man who played God from behind mysterious dark glasses that gave his followers the impression that he was omniscient”( Axthelm 54). Born in 1931 in Lynn, Indiana to James Thurmond and Lynetta Jones, he was looked upon by his parents as a gift from Saint Francis. Jim’s father was white and an active member of the Ku Klux Klan. His mother was part Cherokee which lead Jim in later years to refer to himself with pride as an “ All-American mongrel”