**The Wild Frontier | Episode 2: David Crockett's Early Life (Part 1 of 3)

Recorded on location at David Crockett Birthplace State Park, Limestone, Tennessee

Join Ranger Thomas and Nolichucky Fred for the first of a four-part biography of America's greatest folk hero. This episode traces the Crockett family from David's father John through David's turbulent early years on the frontier.

In this episode:

• John Crockett's origins — Scots-Irish roots, Revolutionary War service at Kings Mountain, and the family's westward migrations
• The Cherokee Raids (1777) — A Chickamauga attack kills David's grandparents, wounds his uncle Joseph, and leaves uncle James a 17-year captive
• David's birth (August 17, 1786) — Born along the Nolichucky River during the short-lived State of Franklin political movement
• David's first memory — A runaway canoe heading for Crockett Shoals and a neighbor's daring river rescue
• Life at the family tavern — John's land deals, civic roles, and the roadside tavern serving drovers and travelers on the Virginia wagon road
• Adventures away from home — A cattle drive to Virginia at 12, a near-escape to London on a ship in Baltimore, and multiple great escapes before returning home at 15
• Love and marriage — Two heartbreaks before meeting Polly Finley at a harvest festival; they marry August 16, 1805 — the day before his 20th birthday
• The Creek War (1813) — Fort Mims massacre prompts David to volunteer, captured in his own words from his 1834 autobiography

Next Episode: David fights in the Creek War, returns to tragedy, enters politics, and heads to Washington, D.C.

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"Be always sure you're right, then go ahead." — David Crockett