A Final Battle

Back to Washington
                 In 1833, Davy was elected again to the U.S. Congress.  He worked hard for settlers in western Tennessee, trying to give them a chance at purchasing the land they had been working on.
                 But for most of his term he was frustrated bynot being able to pass bills that he supported.  He spent a lot of time writing his autobiography and touring northeastern states.
An early superhero
                 Along with George Washington and Andrew Jackson, Davy was one of our country's first superheroes.  He had become so well-known among Americans that a play was written about him.  He even thought of running for president.
                  However, Davy knew he could not beat Martin Van Buren, who won the presidency in 1836.  Davy lost his final campaign for Congress in August 1835.
Always trying to improve
                  Like many settlers of his time, Davy Crockett was always hoping to improve his and his family's lives.  Texas had a huge amount of land available to settlers and a lot of game to hunt.  At 49 years old, Davy headed farther west, to Texas.
Trouble in Texas
                  Texas had been part of Mexico since 1821, but in 1835 American settlers who had moved west declared Texas independence, or freedom, from Mexico.  Davy Crockett knew a battle was brewing between Texans and Mexico.  Men who enlisted were promised land in the future republic.  Davy and his nephew, who was traveling with him, signed up for the Texas Army.
                  In Feburary 1836,Davy and a group of scouts rode into San Antonio.
A battle of the Alamo
                  Months before Davy arrived in San Antonio, Texans had attacked there.  Mexican forces hid in a mission called the Alamo.  Finaly the Mexicans gave up, and the Texans let them go.
                  The leader of the Texas Army knew the Mexicans would return to try to take the city back.  He called for more support from the Army.
                   Davy Crockett and another famous American, James Bowie, were among the soldiers ready for battle when Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and the Mexican army arrived on Feb. 23 and quickly conquered the town.  Crockett and Bowie moved with 150 other soldiers to the Alamo.  Townspeople also took cover there.
                   Soon Santa Anna began firing at the mission with cannons.  The Texans fought back, but the Mexican army kept growing.
                   Finally, on March 6, Santa Anna's men attacked the Alamo.  Crockett and Bowie along with the other soldiers, used all their ammunition and then their hands to fight the Mexicans.  But Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie both died at the Alamo.
                   In April, Santa Anna was defeated and Texas became an independent republic.