War and Politics

A growing family
                 Davy and Polly had two boys within two years, John and William.  Davy farmed a small rented piece of land and hunted game for his family.
                 Soon, Davy grew restless, and the small family kept moving.  In November 1812, their daughter, Margaret, was born in Franklin County, Tenn.
War with the British
                  In the War of 1812, the British gave weapons to Native Americans to fight settlers who were trying to move west.  A tribe called the Creeks attacked a fort near Mobile, Ala.  In 1813, Davy Crockett, decided to join the militia, or civilian military force, to fight the Creeks.  He was chosen to lead a scouting party, and his troops defeated the Creeks.
                 After British troops burned the White House in August 1814, Davy re-enlisted to fight the British.
Learning to campaign
                 Davy decided in 1821, to run for the Tennessee state legislature.  He was nervous about giving his first campaign speech, so he told funny stories about himself.  The voters loved his natural humor, and Davy became more confident.  In August 1821, he won the election and became a state representative.
Crockett goes to Congress
                 Just six years later, after many changes in his life, Davy decided to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.  He won and moved to Washington, D.C., to represent Tennesseans.  Davy won a second term in 1829, but in 1831 he lost and returned to Tennessee.