Davy Crockett was a man born in 1786, and went on to live a full life in both war and politics. He served in the Creek Indian War, then was elected to the Tennesee state legislature, and eventually to the House of Representitives. There, he opposed many of the bills byAndrew Jackson, resulting in the end of his political career. As a result he left forTexas, where he died in the battle of the Alamo in 1836.
That's more or less the Cliff Notes version of his life, and it was embedded in American popular culture. He exploitsbecame exaggerated beyond what he did, including claims that he killed a bear at age three.
The most famous interpretation of him probably came from a five-part serial on theDisneyland television program, which created quite the fad when it aired. In fact, the original serial was only in three parts, the success convinced them to make the remaining two parts. The serial was rereleased as twoCompilation Movies,Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier andDavy Crockett and the River Pirates. The two movies have been released on DVD, and the serial was released unedited as part of theWalt Disney Treasures line.
The Disney version provedinsanely popular in the early1950s USA, with Davy Crockettmerchandise greatly in demand among kids, and is arguably the first modern children's media cultural phenomenon of its type. In terms of crazes it would only succumb to science fiction media derived from theSpace Race.