For many, folk hero Davy Crockett was a coonskin-cap-wearing outdoorsman who stalked through the woods as a ballad extolled, "Davy, Davy Crockett — king of the wild frontier."

But he was far more than a movie character. "He became the first big superhero of (his) time," said Bill Chemerka, author of "The Davy Crockett Almanac and Book of Lists." "And he was real."

The real Davy Crockett — always called David while he lived — was a backwoods Tennessean who climbed from poverty to national politics in the 19th century. He died fighting valiantly at the Alamo after striving his entire life for what he believed in and learning how best to rally others. He's considered one of the foremost frontier heroes.

"He was a person who was extremely principled," Chemerka said. "He stood up for certain beliefs in the face of unpopularity."

Crockett (1786-1836) was born in what is now Greene County, Tenn., the fifth of nine children. His early schooling lasted just four days. It ended when he retaliated against a school bully, skipped class to avoid a teacher's beating, then left home to avoid being beaten by his father.

He spent two years on the run as a young teen. But he made good use of his time, honing important survival skills. Crockett fared well as a hunter and trapper, and learned a great deal about people. He worked in fields for meager wages. Some strangers took him in. Others took his money. He figured out whom to trust and how to make his way.

With those experiences under his belt, Crockett returned home to help his father, who struggled to make ends meet. Crockett worked for a neighbor for six months to repay a family debt, then quietly did the same for another. He presented the second paid bill to his father, who broke down in tears of thanks.

The industrious Crockett kept working to make money. Still, he was determined to learn. When a school opened nearby, he went four days a week and toiled two for his room and board, just to pick up a little reading, writing and math.

"He went from a small one-room schoolhouse with less than six months of formal education to being in the halls of Congress — and that didn't happen by accident," said Buddy Levy, author of "American Legend: The Real-Life Adventures of David Crockett" and an assistant professor at Washington State University. "He certainly was a self-taught person."

Intrigued by the effect of words, Crockett studied people to see how they responded to language, Levy says. When he gave speeches, he'd use what he observed to rouse crowds — even if they didn't agree with his politics.

As a shy young man, Crockett found it tough to even talk to a girl he liked. But he made himself do it, realizing that otherwise he'd lose the opportunity to get to know her. He took the same approach the rest of his life to any situation by which he was intimidated.

Crockett had a strong sense of duty. For instance, he had a distaste for war. But when Creek Indians launched a bloody attack on a nearby fort, he joined in an effort against them that became the Creek War.

"For when I heard of the mischief which was done at the fort, I instantly felt like going, and I had none of the dread of dying that I expected to feel," Crockett later wrote.

Tension with the Creeks grew as settlers poured in, and fulminated as the U.S.-British War of 1812 roiled the nation. Crockett enlisted with the Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Riflemen and fought under Andrew Jackson's command in the Creek War. He spent the next few years in similar roles.

Interested in having a greater effect, he gradually stepped into politics. He won a seat in the Tennessee Legislature, then was re-elected.

Crockett traveled a bumpy road to Congress. He ran unsuccessfully in 1825, then launched himself into business endeavors. One was making staves, or wooden barrel slats. Crockett nearly died as he and a crew transported a load of them down the Mississippi.

"They sunk, he almost drowned, he lost all his clothes," said Randell Jones, author of "In the Footsteps of Davy Crockett."

Crockett always made the best of situations. This one, bad as it was, turned to his benefit.

A clothing-store owner, Marcus Winchester, gave Crockett some clothes. Later, watching Crockett tell stories, he became impressed with Crockett's ability to use words and attract listeners. Winchester — the mayor of Memphis, Tenn. — became Crockett's political adviser and financier. Crockett ran for Congress in 1827 and won. He would serve two terms in the House of Representatives, lose a third bid, win a fourth and lose a fifth.

Crockett stood up for the poor and refused to budge on important issues. Though he'd fought against Creeks — and they'd killed his own grandparents — Crockett was the only Tennessean to vote against the Indian Removal Act, a Jacksonian measure to drive Indians westward.

Crockett later wrote: "Several of my colleagues got around me and told me how well they loved me, and that I was ruining myself . . . I told them I believed it was a wicked, unjust measure."

The bill passed anyway, leading to the 1838 forced relocation that became known as the Trail of Tears.

Crockett came to oppose Jackson, the seventh American president, on many points. Crockett did his best to rally crowds to see his way of thinking, but he was a contrarian against a forceful tide.

Crockett didn't let political disappointments get him down. Instead, he focused on the next opportunity and the hard work necessary to make the most of it.

After Congress, Crockett set out for the frontier.

"He was looking for opportunities — they moved him westward, all the way to the Alamo," Levy said.

Crockett saw a potential political future in Texas, Chemerka says. With his experience, he'd be a logical choice for a leadership role. Crockett signed on to support the Texas provisional government "or any future government," as the document stipulated — except, wary of power grabs, Crockett insisted that the word "republican" be added before "government."

"He joined the Texas revolution as a volunteer, hence a private," Chemerka said. "Yet despite his so-called private status, on Feb. 25, 1836, Alamo commander William Travis sent a letter saying the honorable David Crockett was seen at all points, animating the men to do their duty."

That reflected Crockett's greatness, Chemerka says. "Right into the third day of the siege, Crockett is upbeat, optimistic, a cheerleader type when things are increasingly looking more dismal," he said. "It reflects the motto he kept close to him through his life."

That is: Be always sure you are right, then go ahead.

BY DONNA HOWELL