What do Paul Revere, Davy Crockett and John Henry have in common?
All are historical figures whose lives were immortalized (and embellished) in story. We are almost certainly more familiar with these men from famous poems and songs than we are from our history books. Some of these stories seem so fantastical that we dismiss the whole thing as fiction and forget that these tall tales sprang from a real man. Others seem so plausible that it can be easy to forget that artistic license was taken and end up believing fiction is fact.
Paul Revere was a spy who warned surrounding towns that British troops were on the move. Unlike in Longfellow’s 1861 poem, he did not ride alone, and he did not reach Concord. There were two other men with him, and Revere was detained by the British at Lexington. He also did not shout, “The British are coming!” His mission was intended to be discrete. Shouting as he rode through the towns would have alerted British soldiers hiding in the area as well as those loyal to them.
Davy Crockett was a frontiersman, soldier and politician who died at the Alamo. He lived an active, adventurous life, having a personality that seems to have been easy to caricature. He fought in the Creek War and later fought against the Indian Removal Act as a member of Congress. He did not patch up the Liberty Bell or kill a bear when he was only 3. He did, however, enjoy bear hunting and coon skin caps.
John Henry was long thought to be a myth, but historian Scott Nelson found evidence that he was a real person. He was a steel driver who worked for the C&O Railroad and presumably died working on the railroad. Whether or not he out drove the steam drill and died from exhaustion with his hammer in his hand or from the brutal working conditions in general is unknown.
Songs and poems may no longer be a popular form of immortalizing people with embellished stories, but this is still very much present in our culture. Today you are more likely to see it in the form of biopics like Oppenheimer or popular trends such as Chuck Norris jokes. Take a moment today to look into the true stories behind a beloved myth or legend or your favorite historical novel or movie.
Check out some other famous stories we all know: George Washington and the cherry tree, Thomas Edison and the light bulb, or William Tell and the famous apple.
Stories touch our hearts and stick with us far more than dry facts, but knowing the facts may give you deeper appreciation and understanding of the real people behind the stories.
Crystal Kelly is a feature writer for Bizarre Bytes with those unusual facts that you only need to know for Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy or to stump your in-laws.
