American TaleS

OK...How well do y'all know your Figures and Legends in American Folklore?

Johnny Appleseed

1-Johnny Appleseed-His real name was John Chapman, lived from 1774–1847.He was a Massachusetts-born nurseryman and was reputed to have spread seeds and seedlings out of which grew the apple orchards of the Midwest.
"He did all of the work himself, living alone for weeks at a time with only the Indians and wild animals for companionship. He never carried a gun or weapon of any kind. He was a deeply religious man who lived by the Golden Rule and had no fear of man or beast. Indians accepted him as a friend, and he is reputed to have talked at times to the wild animals who watched him as he worked in his nurseries."

Didja know that one?
Movin right along...


Bufallo Bill

2-Buffalo Bill- His real name was William F. Cody,lived from 1846–1917. He was a Buffalo hunter and Indian scout. Many of the legends about him stem from his own Wild West show, which he operated in late 19th century.
" When you want Western family entertainment, Buffalo Bill's Wild West is now in it's third century of providing the best."

Davy Crockett
3-Davy Crockett lived from 1786–1836. He was a Frontiersman, congressman, and defender of the Alamo, his backwoods humor and larger-than-life adventures made him synonymous with the Wild West.
"Crockett and a few of his fellow Tennesseans were among the 189 defenders that sacrificed their lives at The Battle of the Alamo in the interest on Texas independence."

Anybody learn the song Davyyyyyyyy Crockett ..Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvy Crockett?..lolz

Daniel Boone
4- Daniel Boone lived from 1734–1820. he was a Frontiersman and Indian fighter, about whom legends of early America have been built.
"If Daniel Boone was destined to become a man of the wild, an explorer of unmapped spaces, his boyhood was the perfect preparation. He came to know the friendly Indians in the forests, and early he was marking the habits of wild things and bringing them down with a crude whittled spear. When he was twelve his father gave him a rifle, and his career as a huntsman began."

Always wondered if he was related to Pat Boone...lolz



Billy the Kid

5-Billy the Kid whose real name was William H. Bonney lived from 1859–1881. He was a Desperado who killed his first man before he reached his teens; after short life of crime in Wild West was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett; symbol of lawless West.
"The Trial of Billy the Kid
For all of the murders and countless other offenses committed during the Lincoln County War on both sides, Billy the Kid was the only person ever charged with breaking the law. An incredibly unjust thing, especially considering he was just one of six gunmen in the shooting for which he was charged. This made him a fugitive and he became the leader of a small gang of rustlers that terrorized the county until he was caught in December of 1880. Billy was tried and sentenced to hang.



Billy's escape into legend
Well known throughout New Mexico on the afternoon of April 28, 1881 he catapulted himself into international legend when he escaped from jail. During the jailbreak, he killed a guard that had taunted him constantly about the pains of death by hanging and had dared Billy to try to breakout so he could shoot him. As a testament to how well liked he was in Lincoln, he stayed around for an hour making a speech to the locals and then went around shaking hands. He left town singing on a borrowed horse that he actually returned as he promised he would.



Billy is hunted down
The official record states that 76 days after his escape, Billy the Kid was shot through the heart in a darkened room by lawman Pat Garrett. Life expectancy in the west, due to this lawlessness was short. Many of the men killed in the Lincoln County War had not turned 20 yet. There are many people in Lincoln County that knew Billy the Kid and believe that Billy escaped to Texas."

Who you have rooted for his escape?..heh.


Paul Bunyan
6-Paul Bunyan who was a Mythical lumberjack and subject of tall tales throughout timber country ..one was that he dug Grand Canyon.
"In the evening when people tell stories the best, the name of Paul Bunyan comes up more than the rest. Folks say he was slightly smaller than a stadium but a lot taller than an ordinary house. When he was a baby it took five storks to deliver him to Mr. and Mrs. Bunyan! Paul grew up big and strong.
He invented what we call logging, and he was the best lumberjack the country has ever seen."

Betsy Ross

7- Betsy Ross lived from 1752–1836. She was a Member of the Philadelphia flag-making family, and was reported to have designed and sewn first American flag.
"
Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. When we view the flag, we think of liberty, freedom, pride, and Betsy Ross. The American flag flies on the moon, sits atop Mount Everest, is hurtling out in space. The flag is how America signs her name.

It is no surprise that Betsy Ross has become one of the most cherished figures of American History."




How y'all doin so far?..heh. Hey if you forgot any of these, you can teach them to your little ones now eh?..grinz



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