Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The Life and Legend of David Davy Crockett

The Life and Legend of David Davy Crockett David Davy Crockett, known as the King of the Wild Frontier, was an American frontiersman and politician. He was famous as a hunter and outdoorsman. Later, he served in the U.S. Congress before heading west to Texas to fight as a defender at the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, where it is believed he was slain with his comrades by the Mexican army. Crockett remains a well-known figure, particularly in Texas. Crockett was a larger-than-life, American folk hero figure even in his own lifetime, and it can be hard to separate facts from legends when discussing his life. Crockett’s Early Life Crockett was born on August 17, 1786, in Tennessee, then a frontier territory. He ran away from home at the age of 13 and made a living doing odd jobs for settlers and wagon drivers. He returned home at the age of 15. He was an honest and hardworking young man. Of his own free will, he decided to work for six months to pay off one of his father’s debts. In his twenties, he enlisted in the Army in time to fight in Alabama in the Creek War. He distinguished himself as a scout and hunter, providing food for his regiment. Crockett Enters Politics After his service in the War of 1812, Crockett had a variety of low-level political jobs such as Assemblyman in the Tennessee legislature and town commissioner. He soon developed a knack for public service. Although he was poorly educated, he possessed a razor-sharp wit and a gift for public speaking. His rough, homespun manner endeared him to many. His bond with the common people of the West was genuine and they respected him. In 1827, he won a seat in Congress representing Tennessee and running as a supporter of the immensely popular Andrew Jackson. Crockett and Jackson Fall Out Crockett was at first a die-hard supporter of fellow westerner Andrew Jackson, but political intrigues with other Jackson supporters, among them James Polk, eventually derailed their friendship and association. Crockett lost his seat in Congress in 1831 when Jackson endorsed his opponent. In 1833, he won his seat back, this time running as an anti-Jacksonian. Crocketts fame continued to grow. His folksy speeches were very popular and he released an autobiography about young love, bear hunting, and honest politics. A play called The Lion of the West, with a character clearly based on Crockett was popular at the time and was a big hit. Exit from Congress Crockett had the charm and charisma to make a potential presidential candidate, and the Whig party, which was Jackson’s opposition, had their eye on him. In 1835, however, he lost his seat in Congress to Adam Huntsman, who ran as a supporter of Jackson. Crockett knew he was down but not out, but he still wanted to get out of Washington for a while. In late 1835, Crockett made his way to Texas. The Road to San Antonio The Texas Revolution had just broken out with the first shots fired at the Battle of Gonzales, and Crockett discovered that the people had a great passion and sympathy for Texas. Flocks of men and families were making their way to Texas to fight with the possibility of getting land if the revolution was successful. Many believed Crockett was going there to fight for Texas. He was too good a politician to deny it. If he fought in Texas, his political career would benefit. He heard that the action was centered around San Antonio, so he headed there. Crockett at the Alamo Crockett arrived in Texas in early 1836 with a group of volunteers mostly from Tennessee who had made him their de facto leader. The Tennesseans with their long rifles were most welcome reinforcements at the poorly-defended fort. Morale at the Alamo surged, as the men were delighted to have such a famous man among them. Ever the skilled politician, Crockett even helped defuse tension between Jim Bowie, leader of the volunteers, and William Travis, commander of the enlisted men and ranking officer at the Alamo. Did Crockett Die at the Alamo? Crockett was at the Alamo on the morning of March 6, 1836, when the Mexican president and General Santa Anna ordered the Mexican army to attack. The Mexicans had overwhelming numbers and in 90 minutes they had overrun the Alamo, killing all inside. There is some controversy over Crocketts death. It is certain that a handful of rebels were taken alive and later executed by order of Santa Anna. Some historical sources suggest Crockett was one of them. Other sources say he fell in battle. Whatever the case, Crockett and about 200 men inside the Alamo fought bravely until the end. The Legacy of Davy Crockett: Davy Crockett was an important politician and an extremely skilled hunter and outdoorsman, but his lasting glory came with his death at the Battle of the Alamo. His martyrdom for the cause of Texas independence gave the rebel movement momentum when it needed it the most. The story of his heroic death, fighting for freedom against insurmountable odds, made its way east and inspired Texans as well as men from the United States to come and continue the fight. The fact that such a famous man gave his life for Texas was great publicity for the Texans cause. Crockett is a great Texan hero. The town of Crockett, Texas, is named after him, as is Crockett County in Tennessee and Fort Crockett on Galveston Island. There are many schools, parks, and landmarks named for him as well. The character of Crockett has appeared in countless films and TV shows. He was famously played by John Wayne in the 1960 movie, The Alamo and again in the 2004 retread of The Alamo portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton. Source: Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: New York: Anchor Books, 2004.the Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence.

Monday, March 2, 2020

8 Steps to Writing a Magnetic College Student Resume

8 Steps to Writing a Magnetic College Student Resume This right here is a post that approached the art of magnetic college student resume writing from a rather unorthodox perspective. But hey, that’s what it’s going to take for most grads in the modern world to land a sweet job! This is current, insider info. Step 1. Quality Approaches vs. Quantity The first thing to realize is that it’s better to focus fire your efforts on a small number of ideal options (1-5), rather than planning on designing a resume to send out en masse. Why? Who cares why? It should be obvious. If it’s not, then you better keep reading because you’re out of touch with the inbound marketing world. Because of the modern job market, you need to come across in a serious and personalized way to stand out from the crowd. How many other grads are applying to this position? Furthermore, if you lack experience and haven’t had the chance yet to prove yourself, then you’re going to need to really make up for that fact with a magnetic and irresistible college student resume (among other things). More details in our blog post on how to write a resume with no job experience. Step 2. Inventory Specs Benefits Take an hour out of your day, grab two pieces of paper and a pencil and do some masterminding. On one page, list your specifications. These are all the basic skill-sets and book smarts you have relevant to the position. Include certifications, degrees etc. On the other page, you list the benefits of hiring you from the company’s perspective. Now, realize that in today’s world, the specs don’t mean too much. It’s a results-driven world out there. Where’s the results you’ve created? If there are none, then the only leverage you have are the benefits of hiring YOU. And, the good news is that there’s only one of you. How can you capitalize on that fact? Step 3. Consider How You Might Break the Rules Study the resumes that most HR personal will expect to see and then ask yourself if there’s anything you can do to break the rules, but in a way that works in your favor. It’s hyper-competitive out there folks! Snap some intern out of their daze for a minute and get noticed! What do you have to lose by showing a bit of personality? Because guess what, most startups out there (and there’s millions of them paving the way for the future of the technologically driven world) are looking for young, creative and personable folks to work with. Communicate that millennial spirit. However, you should take into consideration that there are still some rules about writing a resume that are better to follow. Step 4. Come Out Swinging Be Direct Don’t think you can beat around the resume bush and get away with it. You can’t. Get straight to the primary benefit of hiring you and then list off your most impressive specification first. Stack the deck so that they see only the biggest selling points you have. Then, taper as you go but keep your resume ideally packaged on one page. With every word and sentence you put on that resume, ask yourself if you’re getting to the point or avoiding something. Boom! You’re not knocking on the door here folks, you’re kicking it in. â€Å"Here’s why you should hire me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bam, Bam, Bam! Also, dont forget about the power of words. Find out what good adjectives for a resume are and try to use them! Step 5. Harness the Power of Formatting I want you to look at your resume the way a copywriter looks at an expertly formatted advertorial web article. You know, the kind that you can’t help but reading and then have you pulling out your credit card for something. The title of your resume is as important to you as it is to a business trying to land on the first page of Google search results. The content must be easy to scan through. Subtitles, bullet-point lists, benefits and specifications. The content begins with a short introductory paragraph that serves as the hook. This should be crafted using your primary benefits. Check out good resume examples on websites which weve added to the list of top 10 resources about college graduate resume writing. Step 6. Yes, Have an Editor or Proofreader Look at It There’s no question. Unless you yourself are some kind of trained editor or proofreader, have someone else do it. In fact, you might want to consider actually paying a professional to look at it. Speaking of which†¦ Step 7. Consider Outsourcing These days you can hop online and pay freelance resume writers to craft something super-professional and impressive. All they’ll need is everything you wrote on those two pieces of paper from earlier and the list of companies you’re focusing on. Step 8. Maintain a Current Resume As time goes by and you collect more benefits and specifications that are resume worthy, be sure to update your resume. Things move quickly. Jobs can come and go before you know it. Always maintain your resume with the mindset that you could be on the job hunt at any moment. After the perfect resume is created, you should send it out! If you wont get the answer soon, dont be desparate. Consider sending a follow-up letter after sending a resume!