David Crockett, William Otter, James Cook, P.T. Barnum

Otter -- Crockett -- cook

Is William Otter's a History of My Own Time a rags-to-riches success story? To what extent does it conform to the themes associated with the Cult of the Self-Made Man and to what extent does it deviate?

William Otter's autobiographical work A History of My Own Time (1835) is truly what one would call a "rags-to-riches" tale, yet it can also be viewed as being quite the opposite. Otter started out in several professions -- a shoemaker with John Paxton in New York City, the venetian blind-making business with William Howard, a carpenter with Gausman, and finally, the bricklaying and plastering business with Kenweth King. Following these flings as an apprentice, Otter then decided to attend school with a "liberal attention to classic lore," but Otter's involvement with heavy drinking at the taverns and his association with many of New York's toughest street gangs severely cut into his potential as a self-made man. As to the "Cult of the Self-Made Man," Otter was clearly an entrepreneur when such a thing was in its early stages of development in New York City, a place in the 1830's full of factories, shops, and various industries. Otter was also what one would call a "rugged individualists," a person who goes against the traditions of society and runs his life as he sees fit which is best illustrated by his statement that he became "a very apt scholar in. . . street etiquette" which in some ways deviates from the normal "cult" of the self-made man via his immersion in the life of the street as compared to the life of a true scholar, highly educated and academically industrious.

Question # 2: In evaluating David Crockett as a politician, do you think he was a democrat or a demagogue? In what way was he or was he not a man of the people? And, how does A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett reflect the new style of politics associated with Jacksonian democracy?

During the "Age of Jackson," namely, President Andrew Jackson, David Crockett was one of the first true conservatives who often wholly supported President Jackson's policies. Elected to Congress in 1827 from Tennessee, Crockett was also a true demagogue, being a leader who champions the causes of the common people while relying on promises in order to gain political power. Politically, Crockett was taken up by the Whigs which invented anecdotes about him that helped his popularity with the common people; he also attended banquets, inspected factories and often blamed Jackson for the economic depression, all of which placed him in great favor with many Americans. But Crockett was defeated for re-election which forced him to leave his native Tennessee for Texas, where he later died fighting at the Alamo. As to Crockett's Narrative of his life reflecting Jacksonian democracy, Crockett, much like his Tennessee neighbor Andrew Jackson, a radical Jeffersonian, was a lover of war and sport, was very skilled with firearms, and had a passion for the outdoors. Thus, as a "Jacksonian," Crockett's narrative reflects the democratic ideals of President Jackson via his image as a tough frontiersman, for in his narrative he states that, after 1827, some of his admirers were disappointed with him after a face-to-face meeting, for they expected "to see a half-horse, half-alligator sort of fellow," a symbolic gesture of his "rough-and-ready" attitude toward the life of a true outdoorsman.

Question # 3: Given James Cook's account of both the audience and appeal of "artful deception," do you think that Davey Crockett would buy a ticket to see the Feejee Mermaid? Draw on both The Arts of Deception and a Narrative of the Life of David Crockett to explain whether Crocket would or would not enjoy the exhibit.

In 1842, P.T. Barnum purchased what has come to be called the "Feejee Mermaid" (i.e., from the island nation of Fiji) from a Boston museum proprietor. This "mermaid" was a conglomeration of various fish parts and other faked pieces assembled to look like a real mermaid; of course, its authenticity was not promoted by Barnum who merely wished to display the "mermaid" as a curiosity of "artful deception." Considering Crockett's love for the outdoors and for nature, he most probably would have bought a ticket to see the mermaid at Barnum's museum and thus would have enjoyed the exhibit, mostly due to his innate curiosity as pointed out in his narrative and his love for nature, but since Crockett was not a stupid nor gullible man, he most assuredly would not have been fooled by Barnum's "mermaid" and would have viewed it yet another gimmick to fool the common man or woman and thus profit from their gullability. As a demagogue, Crockett would also have not liked the idea of the mermaid as a "promise" to the viewer in regard to its authenticity, for Crockett surely would have considered any attempt to make money from gullible customers as outright theft.

Question # 4: How would William Otter respond to Barnum's "What Is It?" exhibit? How would he describe it? Would he enjoy the exhibit? Would he demand his money back? Answer should draw on both James Cook's account of the exhibit and evidence from A History of My Own Times.