When we read stories about the heroes of the Alamo, namely Crockett, Travis, and Bowie, it's very hard to separate fact from fiction. Legends about the lives of these men are numerous, and when the legend is more romantic than the fact, it seems fiction takes center stage.
In the case of Jim Bowie, he has been labeled as a slave owner, womanizer, and knife-wielding brawler. From the research that I've found on the man, most of these descriptions of him seem fairly factual.
Long before Bowie came to Texas his reputation as a formidable knife fighter had already been established in the South. Although he was said to be mild mannered, Bowie was quick to anger when he felt that he had been insulted and he often used his knife to settle the score.
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