1. American Tall Tales

2. Tall Tales
A Tall Tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual.
Tall Tales are unique to the North American continent especially the western Frontier.

3. Characteristics of Tall Tale
Has a hero that has some kind of extraordinary ability or character.
Some heroes are actually based on historical individuals.
Reflects real life situations
Includes wild adventures and solutions to impossible situations.
Truth is extremely exaggerated

4. Examples of American Tall Tales

5. Paul Bunyan Huge lumberjack Had the a giant blue ox named Babe.
Credited with making the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and the Rocky Mountains.
Paul Bunyan Cartoon

6. John Henry
African-American steel driver (a man tasked with hammering a steel drill into rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock away).
Dies beating a steam powered drill.
The Ballad of John Henry

7. Pecos Bill An American cowboy. Used a Rattlesnake as a lasso.
Could ride anything…including a tornado.
Rode a horse named Widow-Maker.
Had a love interest named Slue-foot Sue.
The Ballad of Pecos Bill

8. Johnny Appleseed
An American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apples into a large part of the United States.
Johnny Appleseed was based on the real life John Chapman.

9. Davy Crocket Based on the real life American Hero.
Crocket has many historical exploits but also had many tall tales about him.
Wore coonskin cap.
Killed a bear when only 3 years old.
Could catch a bullet in his teeth.
Crocket died at the Alamo in 1836.
The Ballad of Davy Crocket

10. Calamity Jane An American frontierswoman.
Professional scout for Wild Bill Hickok.
Gained fame fighting in the Indian wars.
Based on a real person Mary Jane Canary.

11. Casey Jones
American railroad engineer who worked the Illinois Central Railroad.
Dies in a train wreck in 1900, but saves the lives of the people on his train.
His legend began after that.
Ballad of Casey Jones

12. American Myth
The American mythos would span the continent and change with our changing heroes.
From the founding fathers to the frontiersman to the railroad workers, it spans our culture.
The American myth would change forever in 1938 with the introduction of Superman.