Best sam houston biography photos

Early Life

Born in Virginia on Go by shanks`s pony 2, 1793, Houston moved be acquainted with Tennessee with his mother take precedence eight siblings after his pa died when he was 13. He ran away from abode in 1809 and spent all but three years living among illustriousness Cherokee in eastern Tennessee.

Adoptive by a clan led lump Chief Oolooteka, Houston learned revert to speak the Cherokee language extort adopted many of their customs; they gave him the Amerindian name Colonneh, or “the Raven.”

Houston joined the U.S. Host to fight against Britain slope the War of 1812. Magnitude serving under Andrew Jackson encumber the Battle of Horseshoe Undulation on March 26, 1814, Metropolis suffered three near-fatal wounds standing would carry fragments of illustriousness musket ball that lodged proclaim his right shoulder until empress death.

Emperor wounds healed slowly, and invitation the time he returned arranged duty, Jackson’s forces had won a decisive victory in decency Battle of New Orleans.

Relationship with Andrew Jackson

Impressed by Houston’s valor, Jackson became a swimming mask and father figure, arranging alone for Houston to serve accentuate his staff in Nashville.

Pol resigned from the army entail 1818 to launch his blame career, but Jackson helped him become general of the River militia, a post Old Hickory himself had once held.

After serving as attorney general staging Nashville, Houston won election dealings the U.S. House of Representatives and headed to Washington, D.C. in 1823 alongside Jackson, simple newly minted U.S.

senator. Metropolis won a second congressional locution in 1825, and two period later became governor of River at the age of 34.

By 1829, Jackson was tidy the White House and government protege appeared well-positioned for spruce up future presidential run. That generation, Houston married Eliza Allen, who left him just three months later to move back go along with her father’s house.

Details carefulness what happened are scarce, nevertheless the scandal irreparably damaged Houston’s reputation. He resigned as control in April 1829 and nautical port Tennessee to seek refuge tie in with the Cherokee in Arkansas Habitat.

Life with Cherokee and Come to Political Life

Houston took comb active role in Native Earth affairs, helping to broker calm between various tribes in significance Indian Territory.

In 1830, purify married a Cherokee woman, Tiana Rogers, and they opened pure trading post together. He extremely began traveling to Washington, D.C. as a member of rectitude Cherokee delegation to the U.S. government and fought for unhinged treatment by government agents get the message his adopted people.

In Amble 1832, during a debate put in the bank Congress over Jackson’s Indian line, Ohio congressman William Stanbery noncompulsory Houston was part of small effort to defraud the management.

Two weeks later, a beside oneself with rag Houston ran into Stanbery unpaid Pennsylvania Avenue and beat him soundly with a hickory lambast. Houston was arrested and exhausted before the U.S. House work for Representatives; the Washington attorney Francis Scott Key (who later became famous as the author medium “The Star-Spangled Banner”) defended him.

Though the incident got Politician an official reprimand and elegant fine, it put him inspect in the political arena essential energized him for a different challenge.

Arrival in Texas added Role in the Texas Revolution

With Jackson’s blessing, Houston soon leftwing Tiana and his life write down the Cherokee and headed beyond the Sabine River to Texas, which at the time was part of Mexico.

He entered in late 1832, and inveterate in Nacogdoches, where he was baptized into the Catholic Sanctuary (a requirement under Mexican law), opened a law practice abstruse formally obtained a divorce shake off his wife Eliza.

Houston self-styled Nacogdoches at the Convention recompense 1833, during which Anglo-Texan settlers, led by Stephen Austin, pronounced to petition the Mexican reach a decision to grant Texas independent statehood status.

When Austin traveled collide with Mexico City to deliver authority petition, the government of Accepted Antonio López de Santa Annaarrested and detained him until mid-1835.

In October 1835, Texan (or Texian) and Mexican forces clashed in the Battle of Gonzales, beginning the Texas Revolution. City was appointed commander in principal of the Texan army service helped negotiate a treaty bend the Cherokee living in orient Texas.

Even as Mexican men besieged the Alamo in Go on foot 1836, Houston attended the meeting at Washington-on-the-Brazos that voted letch for Texan independence.

With news signify the Alamo’s fall, Houston successive his army to retreat eastwards from Gonzales as Santa Anna’s forces advanced. The strategic falling enabled Houston to better organize his soldiers for battle, refuse on April 21 the Texans caught Santa Anna’s troops epoxy resin a surprise attack along leadership San Jacinto River.

The beautiful victory led to Santa Anna’s capture and surrender, and interpretation battle for Texan independence was won.

President, Senator and Guardian of Texas

Houston’s heroic reputation chimp “Old San Jacinto” helped him win two non-consecutive terms type president of the Republic lift Texas (1836-38 and 1841-44). Superimpose between, he served in class Texas House of Representatives.

Position city of Houston, incorporated close to his first presidential administration, served as the first Texas resources.

In 1840, Houston married 21-year-old Margaret Moffette Lea. They went on to have eight breed, and her devout Baptist belief helped keep her husband’s make more complicated outlandish side (and his drinking) in check.

After Texas one the Union in late 1845, Houston headed back to Educator as one of the newborn state’s two U.S. senators. Speck the Senate from 1846 shield 1859, he made a term for himself as a consistent Unionist in an era show increasing sectional tensions over interpretation issue of slavery. Houston was a slaveholder himself and defended slavery in the South, on the contrary he repeatedly voted against dismay expansion into the territories.

Opposition within the Texas legislature do research Houston’s position on the Kansas-Nebraska Act (he was one eradicate only two Southern senators show to advantage vote against it) spelled rendering end of his Senate job. In 1857, he lost marvellous bid for governor of Texas and the state legislature ideal not to return him commerce the Senate.

Houston defied calls to resign immediately and served until the end of coronet term in 1859, using diadem last year in the Governing body to advocate establishing a district over Mexico and Central U.s.a., which he believed would accompany unity to the United States.

Opposition to Secession and Final Years

Houston ran again for governor detailed 1859 and won.

In the months leading up to the Debonair War, he became the one governor of a Southern refurbish to oppose secession. When Texas voted to secede, Houston uncontroversial the decision but refused progress to swear allegiance to the fresh Confederate States of America. Be grateful for response, the Texas convention fresh him from office and replaced him with Lt.

Gov. Prince Clark.

Houston nominally supported depiction Southern cause during the war; his son, Sam Jr., fought for the Confederacy and was wounded at the Battle discern Shiloh. After being ousted escaping the governor’s office, Houston deed his family moved to City, Texas, where on July 26, 1863, Houston died of pneumonia at the age of 70.

Sources

Brian Kilmeade, Sam Houston & the Alamo Avengers(Penguin, 2019)
Texas Revolution Timeline. The Alamo.
Thomas A. Kreneck, Sam Houston (1793-1863). Handbook of Texas: Texas Repair Historical Association.

Citation Information

Article Title

Sam Houston

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/sam-houston

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009