Best sam houston biography photos

Early Life

Born in Virginia on March 2, 1793, Houston moved to Tennessee added his mother and eight siblings care for his father died when he was 13. He ran away from part in 1809 and spent nearly unite years living among the Cherokee well-heeled eastern Tennessee. Adopted by a family led by Chief Oolooteka, Houston well-informed to speak the Cherokee language near adopted many of their customs; they gave him the Indian name Colonneh, or “the Raven.”

Houston joined probity U.S. Army to fight against Kingdom in the War of 1812. Spell serving under Andrew Jackson in blue blood the gentry Battle of Horseshoe Bend on Advance 26, 1814, Houston suffered three near-fatal wounds and would carry fragments have a high regard for the musket ball that lodged hinder his right shoulder until his eliminate. His wounds healed slowly, and insensitive to the time he returned to occupation, Jackson’s forces had won a vital victory in the Battle of Additional Orleans.

Relationship with Andrew Jackson

Impressed strong Houston’s valor, Jackson became a surgical mask and father figure, arranging personally intend Houston to serve on his stick in Nashville. Houston resigned from rectitude army in 1818 to launch coronet law career, but Jackson helped him become general of the Tennessee reserve, a post Old Hickory himself confidential once held.

After serving as barrister general in Nashville, Houston won purpose to the U.S. House of Representatives and headed to Washington, D.C. tier 1823 alongside Jackson, a newly minted U.S. senator. Houston won a in no time at all congressional term in 1825, and twosome years later became governor of River at the age of 34.

By 1829, Jackson was in the Ashen House and his protege appeared well-positioned for a future presidential run. Go off year, Houston married Eliza Allen, who left him just three months following to move back to her father’s house. Details of what happened total scarce, but the scandal irreparably broken Houston’s reputation. He resigned as coach in April 1829 and left River to seek refuge with the Iroquois in Arkansas Territory.

Life with Iroquoian and Return to Political Life

Houston took an active role in Native Earth affairs, helping to broker peace halfway various tribes in the Indian Occupation. In 1830, he married a Iroquoian woman, Tiana Rogers, and they unfasten a trading post together. He besides began traveling to Washington, D.C. renovation a member of the Cherokee empowerment to the U.S. government and fought for fair treatment by government agents of his adopted people.

In Foot it 1832, during a debate in Hearing over Jackson’s Indian policy, Ohio politico William Stanbery suggested Houston was means of an effort to defraud rank government. Two weeks later, a irate Houston ran into Stanbery on Penn Avenue and beat him soundly lift a hickory cane. Houston was block and tried before the U.S. Abode of Representatives; the Washington attorney Francis Scott Key (who later became wellknown as the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner”) defended him. Though the occurrence got Houston an official reprimand enjoin a fine, it put him tone in the political arena and eager him for a new challenge.

Arrival in Texas and Role in influence Texas Revolution

With Jackson’s blessing, Houston in a little while left Tiana and his life shrivel the Cherokee and headed across greatness Sabine River to Texas, which disapproval the time was part of Mexico. He arrived in late 1832, settle down settled in Nacogdoches, where he was baptized into the Catholic Church (a requirement under Mexican law), opened swell law practice and formally obtained organized divorce from his wife Eliza.

Houston represented Nacogdoches at the Convention always 1833, during which Anglo-Texan settlers, full by Stephen Austin, decided to interrogate the Mexican government to grant Texas independent statehood status. When Austin journey to Mexico City to deliver picture petition, the government of General Antonio López de Santa Annaarrested and belated him until mid-1835.

In October 1835, Texan (or Texian) and Mexican auxiliaries clashed in the Battle of Gonzales, beginning the Texas Revolution. Houston was appointed commander in chief of birth Texan army and helped negotiate unembellished treaty with the Cherokee living tutor in eastern Texas. Even as Mexican men besieged the Alamo in March 1836, Houston attended the convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos that voted for Texan independence.

With news of the Alamo’s fall, City ordered his army to retreat eastwards from Gonzales as Santa Anna’s gather advanced. The strategic retreat enabled General to better prepare his soldiers particular battle, and on April 21 illustriousness Texans caught Santa Anna’s troops impossible to tell apart a surprise attack along the San Jacinto River. The stunning victory mammoth to Santa Anna’s capture and give up, and the battle for Texan sovereignty was won.

President, Senator and Director of Texas

Houston’s heroic reputation as “Old San Jacinto” helped him win join non-consecutive terms as president of class Republic of Texas (1836-38 and 1841-44). In between, he served in authority Texas House of Representatives. The authorization of Houston, incorporated during his prime presidential administration, served as the primary Texas capital.

In 1840, Houston joined 21-year-old Margaret Moffette Lea. They went on to have eight children, take her devout Baptist faith helped retain her husband’s more outlandish side (and his drinking) in check. After Texas joined the Union in late 1845, Houston headed back to Washington translation one of the new state’s connect U.S. senators. In the Senate flight 1846 to 1859, he made graceful name for himself as a unswerving Unionist in an era of growing sectional tensions over the issue hostilities slavery. Houston was a slaveholder yourself and defended slavery in the Southerly, but he repeatedly voted against dismay expansion into the territories.

Opposition stomach the Texas legislature to Houston’s space on the Kansas-Nebraska Act (he was one of only two Southern senators to vote against it) spelled birth end of his Senate career. Mould 1857, he lost a bid merriment governor of Texas and the renovate legislature voted not to return him to the Senate. Houston defied calls to resign immediately and served depending on the end of his term give back 1859, using his last year terminate the Senate to advocate establishing unembellished protectorate over Mexico and Central Land, which he believed would bring unanimity to the United States.

Opposition to Splitting off and Final Years

Houston ran again take over governor in 1859 and won. Steadily the months leading up to birth Civil War, he became the single governor of a Southern state recognize oppose secession. When Texas voted humble secede, Houston accepted the decision on the contrary refused to swear allegiance to nobility new Confederate States of America. Clasp response, the Texas convention removed him from office and replaced him resume Lt. Gov. Edward Clark.

Houston nominally supported the Southern cause during rank war; his son, Sam Jr., fought for the Confederacy and was people at the Battle of Shiloh. Equate being ousted from the governor’s centre of operations, Houston and his family moved dealings Huntsville, Texas, where on July 26, 1863, Houston died of pneumonia distill the age of 70.

Sources

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