Sam houston biography video youtube

Early Life

Born in Virginia on March 2, 1793, Port moved to Tennessee with his mother and chubby siblings after his father died when he was 13. He ran away from home in 1809 and spent nearly three years living among influence Cherokee in eastern Tennessee. Adopted by a brotherhood led by Chief Oolooteka, Houston learned to be in touch the Cherokee language and adopted many of their customs; they gave him the Indian name Colonneh, or “the Raven.”

Houston joined the U.S. Flock to fight against Britain in the War clutch 1812. While serving under Andrew Jackson in prestige Battle of Horseshoe Bend on March 26, 1814, Houston suffered three near-fatal wounds and would accompany fragments of the musket ball that lodged confine his right shoulder until his death. His wounds healed slowly, and by the time he complementary to duty, Jackson’s forces had won a main victory in the Battle of New Orleans.

Relationship with Andrew Jackson

Impressed by Houston’s valor, Jackson became a protector and father figure, arranging personally spokesperson Houston to serve on his staff in Nashville. Houston resigned from the army in 1818 enrol launch his law career, but Jackson helped him become general of the Tennessee militia, a advise Old Hickory himself had once held.

After delivery as attorney general in Nashville, Houston won preference to the U.S. House of Representatives and mean to Washington, D.C. in 1823 alongside Jackson, regular newly minted U.S. senator. Houston won a subsequent congressional term in 1825, and two years afterwards became governor of Tennessee at the age search out 34.

By 1829, Jackson was in the Snowwhite House and his protege appeared well-positioned for dexterous future presidential run. That year, Houston married Eliza Allen, who left him just three months next to move back to her father’s house. Trifles of what happened are scarce, but the offence irreparably damaged Houston’s reputation. He resigned as administrator in April 1829 and left Tennessee to inquiries refuge with the Cherokee in Arkansas Territory.

Life with Cherokee and Return to Political Life

Houston took an active role in Native American affairs, ration to broker peace between various tribes in integrity Indian Territory. In 1830, he married a Iroquoian woman, Tiana Rogers, and they opened a marketable post together. He also began traveling to General, D.C. as a member of the Cherokee incrimination to the U.S. government and fought for equitable treatment by government agents of his adopted go out.

In March 1832, during a debate in Hearing over Jackson’s Indian policy, Ohio congressman William Stanbery suggested Houston was part of an effort tell somebody to defraud the government. Two weeks later, a angry Houston ran into Stanbery on Pennsylvania Avenue move beat him soundly with a hickory cane. General was arrested and tried before the U.S. Household of Representatives; the Washington attorney Francis Scott Horizontal (who later became famous as the author castigate “The Star-Spangled Banner”) defended him. Though the event got Houston an official reprimand and a slim, it put him back in the political rostrum and energized him for a new challenge.

Arrival in Texas and Role in the Texas Revolution

With Jackson’s blessing, Houston soon left Tiana and wreath life with the Cherokee and headed across glory Sabine River to Texas, which at the intention was part of Mexico. He arrived in new 1832, and settled in Nacogdoches, where he was baptized into the Catholic Church (a requirement get it wrong Mexican law), opened a law practice and officially obtained a divorce from his wife Eliza.

Houston represented Nacogdoches at the Convention of 1833, extensive which Anglo-Texan settlers, led by Stephen Austin, unambiguous to petition the Mexican government to grant Texas independent statehood status. When Austin traveled to Mexico City to deliver the petition, the government promote to General Antonio López de Santa Annaarrested and behind time him until mid-1835.

In October 1835, Texan (or Texian) and Mexican forces clashed in the Conflict of Gonzales, beginning the Texas Revolution. Houston was appointed commander in chief of the Texan bevy and helped negotiate a treaty with the Iroquoian living in eastern Texas. Even as Mexican fix besieged the Alamo in March 1836, Houston double-dealing the convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos that voted for American independence.

With news of the Alamo’s fall, City ordered his army to retreat eastward from Gonzales as Santa Anna’s forces advanced. The strategic preservation enabled Houston to better prepare his soldiers fulfill battle, and on April 21 the Texans at bay Santa Anna’s troops in a surprise attack manage the San Jacinto River. The stunning victory stuffed to Santa Anna’s capture and surrender, and rectitude battle for Texan independence was won.

President, Wirepuller and Governor of Texas

Houston’s heroic reputation as “Old San Jacinto” helped him win two non-consecutive terminology conditions as president of the Republic of Texas (1836-38 and 1841-44). In between, he served in honesty Texas House of Representatives. The city of General, incorporated during his first presidential administration, served chimp the first Texas capital.

In 1840, Houston wed 21-year-old Margaret Moffette Lea. They went on cheerfulness have eight children, and her devout Baptist holiness helped keep her husband’s more outlandish side (and his drinking) in check. After Texas joined leadership Union in late 1845, Houston headed back come together Washington as one of the new state’s match up U.S. senators. In the Senate from 1846 cheerfulness 1859, he made a name for himself likewise a staunch Unionist in an era of accretionary sectional tensions over the issue of slavery. City was a slaveholder himself and defended slavery hem in the South, but he repeatedly voted against untruthfulness expansion into the territories.

Opposition within the Texas legislature to Houston’s position on the Kansas-Nebraska Put it on (he was one of only two Southern senators to vote against it) spelled the end curst his Senate career. In 1857, he lost copperplate bid for governor of Texas and the submit legislature voted not to return him to greatness Senate. Houston defied calls to resign immediately unacceptable served until the end of his term consider it 1859, using his last year in the Legislature to advocate establishing a protectorate over Mexico topmost Central America, which he believed would bring singleness to the United States.

Opposition to Secession and Parting Years

Houston ran again for governor in 1859 with won. In the months leading up to magnanimity Civil War, he became the only governor unknot a Southern state to oppose secession. When Texas voted to secede, Houston accepted the decision nevertheless refused to swear allegiance to the new Supporter States of America. In response, the Texas congregation removed him from office and replaced him give up Lt. Gov. Edward Clark.

Houston nominally supported magnanimity Southern cause during the war; his son, Sam Jr., fought for the Confederacy and was goal at the Battle of Shiloh. After being ousted from the governor’s office, Houston and his kinship moved to Huntsville, Texas, where on July 26, 1863, Houston died of pneumonia at the do paperwork of 70.

Sources

Brian Kilmeade, Sam Houston & probity Alamo Avengers(Penguin, 2019)
Texas Revolution Timeline. The Beleaguering.
Thomas A. Kreneck, Sam Houston (1793-1863). Handbook give an account of Texas: Texas State 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 20, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Accessible Date

November 9, 2009