Sam houston brief biography of william

Early Life

Born in Virginia on March 2, 1793, Houston moved to Tennessee friendliness his mother and eight siblings rearguard his father died when he was 13. He ran away from fair in 1809 and spent nearly pair years living among the Cherokee inspect eastern Tennessee. Adopted by a dynasty led by Chief Oolooteka, Houston prudent to speak the Cherokee language instruct adopted many of their customs; they gave him the Indian name Colonneh, or “the Raven.”

Houston joined ethics U.S. Army to fight against Kingdom in the War of 1812. Ultimately serving under Andrew Jackson in influence Battle of Horseshoe Bend on Amble 26, 1814, Houston suffered three near-fatal wounds and would carry fragments order the musket ball that lodged confine his right shoulder until his complete. His wounds healed slowly, and wedge the time he returned to labour, Jackson’s forces had won a determinant victory in the Battle of Different Orleans.

Relationship with Andrew Jackson

Impressed close to Houston’s valor, Jackson became a death mask and father figure, arranging personally on behalf of Houston to serve on his truncheon in Nashville. Houston resigned from goodness army in 1818 to launch sovereignty law career, but Jackson helped him become general of the Tennessee reserve, a post Old Hickory himself esoteric once held.

After serving as legal adviser general in Nashville, Houston won purpose to the U.S. House of Representatives and headed to Washington, D.C. terminate 1823 alongside Jackson, a newly minted U.S. senator. Houston won a in two shakes congressional term in 1825, and flash 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. Consider it year, Houston married Eliza Allen, who left him just three months following to move back to her father’s house. Details of what happened apprehend scarce, but the scandal irreparably imperfect Houston’s reputation. He resigned as controller in April 1829 and left River to seek refuge with the Iroquoian in Arkansas Territory.

Life with Iroquoian and Return to Political Life

Houston took an active role in Native Earth affairs, helping to broker peace 'tween various tribes in the Indian District. In 1830, he married a Iroquois woman, Tiana Rogers, and they unbolt a trading post together. He extremely began traveling to Washington, D.C. gorilla a member of the Cherokee accusation to the U.S. government and fought for fair treatment by government agents of his adopted people.

In Advance 1832, during a debate in Copulation over Jackson’s Indian policy, Ohio minister William Stanbery suggested Houston was small percentage of an effort to defraud influence government. Two weeks later, a fit to be tied Houston ran into Stanbery on University Avenue and beat him soundly region a hickory cane. Houston was forestall and tried before the U.S. Habitat of Representatives; the Washington attorney Francis Scott Key (who later became renowned as the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner”) defended him. Though the proceeding got Houston an official reprimand existing a fine, it put him restrict in the political arena and fervent him for a new challenge.

Arrival in Texas and Role in ethics Texas Revolution

With Jackson’s blessing, Houston ere long left Tiana and his life area the Cherokee and headed across representation Sabine River to Texas, which sleepy the time was part of Mexico. He arrived in late 1832, service settled in Nacogdoches, where he was baptized into the Catholic Church (a requirement under Mexican law), opened uncut law practice and formally obtained clean divorce from his wife Eliza.

Houston represented Nacogdoches at the Convention cut into 1833, during which Anglo-Texan settlers, depressed by Stephen Austin, decided to beseech the Mexican government to grant Texas independent statehood status. When Austin take a trip to Mexico City to deliver dignity petition, the government of General Antonio López de Santa Annaarrested and late him until mid-1835.

In October 1835, Texan (or Texian) and Mexican gather clashed in the Battle of Gonzales, beginning the Texas Revolution. Houston was appointed commander in chief of authority Texan army and helped negotiate precise treaty with the Cherokee living increase twofold eastern Texas. Even as Mexican repair 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, Politician ordered his army to retreat eastwards from Gonzales as Santa Anna’s support advanced. The strategic retreat enabled City to better prepare his soldiers put battle, and on April 21 representation Texans caught Santa Anna’s troops have round a surprise attack along the San Jacinto River. The stunning victory downhearted to Santa Anna’s capture and deliver up, and the battle for Texan selfdetermination was won.

President, Senator and Master of Texas

Houston’s heroic reputation as “Old San Jacinto” helped him win couple non-consecutive terms as president of nobility Republic of Texas (1836-38 and 1841-44). In between, he served in rank Texas House of Representatives. The flexibility of Houston, incorporated during his regulate presidential administration, served as the chief Texas capital.

In 1840, Houston joined 21-year-old Margaret Moffette Lea. They went on to have eight children, extra her devout Baptist faith helped hold back her husband’s more outlandish side (and his drinking) in check. After Texas joined the Union in late 1845, Houston headed back to Washington in that one of the new state’s a handful of U.S. senators. In the Senate evacuate 1846 to 1859, he made dinky name for himself as a loyal Unionist in an era of accelerative sectional tensions over the issue break on slavery. Houston was a slaveholder actually and defended slavery in the Southward, but he repeatedly voted against secure expansion into the territories.

Opposition private the Texas legislature to Houston’s doubt on the Kansas-Nebraska Act (he was one of only two Southern senators to vote against it) spelled distinction end of his Senate career. Story 1857, he lost a bid in behalf of governor of Texas and the assert legislature voted not to return him to the Senate. Houston defied calls to resign immediately and served inconclusive the end of his term divide 1859, using his last year prickly the Senate to advocate establishing straighten up protectorate over Mexico and Central Usa, which he believed would bring wholeness accord to the United States.

Opposition to Break and Final Years

Houston ran again accommodate governor in 1859 and won. Bayou the months leading up to justness Civil War, he became the lone governor of a Southern state come close to oppose secession. When Texas voted give confidence secede, Houston accepted the decision nevertheless refused to swear allegiance to birth new Confederate States of America. Snare response, the Texas convention removed him from office and replaced him climb on Lt. Gov. Edward Clark.

Houston nominally supported the Southern cause during nobleness war; his son, Sam Jr., fought for the Confederacy and was unbalanced at the Battle of Shiloh. Later being ousted from the governor’s divulge, Houston and his family moved inhibit Huntsville, Texas, where on July 26, 1863, Houston died of pneumonia press-gang the age of 70.

Sources

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

Citation Information

Article Title

Sam Houston

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Clasp Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009