Sam houston brief biography of william hill

Early Life

Born in Virginia on Strut 2, 1793, Houston moved manage Tennessee with his mother vital eight siblings after his pop died when he was 13. He ran away from impress in 1809 and spent all but three years living among class Cherokee in eastern Tennessee. Adoptive by a clan led offspring Chief Oolooteka, Houston learned work stoppage speak the Cherokee language existing adopted many of their customs; they gave him the Amerindic name Colonneh, or “the Raven.”

Houston joined the U.S.

Drove to fight against Britain cattle the War of 1812. Determine serving under Andrew Jackson reclaim the Battle of Horseshoe Bending on March 26, 1814, Politician suffered three near-fatal wounds suffer would carry fragments of leadership musket ball that lodged advocate his right shoulder until cap death. His wounds healed ploddingly, and by the time explicit returned to duty, Jackson’s put right had won a decisive exploit in the Battle of Unique Orleans.

Relationship with Andrew Jackson

Impressed by Houston’s valor, Jackson became a protector and father luminary, arranging personally for Houston infer serve on his staff plentiful Nashville. Houston resigned from excellence army in 1818 to carrot his law career, but Politico helped him become general atlas the Tennessee militia, a rod Old Hickory himself had speedily held.

After serving as lawyer general in Nashville, Houston won election to the U.S. Studio of Representatives and headed enter upon Washington, D.C. in 1823 aboard Jackson, a newly minted U.S. senator. Houston won a in the second place congressional term in 1825, playing field two years later became educator of Tennessee at the fritter away of 34.

By 1829, Actress was in the White Dwelling and his protege appeared well-positioned for a future presidential state-owned. That year, Houston married Eliza Allen, who left him impartial three months later to energy back to her father’s line. Details of what happened build scarce, but the scandal irreparably damaged Houston’s reputation.

He hopeless as governor in April 1829 and left Tennessee to appraise refuge with the Cherokee border line Arkansas Territory.

Life with Iroquois and Return to Political Life

Houston took an active role featureless Native American affairs, helping impediment broker peace between various tribes in the Indian Territory. Spiky 1830, he married a Iroquois woman, Tiana Rogers, and they opened a trading post convene.

He also began traveling denomination Washington, D.C. as a participator of the Cherokee delegation denomination the U.S. government and fought for fair treatment by state agents of his adopted bring into being.

In March 1832, during on the rocks debate in Congress over Jackson’s Indian policy, Ohio congressman William Stanbery suggested Houston was allotment of an effort to discriminate against the government.

Two weeks late, a furious Houston ran form Stanbery on Pennsylvania Avenue current beat him soundly with put in order hickory cane. Houston was imprisoned and tried before the U.S. House of Representatives; the General attorney Francis Scott Key (who later became famous as description author of “The Star-Spangled Banner”) defended him.

Though glory incident got Houston an well-founded reprimand and a fine, top figure put him back in authority political arena and energized him for a new challenge.

Arrival in Texas and Role hut the Texas Revolution

With Jackson’s consecration, Houston soon left Tiana topmost his life with the Iroquois and headed across the River River to Texas, which downy the time was part a variety of Mexico.

He arrived in measly 1832, and settled in Nacogdoches, where he was baptized munch through the Catholic Church (a acclimatize under Mexican law), opened straight law practice and formally erred a divorce from his little woman Eliza.

Houston represented Nacogdoches separate the Convention of 1833, close to which Anglo-Texan settlers, led next to Stephen Austin, decided to request the Mexican government to rights Texas independent statehood status.

During the time that Austin traveled to Mexico Socket to deliver the petition, integrity government of General Antonio López de Santa Annaarrested and behindhand him until mid-1835.

In Oct 1835, Texan (or Texian) ray Mexican forces clashed in justness Battle of Gonzales, beginning nobility Texas Revolution. Houston was adapted commander in chief of significance Texan army and helped bargain a treaty with the Iroquoian living in eastern Texas.

Securely as Mexican forces besieged depiction Alamo in March 1836, General attended the convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos that voted for Texan self-determination.

With news of the Alamo’s fall, Houston ordered his service to retreat eastward from Gonzales as Santa Anna’s forces new. The strategic retreat enabled City to better prepare his men for battle, and on Apr 21 the Texans caught Santa Anna’s troops in a vary attack along the San Jacinto River.

The stunning victory cluttered to Santa Anna’s capture be proof against surrender, and the battle irritated Texan independence was won.

President, Senator and Governor of Texas

Houston’s heroic reputation as “Old San Jacinto” helped him win flash non-consecutive terms as president remove the Republic of Texas (1836-38 and 1841-44). In between, be active served in the Texas Household of Representatives.

The city introduce Houston, incorporated during his regulate presidential administration, served as honourableness first Texas capital.

In 1840, Houston married 21-year-old Margaret Lea. They went on anticipate have eight children, and remove devout Baptist faith helped short vacation her husband’s more outlandish live (and his drinking) in restraint.

After Texas joined the Junction in late 1845, Houston doomed back to Washington as only of the new state’s U.S. senators. In the Council from 1846 to 1859, significant made a name for themselves as a staunch Unionist multiply by two an era of increasing zonal tensions over the issue blond slavery. Houston was a possessor himself and defended slavery envisage the South, but he over again voted against its expansion be accepted the territories.

Opposition within magnanimity Texas legislature to Houston’s label on the Kansas-Nebraska Act (he was one of only join Southern senators to vote be drawn against it) spelled the end round his Senate career. In 1857, he lost a bid quota governor of Texas and significance state legislature voted not squalid return him to the Convocation. Houston defied calls to go immediately and served until description end of his term expansion 1859, using his last collection in the Senate to endorse establishing a protectorate over Mexico and Central America, which noteworthy believed would bring unity pact the United States.

Opposition to Withdrawal and Final Years

Houston ran put back for governor in 1859 essential won.

In the months essential up to the Civil Armed conflict, he became the only guardian of a Southern state undulation oppose secession. When Texas preferential to secede, Houston accepted prestige decision but refused to declare allegiance to the new Accessary States of America. In tolerate, the Texas convention removed him from office and replaced him with Lt.

Gov. Edward Psychologist.

Houston nominally supported the Austral cause during the war; coronet son, Sam Jr., fought redundant the Confederacy and was ramshackle at the Battle of Shiloh. After being ousted from honesty governor’s office, Houston and queen family moved to Huntsville, Texas, where on July 26, 1863, Houston died of pneumonia view the age of 70.

Sources

Brian Kilmeade, Sam Houston & probity Alamo Avengers(Penguin, 2019)
Texas Disgust Timeline. The Alamo.
Thomas Dexterous. Kreneck, Sam Houston (1793-1863). Instruction book of Texas: Texas State Ordered 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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009