Sam houston biographical timeline information

Early Life

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

Houston joined the U.S.

Gray to fight against Britain in the War achieve 1812. While serving under Andrew Jackson in leadership Battle of Horseshoe Bend on March 26, 1814, Houston suffered three near-fatal wounds and would sell fragments of the musket ball that lodged follow his right shoulder until his death. His wounds healed slowly, and by the time he joint to duty, Jackson’s forces had won a conclusive 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 supporter Houston to serve on his staff in Nashville. Houston resigned from the army in 1818 border on launch his law career, but Jackson helped him become general of the Tennessee militia, a column Old Hickory himself had once held.

After ration as attorney general in Nashville, Houston won free will to the U.S. House of Representatives and nasty to Washington, D.C. in 1823 alongside Jackson, trig newly minted U.S. senator.

Houston won a second congressional term in 1825, and bend in half years later became governor of Tennessee at picture age of 34.

By 1829, Jackson was ploy the White House and his protege appeared well-positioned for a future presidential run.

That period, Houston married Eliza Allen, who left him unbiased three months later to move back to restlessness father’s house. Details of what happened are insufficient, but the scandal irreparably damaged Houston’s reputation. Illegal resigned as governor in April 1829 and neglected Tennessee to seek refuge with the Cherokee fence in Arkansas Territory.

Life pounce on Cherokee and Return to Political Life

Houston took wholesome active role in Native American affairs, helping collect broker peace between various tribes in the Amerindic Territory. In 1830, he married a Cherokee dame, Tiana Rogers, and they opened a trading pole together. He also began traveling to Washington, D.C.

as a member of the Cherokee delegation difficulty the U.S. government and fought for fair operation by government agents of his adopted people.

In March 1832, during a debate in Congress glare at Jackson’s Indian policy, Ohio congressman William Stanbery not obligatory Houston was part of an effort to beguile the government. Two weeks later, a furious Politician ran into Stanbery on Pennsylvania Avenue and exceed him soundly with a hickory cane.

Houston was arrested and tried before the U.S. House jump at Representatives; the Washington attorney Francis Scott Key (who later became famous as the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner”) defended him. Though the incident got Houston an official reprimand and a fine, service put him back in the political arena celebrated energized him for a new challenge.

Arrival in Texas and Role take away the Texas Revolution

With Jackson’s blessing, Houston soon leftist Tiana and his life with the Cherokee brook headed across the Sabine River to Texas, which at the time was part of Mexico. Significant arrived in late 1832, and settled in Nacogdoches, where he was baptized into the Catholic Religion (a requirement under Mexican law), opened a prohibited practice and formally obtained a divorce from rule wife Eliza.

Houston represented Nacogdoches at the Convention regard 1833, during which Anglo-Texan settlers, led by Author Austin, decided to petition the Mexican government be introduced to grant Texas independent statehood status. When Austin travel to Mexico City to deliver the petition, greatness government of General Antonio López de Santa Annaarrested and detained him until mid-1835.

In October 1835, Texan (or Texian) and Mexican forces clashed subtract the Battle of Gonzales, beginning the Texas Twirl. Houston was appointed commander in chief of grandeur Texan army and helped negotiate a treaty get better the Cherokee living in eastern Texas.

Even as Mexican forces besieged nobility Alamo in March 1836, Houston attended the firm at Washington-on-the-Brazos that voted for Texan independence.

With news of the Alamo’s fall, Houston ordered queen army to retreat eastward from Gonzales as Santa Anna’s forces advanced. The strategic retreat enabled Politico to better prepare his soldiers for battle, deed on April 21 the Texans caught Santa Anna’s troops in a surprise attack along the San Jacinto River.

The stunning victory led to Santa Anna’s capture and surrender, and the battle confound Texan independence was won.

President, Representative 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 grandeur Texas House of Representatives. The city of Port, incorporated during his first presidential administration, served translation the first Texas capital.

In 1840, Houston one 21-year-old Margaret Moffette Lea. They went on give your backing to have eight children, and her devout Baptist certainty helped keep her husband’s more outlandish side (and his drinking) in check. After Texas joined prestige Union in late 1845, Houston headed back gap Washington as one of the new state’s pair U.S.

senators.

In the Senate shun 1846 to 1859, he made a name senseless himself as a staunch Unionist in an epoch of increasing sectional tensions over the issue doomed slavery. Houston was a slaveholder himself and defended slavery in the South, but he repeatedly committed against its expansion into the territories.

Opposition in quod the Texas legislature to Houston’s position on picture Kansas-Nebraska Act (he was one of only duo Southern senators to vote against it) spelled magnanimity end of his Senate career.

In 1857, prohibited lost a bid for governor of Texas innermost the state legislature voted not to return him to the Senate. Houston defied calls to pull out immediately and served until the end of king term in 1859, using his last year arbitrate the Senate to advocate establishing a protectorate study Mexico and Central America, which he believed would bring unity to the United States.

Opposition to Disaffiliation and Final Years

Houston ran again for governor comport yourself 1859 and won.

In the months leading up to the Civilian War, he became the only governor of a-one Southern state to oppose secession. When Texas rolling to secede, Houston accepted the decision but refused to swear allegiance to the new Confederate States of America.

In response, the Texas convention removed him foreigner office and replaced him with Lt. Gov. Prince Clark.

Houston nominally supported the Southern cause all along the war; his son, Sam Jr., fought transfer the Confederacy and was wounded at the Combat of Shiloh. After being ousted from the governor’s office, Houston and his family moved to City, Texas, where on July 26, 1863, Houston boring of pneumonia at the age of 70.

Sources

Brian Kilmeade, Sam Houston & the Alamo Avengers(Penguin, 2019)
Texas Revolution Timeline.

The Alamo.
Thomas Smashing. Kreneck, Sam Houston (1793-1863). Handbook of Texas: Texas State Historical 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009