Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two individuals to represent Texas in the United States Senate. He also served as the sixth governor of Tennessee and the seventh governor of Texas, the only individual to be elected governor of two different states in the United States. Born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, Houston and his family relocated to Maryville, Tennessee, when he was a teenager. Houston later ran away from home, spending about three years living with the Cherokee, becoming known as “Raven." He served under General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812; afterwards, and despite his earlier connections to the Cherokee people, he presided over the mass removal of Cherokee from Tennessee. With the support of Jackson, among others, Houston won election to the United States House of Representatives in 1823. He strongly supported Jackson's presidential candidacies and, in 1827, Houston was elected as the governor of Tennessee. In 1829, after divorcing his first wife, Houston resigned from office, and moved to the Arkansas Territory. Houston settled in Texas in 1832. After the Battle of Gonzales, he helped organize Texas's provisional government and was selected as the top-ranking official in the Texian Army. He led the Texan Army to victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle in Texas's war for independence against Mexico. After the war, Houston won the 1836 Texan presidential election. He left office due to term limits in 1838, but won another term in the 1841 Texas presidential election. Houston played a key role in the annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845 and, in 1846, was elected to represent Texas in the United States Senate. He joined the Democratic Party and supported President James K. Polk's prosecution of the Mexican–American War. His Senate record was marked by his unionism and opposition to extremists from both the North and South. He voted for the Compromise of 1850, which settled many of the residual territorial issues from the Mexican–American War and the annexation of Texas. Houston owned slaves throughout his life, and was a centrist on the issue of slavery.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Notable quotes

“Texas will again lift its head and stand among the nations. it ought to do so, for no country upon the globe can compare with it in natural advantages.”
— As quoted in the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.
“Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may.”
— As quoted in the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.
“All new states are invested, more or less, by a class of noisy, second-rate men who are always in favor of rash and extreme measures, but Texas was absolutely overrun by such men.”
— As quoted in the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.
“Whatever is calculated to weaken or impair the strength of Union, whether originating at the North or the South, whether arising from the incendiary violence of abolitionists, or from the coalition of nullifiers, will never meet with my unqualified approval.”
— As quoted in Sam Houston (2004), by James Haley, University of Oklahoma Press

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

Overview

Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two individuals to represent Texas in the United States Senate. He also served as the sixth governor of Tennessee and the seventh governor of Texas, the only individual to be elected governor of two different states in the United States. Born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, Houston and his family relocated to Maryville, Tennessee, when he was a teenager. Houston later ran away from home, spending about three years living with the Cherokee, becoming known as “Raven." He served under General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812; afterwards, and despite his earlier connections to the Cherokee people, he presided over the mass removal of Cherokee from Tennessee. With the support of Jackson, among others, Houston won election to the United States House of Representatives in 1823. He strongly supported Jackson's presidential candidacies and, in 1827, Houston was elected as the governor of Tennessee. In 1829, after divorcing his first wife, Houston resigned from office, and moved to the Arkansas Territory. Houston settled in Texas in 1832. After the Battle of Gonzales, he helped organize Texas's provisional government and was selected as the top-ranking official in the Texian Army. He led the Texan Army to victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle in Texas's war for independence against Mexico. After the war, Houston won the 1836 Texan presidential election. He left office due to term limits in 1838, but won another term in the 1841 Texas presidential election. Houston played a key role in the annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845 and, in 1846, was elected to represent Texas in the United States Senate. He joined the Democratic Party and supported President James K. Polk's prosecution of the Mexican–American War. His Senate record was marked by his unionism and opposition to extremists from both the North and South. He voted for the Compromise of 1850, which settled many of the residual territorial issues from the Mexican–American War and the annexation of Texas. Houston owned slaves throughout his life, and was a centrist on the issue of slavery.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two individuals to represent Texas in the United States Senate. He also served as the sixth governor of Tennessee and the seventh governor of Texas, the only individual to be elected governor of two different states in the United States.

Notable quotes

“Texas will again lift its head and stand among the nations. it ought to do so, for no country upon the globe can compare with it in natural advantages.”
— As quoted in the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.
“Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may.”
— As quoted in the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.
“All new states are invested, more or less, by a class of noisy, second-rate men who are always in favor of rash and extreme measures, but Texas was absolutely overrun by such men.”
— As quoted in the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.
“Whatever is calculated to weaken or impair the strength of Union, whether originating at the North or the South, whether arising from the incendiary violence of abolitionists, or from the coalition of nullifiers, will never meet with my unqualified approval.”
— As quoted in Sam Houston (2004), by James Haley, University of Oklahoma Press

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

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