On this day in 1793, Samuel Houston was born in Rockbridge, Virginia. He was an American general and statesman who was a key figure in the Texas Revolution. He was the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and represented Texas in the U. S. Senate. He also served as governor of Tennessee and Texas.
As a teenager, Houston ran away from home and spent three years living with the Cherokee. His long relationship with the Cherokee led him to be asked to mediate disputed and communicate their needs to the Jackson administration. He served under Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812 and later was appointed to oversee the removal of the Cherokee from Tennessee into Arkansas Territory in 1818. In 1829 he resigned and moved to the Arkansas Territory to live again with the Cherokee.
In 1832 Houston settled in Texas and helped set up their government. He was the top ranked official in the Texas Army and led them to the victory at the battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle against Mexico. After the war, he won the 1836 Texan presidential election and played a key role in the annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1846 where he voted for the Compromise of 1850 which diffused tensions regarding how to handle slavery in the recently acquired territories obtained as a result of the Mexican-American War.
Sam Houston was a pivotal figure in Texas and the south in the years leading up to the American Civil War. During the war, he was shunned by many Texas leaders because he did not support Texas’ joining the Confederacy. While he opposed support of the Union, he did everything possible to prevent secession and war. His primary loyalty was to Texas. In 1861 he stated he would support the Confederacy despite not wanting Texas to join the south. Samuel Houston, primarily known for his loyal support of the Republic of Texas, was born on this date in 1793, died in 1863.
