Essay Sample about Sam Houston

Sam Houston was born to Samuel and Elizabeth Houston, near Lexington, Virginia on March 2, 1793. In 1806 after Houston’s father died his mother and eight siblings moved near Maryville. Two years after his father’s death he ran away and spent nearly three years with a band of Cherokee Indians. Their leader, Oolooteka became somewhat of a surrogate father to him. Houston was taught the language and the ways of the Cherokee. He was even given an Indian name, Coloneh, meaning ‘The Raven’.

While living in Maryville Houston became bored with his simple and uneventful life and decided to join the army in 1813. He rose quickly from a recruit to an officer. He served in the Seventh Infantry and also received three near-fatal wounds when participating in Andrew Jackson’s Creek Indian campaign. Jackson's attention was brought to Houston due to his bravery and he was appointed to his regional headquarters near Nashville. Houston became entangled in politics being a member of Jackson’s well-known ‘Tennessee Junto’.

Houston ended up leaving the army to pursue law in Nashville in 1819. After he finished his studies he opened a law firm in Lebanon to be close to Jackson. And later that year he became an attorney general for Davidson County. With heavy support from Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston ran and was elected for the U.S. House of Representatives. He left for Washington D.C. in 1823 with Jackson alongside him. Two years later he successfully ran for governor of Tennessee at the age of 34. 

In 1829 Houston married Eliza Allen, but she moved back to her father’s house 3 mohs later. This irreparably ruined Houston’s reputation. In late April of 1829, he resigned as governor. He left Tennessee to seek refuge in the Cherokees in Arkansas territory.

Houston took an active role in the affairs of Native Americans. Brokering peace between various Indian tribes. Sam Houston married Tiana Rogers, a Cherokee woman and they opened a trading post together. When Houston traveled around Washington D.C. he represented the Cherokee delegation to the U.S. Government, fighting for fair treatment of the Indian Tribes. 

While the debate in Congress on Andrew Jackson’s Indian policy was in session, William Stanbery, the congressman of Ohio suggested that Houston wanted to defraud the government. A couple of weeks later an enraged Houston ran into Stanbery and beat him hard with a cane. Houston was arrested and his trial was held before the U.S. House of Representatives. He was defended by an attorney from Washington, Francis Scott Key, who later became the well-known author of the Star-Spangled Banner. The incident got Houston a hefty fine and an official reprimand.

Houston left Tennessee and headed to Texas, which was part of Mexico at that time. It was late 1830 when he arrived and he settled in Nacogdoches. There he was baptized into the Catholic Church because it was a requirement under Mexican Law. He opened a law practice and was able to legally divorce his wife Eliza.

In October of 1835, the Texian and Mexican forces clashed during the Battle of Gonzales, starting the beginning of the Texas Revolution. The commander in chief of the Texas Army was, Sam Houston. When Houston received the news of the Alamo’s fall he commanded his army to retreat from Gonzales away from Santa Anna’s advancing forces. His soldiers were better prepared for battle because of Houston’s strategic retreat, and the Texas soldiers launched an attack on Sants Anna’s troops that took place along the San Jacinto River on April 21. The remarkable victory ended in the capture of General Santa Anna and his surrender. The battle for the Independence of Texas had been won!

Due to Houston’s reputation as a heroic soldier, he was able to win two terms as the President of the Republic of Texas. The city of Houston, named after him, served as the first capital of Texas. Houston also married 21-year-old Margaret Moffette Lea in 1840. They later had eight children and once Texas had joined the Union in 1845 he went back to Washington as one of the two Texas U.S. Senators. 

When Houston ran for governor again in 1859 and won he became the only southern state governor to oppose the succession. He would not swear allegiance to the new Confederate States of America when Texas voted to secede. He was replaced as governor by Edward Clark. 

Later in his life, Houston and his family moved to Huntsville, Texas. Sam Houston died on July 28, 1863, due to pneumonia. Sam Houston had a long well-lived life. He accomplished many things and although he helped Texas to achieve independence he was not perfect and made mistakes just as we all do.