The historical figure, Sam Houston, contributed substantially with the creation of the state we live on today, Texas. He was the fifth child of nine, born on March 2, 1793 in the state of Virginia son of Samuel Houston and Elizabeth Paxton Houston. With the influence of the Cherokees, Andrew Jackson, Judge James Trimble among others, Houston grew to be the politician he was. Due to the events such as the Battle of San Jacinto, elected Texas Governor and president, and Texas annexation, Sam Houston is understood to be a great leader nationally known and continually remembered in history.
The Battle of San Jacinto was a major event in Houston’s career. This is a battle where, under his command, defeated and captured Santa Anna, Mexican President,
…show more content…
as he described it being “almost a miracle.” However, he was only successful with this affair because of his “tactics” such as retreating. For example, before the Battle of San Jacinto, Houston was at a camp in Groce where he “remained for ten days to prepare his army for battle..although training was just as unpopular as retreat and some soldiers remained dissatisfied with their commander, the army’s spirits improved.” Just by gaining his army’s confidence to grow demonstrates Houston’s leadership abilities. Additionally, Houston was intelligent to know when and where to attack in battle and not just fight straight on because he wanted to assure a possible victory. This victory evidently boosted Sam Houston’s political career.
Even though his marriage with Eliza Allen was a failure and was known to be a “Big Drunk” , he got to prove his enemies he was greater than that. Before Texas, Houston started off as the governor of Tennessee state with the help of Andrew Jackson, “a particular friend of mine”. Houston’s admiration towards Jackson was immense and they were surprisingly close. His political ideas and beliefs were influenced by “Old Hickory”, who was famous and acknowledged at the time, which also helped Houston gain governorship. Houston then moved to Texas where he said it was “the finest country to its extent upon the Globe.” but it was also poorly governed. Yet again Houston involved himself in politics. This time the victory at the Battle of San Jacinto helped Houston with his election. He was widely recognized as “the hero of the fight for Texas independence.” Even though not seeking the presidency, people still nominated him and won against Smith and Austin and Mirabeau B. Lamar, “who was by no means a friend or political ally of the president-elect”, got the …show more content…
vice-presidency. In addition, Houston believed in the annexation of Texas to the United States but it took long-term negotiations with the U.S; one which was making them believe the state of Texas was also desirable to the British, who the U.S.
did not want in North America. Annexation negotiations, however suffered when secretary of state, Upshur, died, but was replaced by John C. Calhoun, Houston’s “enemy” due to his earlier encounter in 1818 being insulted by his attire. Additionally, Houston's vision of the state was “Texas is presented to the United States, as a bride adorned for her espousal. But if, now so confident of the union, she should be rejected, her mortification would be indescribable.” Texas had no choice but to join the union. Fortunately for Houston, he got to finally find a stable wife, Margaret Lea (a young woman which was Houston’s weakness), whom gave him the blessing of eight
children. To conclude, Houston had many challenges throughout his life but he always acted in favor of the people following Jacksonian views. “In spite of the great victory at san jacinto, Houston refused to be overconfident. As commander in chief and now as president he was always the cautious realist.” “His approach won, and Texas became independent. San Jacinto became his password to Texas heroism forever.” The annexation of Texas and multiple elections contribute to making Sam Houston is considered a great leader in history.
After the Alamo Santa Anna was chasing Houston and the Texas army. Houston retreaded but the government, citizens and his own army did not take well to his actions and called it “ The Runaway Scrape". Even
When studying Texas History there are names such as Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, and William Barrett Travis that are often brought up into discussion. These men had rolls of vital importance to the cause of revolution; however, other names such as Juan Nepomuceno Seguin may be much more obscure to those unaware of the rolls that such men played. Juan Seguin is mostly remembered as the currier to whom William Barrett Travis commissioned with the delivery of a letter to General Sam Houston requesting reinforcements and whose words were so inspiring that it may have given the Texans the push they needed to claim victory over the Mexican President Santa Anna. After independence was achieved from Mexico, Texas formed its own government in which Seguin served as a member of the Texas Senate. Seguin eventually lost all credibility and was forced to flee to Mexico because of accusations of betrayal. Was Juan Seguin’s participation in the Texas revolution limited to his delivery of the Travis letter to Sam Houston? Other than his participation at the Alamo and at San Jacinto, how significant of a part did Juan Seguin play in the Texas revolution? What lead to Seguin’s fall from favor in the eyes of the Texas government and earned him the label of traitor?
James K. Polk was one of many that felt extremely strong about Texas joining the Union. Silbey uses direct quotes from politicians gives a deeper outlook into Texas annexation. “That there is a large majority who would be glad to see Texas, in some way or another, united to this country, there can be no doubt.” (Silbey 81) Shortly after this widespread idea of Texas joining the country Congress was overwhelmed with bills to make Texas’s entry accomplished.
San Antonio, Texas-- The Battle of the Alamo, a battle in San Antonio, against the Mexicans broke out, marks the most important of the battles so far during the Texas fight for independence. The battle began on February 23, 1836 and ended two days ago on March 6, 1836, lasting for 13 days. General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, leader of the Mexican force, planned to seize the fort with an army of thousands. Unprepared, the Texans had an army of around 200 men, including well- known congressman David Crockett and James Bowie and not so well-known William Barret Travis.
Texas won independence from Mexico in 1836. In the year 1844, James K. Polk was elected president. He was a strong believer in manifest destiny. Congress decided to annex Texas into the United States. Mexico felt that America stole Texas from them.
Sam Houston was a great man in our history. He stood up for what he believed was good for the Union not the North or the South. When Sam was rebuked for providing the winning margin for his opponents he said “I know neither North nor South; I know only the Union.” He also said everyone “…must stand firm to the Union, regardless of all personal consequences.” He was fiercely ambitious, yet at the end he sacrificed for principle all he had ever won or wanted. He was a Southerner, and yet he steadfastly maintained his loyalty to the Union. He could be all things to all men—and yet, when faced with his greatest challenge, he was faithful to himself and to Texas.
Just before Polk's presidency Texas had freed itself from Mexican rule and desired American annexation. This desire came from thousands of former American citizens that settled in Texas in the 1820s. This was due to the Mexican government supplying huge land grants to entice new settlers to Texas and secure its northern border from America. The Mexican government failed to realize the true impact that their persuasion of Americans for settlement would cause. In 1830, Mexico finally put a freeze on all American immigration due to the large number of American settlers and their certain revolution. In 1836, The Republic of Texas was est...
dictator and with independence for Texas. So a major reason for Texas to be annexed into the United States was that the overwhelming majority of the population was former Americans.
Narrative History of Texas Annexation, Secession, and Readmission to the Union. Texans voted in favor of annexation to the United States in the first election following independence in 1836. However, throughout the Republic period (1836-1845) no treaty of annexation negotiated between the Republic and the United States was ratified by both nations. When all attempts to arrive at a formal annexation treaty failed, the United States Congress passed--after much debate and only a simple majority--a Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States. Under these terms, Texas would keep both its public lands and its public debt, it would have the power to divide into four additional states "of convenient size" in the future if it so desired, and it would deliver all military, postal, and customs facilities and authority to the United States government.
Written by Randolph B. Campbell and edited by Mark C. Carnes, Sam Houston and the American Southwest tells the story of the life of Sam Houston. Sam Houston, born in 1793 in Tennessee, was a soldier, lawyer, and also one of the founding fathers of the state of Texas. This biography of Sam Houston goes on to describe the life of Sam Houston in topics such as presidential elections he ran in, wars he has fought, friends and rivals of Houston, his personal life, marriages, wins, defeats, and changes he brought upon the United States of America. Sam Houston was liked by the majority of people, he looked up to Andrew Jackson who was his general when Sam Houston joined the army in his 20’s. This book goes into depth to portray to the reader of the type of person Sam Houston was including his strengths, weaknesses, and the fact that he was an alcoholic and despite all that, he was a very intelligent and noble man of U.S. history as we now know.
Santa Anna’s hubris gained from early victories and political posturing would come back to haunt him. The month following the siege of the Alamo, Santa Anna would meet his fate. On 21 April 1836, Sam Houston’s vengeful soldiers attack and rout Santa Anna’s isolated detachment at San Jacinto in 20 minutes. The Texans slaughter 650 enemy troops and capture 700 more. Santa Anna escaped; however, he was captured the following day.
Sam Houston Sam Houston was, as legend reports, a big man about six feet and six inches tall. He was an exciting historical figure and war hero who was involved with much of the early development of our country and Texas. He was a soldier, lawyer, politician, businessman, and family man, whose name will be synonymous with nation heroes who played a vital part in the shaping of a young and prosperous country. He admired and supported the Native Americans who took him in and adopted him into their culture to help bridge the gap between the government and a noble forgotten race. Sam Houston succeeded in many roles he donned as a man, but the one most remembered is the one of a true American hero.
It took nine dragged out years to be annexed to the US. So with the new US president James K. Polk being inaugurated in 1845 and one of his priorities being to claim Texas, it seemed to set things in motion. 12 April 1844 was the Treaty of Texas’ Annexation into the United States of America. We take note that Texas was accepted into the “Union States” as an anti-slave state, as were all the territories annexed during the Mexican War.
He also had to deal with problems with inflammation, because Lamar over printed money causing mass inflammation were Texas Redbacks were only worth .12 U.S cents and most U.S merchants wouldn’t accept them. Sam Houston’s second term was mostly a money cutting term he spent less than 600,000 in a three year term. The Mier expedition was a costly military mistake it started with a mexican general attacking a southern texas town Sam sent 300 militia’s and they dealt with the mexicans and then the Texan militia decided to invade mexico taking a town. Mexico leader sent an army to capture the Texans in the town and the didn’t want kill everyone because that didn’t go so well in the revolution so the decided to execute every 10 soldiers. Debt was crippling so the only way out was to get was annexation and that’s what Houston’s solution was and campaigned saying no more debt if we join the U.S. and in 1845 that’s what happened but Texas still had some debt so the sold land from Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New
James K. Polk won the presidency and the win implied that the mass majority of Americans sought to obtain more terrain. Legislator's outlook on the Texas question began to alter. In February, Congress accepted annexation. In December, after Texas voters added their support, Texas grew to be the twenty-eighth state in the Union.