Sam houston full biography of justin

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When Dates and time periods associated with this book. Creation Date Description Last Updated Feb. Usage Statistics When was this book last used? Yesterday: 0. Past 30 days: 1. Total Uses: 3, More Statistics. Houston represented Nacogdoches at the Convention ofduring which Anglo-Texan settlers, led by Stephen Austin, decided to petition the Mexican government to grant Texas independent statehood status.

Sam houston full biography of justin

Houston was appointed commander in chief of the Texan army and helped negotiate a treaty with the Cherokee living in eastern Texas. Even as Mexican forces besieged the Alamo in MarchHouston attended the convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos that voted for Texan independence. In between, he served in the Texas House of Representatives. The city of Houston, incorporated during his first presidential administration, served as the first Texas capital.

InHouston married year-old Margaret Moffette Lea. In the Senate from tohe made a name for himself as a staunch Unionist in an era of increasing sectional tensions over the issue of slavery. Houston was a slaveholder himself and defended slavery in the South, but he repeatedly voted against its expansion into the territories. Inhe lost a bid for governor of Texas and the state legislature voted not to return him to the Senate.

Houston defied calls to resign immediately and served until the end of his term inusing his last year in the Senate to advocate establishing a protectorate over Mexico and Central America, which he believed would bring unity to the United States. Houston ran again for governor in and won. Houston, meanwhile, faced the challenge of assembling a new government, putting the country's finances in order, and handling relations with Mexico.

He selected Mirabeau Lamar as vice president, Thomas Jefferson Rusk as secretary of war, Smith as secretary of the treasury, Samuel Rhoads Fisher as secretary of the navy, James Collinsworth as attorney general, and Austin as sam houston full biography of justin of state. President Andrew Jackson refused to push for the annexation of Texas, but in his last official act in office he granted Texas diplomatic recognition.

In earlythe government moved to a new capital, the city of Houston, named after him as the country's first president. He was succeeded by Mirabeau B. Lamarwho, along with Burnet, led a faction of Texas politicians opposed to Houston. Houston defeated Burnet in the Texas presidential electionwinning a large majority of the vote. Annexation did not have sufficient support in Congress, and the United States Senate rejected the treaty in June.

Henry Clay and Martin Van Burenthe respective front-runners for the Whig and Democratic nominations in the presidential electionboth opposed the annexation of Texas. However, Van Buren's opposition to annexation damaged his candidacy, and he was defeated by James K. Polkan acolyte of Jackson and an old friend of Houston, at the Democratic National Convention.

Polk defeated Clay in the general election, giving backers of annexation an electoral mandate. Meanwhile, Houston's term ended in Decemberand he was succeeded by Anson Jones, his secretary of state. In the waning days of his own presidency, Tyler used Polk's victory to convince Congress to approve of the annexation of Texas. Seeking Texas's immediate acceptance of annexation, Tyler made Texas a generous offer that allowed the state to retain control of its public lands, though it would be required to keep its public debt.

Houston chose to align with the Democratic Party, which contained many of his old political allies, including President Polk. Senate by another state. InMitt Romney became the second. Bibb accomplished the same feat in reverse order. Breaking with the Senate tradition that held that freshman senators were not to address the Senate, Houston strongly advocated in early for the annexation of Oregon Country.

Houston initially supported Polk's prosecution of the war, but differences between the two men emerged in Mexico also agreed to recognize the Rio Grande as the border between Mexico and Texas. After the war, disputes over the extension of slavery into the territories raised sectional tensions. Unlike most of his Southern colleagues, Houston voted for the Oregon Bill ofwhich organized Oregon Territory as a free territory.

Defending his vote to create a territory that excluded slavery, Houston stated "I would be the last man to wish to do anything injurious to the South, but I do not think that on all occasions we are justified in agitating [slavery]. Under the compromise, California was admitted as a free state, the slave trade was prohibited in the District of Columbia, a more stringent fugitive slave law was passed, and Utah Territory and New Mexico Territory were established.

The Democratic National Convention ultimately nominated Franklin Piercea compromise nominee, who went on to win the election. InSenator Stephen A. Houston voted against the act, in part because he believed that Native Americans would lose much of their land as a result of the act. He also perceived that it would lead to increased sectional tensions over slavery.

Houston sought the presidential nomination at the Know Nothing party's national conventionbut the party nominated former President Millard Fillmore. Houston was disappointed by Fillmore's selection as well as the party platform, which did not rebuke the Kansas—Nebraska Act, but he eventually decided to support Fillmore's candidacy. Despite Houston's renewed support, the American Party split over slavery, and Democrat James Buchanan won the presidential election.

The American Party collapsed after the election, and Houston did not affiliate with a national political party for the remainder of his tenure in the senate. In response, Houston announced his own candidacy for governor, but Runnels defeated him by a decisive margin. Houston ran against Runnels in the gubernatorial election. Capitalizing on Runnels's unpopularity over state issues such as Native American raids, Houston won the election and took office in December Houston narrowly trailed Bell on the first ballot of the Constitutional Union Conventionbut Bell clinched the nomination on the second ballot.

Other backers attempted to launch a nationwide campaign, but in AugustHouston announced that he would not be a candidate for president. He refused to endorse any of the remaining presidential candidates. After Lincoln won the November presidential election, several Southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America.

After Houston refused to swear an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy, the legislature declared the governorship vacant. Houston did not recognize the validity of his removal, but he did not attempt to use force to remain in office, and he refused aid from the federal government to prevent his removal. His successor, Edward Clarkwas sworn in in March Fellow-Citizens, in the name of your rights and liberties, which I believe have been trampled upon, I refuse to take this oath.

In the name of the nationality of Texas, which has been betrayed by the Convention, I refuse to take this oath. In the name of the Constitution of Texas, I refuse to take this oath. In the name of my own conscience and manhood, which this Convention would degrade by dragging me before it, to pander to the malice of my enemies, I refuse to take this oath.

I deny the power of this Convention to speak for Texas. I protest. Let me tell you what is coming. After the sacrifice of countless millions of treasure and hundreds of thousands of lives, you may win Southern independence if God be not against you, but I doubt it. I tell you that, while I believe with you in the doctrine of states rights, the North is determined to preserve this Union.

They are not a fiery, impulsive people as you are, for they live in colder climates. But when they begin to move in a given direction, they move with the steady momentum and perseverance of a mighty avalanche; and what I fear is, they will overwhelm the South. Houston did everything possible to prevent secession and war, but his first loyalty was to Texas—and the South.

Houston refused offers of troops from the United States to keep Texas in the Union and announced on May 10, that he would stand with the Confederacy in its war effort. After leaving office, Houston returned to his home in Galveston. His son, Sam Houston Jr. A Brave Soldier. A Fearless Statesman. A Devoted Husband and Father. The marriage lasted 11 weeks.

Neither Houston nor Eliza ever gave a reason for their separation, but Eliza refused to sam houston full biography of justin divorce. Subsequently, he resigned his governorship and went to live with his Cherokee family for three years. The ceremony was modest since it was Dianna's second marriage; she was widowed with two children from her previous marriage: Gabriel, bornand Joanna, born She and Houston first met when she was ten years old, and he was stunned to see how beautiful she was when he returned to her village years later.

The two lived together for several years. Tennessee society disapproved of the marriage because under civil law, he was still legally married to Eliza Allen Houston. After declining to accompany Houston to Texas inDianna later remarried. She died in of pneumonia. Inafter becoming President of the Republic of Texas, he was able to acquire, from a district court judge, a divorce from Eliza Allen.

Inhe purchased a horse which became one of the foundation sires of the American Quarter Horse breed named Copperbottom. He owned the horse until its death in On May 9,Houston, aged 47, married for a third time. They had eight children, including Sam Jr. Margaret acted as a tempering influence on her much older husband and convinced him to stop drinking.

Although the Houstons had numerous houses, they kept only one continuously: Cedar Point — on Trinity Bay. InHouston was baptized into the Catholic faith in order to qualify under the existing Mexican law for property ownership in Coahuila y Tejas. With the assistance of George Washington Bainesshe convinced Houston to convert, and he agreed to adult baptism.

Spectators from neighboring communities came to Independence, Texas, to witness the event. On November 19,Houston was baptized by Rev. Rufus C. Houston was born on and inherited a slave plantation and mansion, and owned many slaves throughout his life. He did not support the westward expansion of slavery. Houstonthe largest city in Texas and the American Southis named in his honor.

Along with Stephen F. There is a question about whether Houston made a pejorative comment about Mexicans in an speech to the Texas volunteer army at Refugio. One second hand source makes this claim; [ ] however, subsequent research casts doubt on the source and concludes that the disparaging comment is unlikely to have occurred. See also: List of companies in Houston.

See: List of colleges and universities in Houston. Category Texas portal. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version.