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Samuel Houston

Sam Houston
Sam Houston c1850-crop.jpg
Sam Houston circa 1850
7th Governor of Texas
In office
December 21, 1859 – March 16, 1861
Lieutenant Edward Clark
Preceded by Hardin Richard Runnels
Succeeded by Edward Clark
United States Senator
from Texas
In office
February 21, 1846 – March 4, 1847
Preceded by None
Succeeded by Vacant
In office
December 18, 1847 – March 4, 1859
Preceded by Vacant
Succeeded by John Hemphill
1st and 3rd President of Texas
In office
December 21, 1841 – December 9, 1844
Vice President Edward Burleson
Preceded by Mirabeau B. Lamar
Succeeded by Anson Jones
In office
October 22, 1836 – December 10, 1838
Vice President Mirabeau B. Lamar
Preceded by David G. Burnet (ad interim)
Succeeded by Mirabeau B. Lamar
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the San Augustine district
In office
1839–1841
6th Governor of Tennessee
In office
October 1, 1827 – April 16, 1829
Lieutenant William Hall
Preceded by William Carroll
Succeeded by William Hall
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Tennessee's 7th district
In office
March 4, 1823 – March 4, 1827
Succeeded by John Bell
Personal details
Born (1793-03-02)March 2, 1793
Rockbridge County, Virginia, U.S.
Died July 26, 1863(1863-07-26) (aged 70)
Huntsville, Texas, C.S.
Resting place Oakwood Cemetery
Huntsville, Texas, U.S.
Political party Democratic-Republican (before 1829)
Democratic (1846–1854)
Unionist (1854–1860)
Constitutional Union (1860–1861)
Religion Baptist
(formerly Roman Catholic)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance  United States
 Texas
Service/branch United States Army
Army of the Republic of Texas
Years of service U.S. Army: 1813–18
Texian Army: 1835–36
Rank U.S. Army: First lieutenant
Texian Army: Commissioned Officer All Other Departments Major General.svg Major general
Unit U.S. Army: 39th Infantry Regiment
Commands Texian Army: Army of the Republic of Texas
Battles/wars War of 1812
 • Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Texas Revolutionary War
 • Battle of San Jacinto

Samuel "Sam" Houston (March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American politician and soldier, best known for his role in bringing Texas into the United States as a constituent state. His victory at the Battle of San Jacinto secured the independence of Texas from Mexico in one of the shortest decisive battles in modern history. The only American to be elected governor of two states (as opposed to territories or indirect selection), Houston was also the only governor within a future Confederate state to oppose secession (which led to the outbreak of the American Civil War) and to refuse an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, a decision that led to his removal from office by the Texas secession convention.

Houston was born at Timber Ridge Plantation in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was of Scots-Irish descent. After moving to Tennessee, he spent time with the Cherokee Nation (into which he later was adopted as a citizen and into which he married), performed military service during the War of 1812, and successfully participated in Tennessee politics. In 1827, Houston was elected Governor of Tennessee as a Jacksonian. In 1829, he resigned as governor and relocated to the Arkansas Territory. In 1832, Houston was involved in an altercation with a U.S. Congressman, followed by a high-profile trial.

Shortly afterwards, he moved west to Coahuila y Tejas, then a Mexican state, and became a leader of the Texas Revolution. After the war, Houston became a key figure in Texas and was elected as the first and third President of the Republic of Texas. He supported annexation by the United States and upon achieving it in 1845, he became a U.S. Senator and finally a governor of the State of Texas in 1859, whereby Houston became the only person to have become the governor of two different U.S. states through popular election, as well as the only state governor to have been a foreign head of state.


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