Sam Houston: The Texas Leader In Texas History

Sam Houston: The Texas Leader Sam Houston is one of the most important leaders in Texas history. He is mostly well known for commanding the army during The Texas Revolution. He also had many other accomplishments.

Sam Houston was born on March 2, 1793 onto his parents’ farm in Lexington Virginia. His family was severely poor. They ended up selling the farm in 1807. His father had passed away shortly before the selling. They moved to a new farm in Baker Creek, Tennessee. He abandoned his home in the year of 1809, at the age of 16. He was adopted by the Cherokee chief Oolooteka. He was accepted as one of them by the community of indians. He was given the Cherokee name “Coloneh,” which means “The Raven.” Ravens are crucial to Cherokee mythology.

Houston later became the governor of Tennessee in 1827, 15 years after fighting under Andrew Jackson’s command. Occasionally, he still wore

Austin. He served 2 terms. He was elected on October 22, 1836. The town of Houston was created in Houston’s glory. It served as the capital of Texas.

On May 9, 1840, Houston married 21 year old Margaret Moffette Lea of Marion, Alabama. She hindered his drinking habits. They had 8 children together. They were Sam Houston Jr., Nancy Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary William, Antoinette Power, Andrew Jackson Houston, William Rogers, and Temple Lea Houston.

Houston eventually moved to huntsville with his family in fall of 1862. They lived in a two story house called “The Steamboat.” He started to get serious health problems. On July 26, 1863, houston died in his bedroom, dying from pneumonia at 70 years old. He was buried at the Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville, Texas.

Houston has several monuments shrouded in his glory. Huntsville has a 67 foot tall statue of Houston. It holds the record for being tallest statue of an American hero, and the statue is titled, “A Tribute to Courage.” Houston’s legacy still lives on for all of his