Sam Houston is one of many American figures who took their successes from the battlefield into the arena of politics. He was a lawyer in addition to being a governor and a key military figure and is often credited with the independence of Texas thanks to his attack on San Jacinto after the Mexican military split their forces.
1. A Love of Alcohol
If there was one thing that Sam Houston loved more than anything, it was a good drink. His first marriage fell apart thanks to his alcoholism and this would persist throughout much of his life. Yet despite Houston’s love of alcohol, he would become the first leader of the Lone Star Republic and serve as the state’s first Senator after it joined the Union in 1846.
2. A Supporter of Indian Affairs
Houston was always close to the Cherokee tribe. He even represented their interests for some time in Washington DC in 1830 after marrying a Cherokeen woman for his second marriage. The tribe really became his second family after the death of his father, who was a veteran of the Revolutionary War.
3. Name Your Favorite 2x Governor
There’s only one man in US history who has been elected the Governor of two different states. That would be Sam Houston, who was the Governor of Tennessee and then the Governor of Texas. He served as Governor in Texas at the start of the Civil War. He actually refused to pledge his allegiance to the Confederacy, which caused the state legislature to banish him from office. His divorce, alcoholism, and infidelity would cause him to resign in Tennessee, which means he’s also the only 2x Governor to end his elected term early.
4. A Prediction
Sam Houston didn’t want to pledge loyalty to the Confederacy because he saw that it would cause a Civil War. He also predicted that if such a war were to happen, the South wouldn’t win. The North had more resources and would not only dominate in conflict, but would ultimately decimate the states that seceded. He wasn’t wrong, but would die in 1863 and not see the nation that he loved so much begin to heal.
Sam Houston is often regarded as one of the great American heroes. His life often needed a fresh start, but he always made the best out of difficult circumstances to help shape the US to what it has become today.
