Sam Houston: a Study in Leadership
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Click Here to Rate This Resource SAM HOUSTON: A STUDY IN LEADERSHIP SAM HOUSTON WAS A LEADER WHO tlers to come and help develop the SOUGHT PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO empty land. Many Americans from the THE PROBLEMS OF HIS TIME. HE FACED South brought their slaves with them. HIS GREATEST CHALLENGE DURING This was illegal under Mexican law, HIS FIGHT AGAINST TEXAS SECESSION but the law was not enforced. FROM THE UNION. Texas and Chihuahua were com- Born in Virginia in 1793, Sam bined into one Mexican state. The Houston moved with his family to Ten- American immigrants, calling them- nessee when he was 14. His father selves “Texians,” wanted Texas to be a died soon afterward, leaving Sam’s separate Mexican state with strong mother with a farm, a small store, nine self-rule. children, and five slaves. Houston did not succeed in ar- Sam hated school and refused to ranging a treaty with the Comanches, attend, but he learned to read and ed- but he decided to stay and become a ucated himself by reading his father’s Texian. He secured two land grants, books. Bored with farming and clerk- started a law practice, and soon be- ing at the family store, he ran away at came involved in the movement to 17 and joined a peaceful tribe of Ten- Commons Wikimedia make Texas a separate Mexican state. Among Sam Houston’s many accomplish- nessee Cherokee Indians. In 1834, Gen. Santa Anna, calling ments, he was a U.S. senator, the governor of himself the “Napoleon of the West,” Sam took on the Cherokee ways and two different states, and even the president became fluent in their language. The of Texas when it was an independent nation. took on dictatorial powers in Mexico chief, Oolooyeka (“He who puts away City. He quickly abolished all state governments and replaced them with the war drum”), adopted him as his Two years later, Houston, 35, mar- son. Sam also took a Cherokee name, governors whom he appointed. ried Eliza Allen, 19. She was the Alarmed by Santa Anna’s actions, “The Raven,” a symbol of good luck. daughter of a wealthy Tennessee Houston enlisted in the U.S. Army Texians met in a convention to debate planter. But almost immediately, the what to do. Houston spoke against de- when the War of 1812 erupted on the marriage fell apart, and Eliza returned frontier. He quickly advanced to become claring independence since he thought to her parents. Most historians think that it would lead to a war with Mexico an officer under Gen. Andrew Jackson. she loved someone else and only mar- During the war, Houston fought the that the Texians were not ready to fight. ried Houston to satisfy her socially am- The convention finally sent Creek Indians with Jackson and suffered bitious parents. severe wounds. When the war ended, he Stephen Austin to present the Texas Shocked and depressed, he soon case for statehood and self-rule to remained in the Army and became one resigned as governor and left Ten- of Jackson’s favorite officers. Santa Anna. But the Mexican leader nessee to again live with the Chero- imprisoned Austin. Set free more than In 1817, Gen. Jackson appointed kees, this time in Arkansas. Houston as his special Indian agent. a year later, Austin returned to Texas and argued that the only path to take Jackson ordered Houston to relocate A Texas Hero the Tennessee Cherokees across the was independence and war. Houston tried to start his life over Mississippi River to Arkansas. Houston At another convention on March 2, again with the Cherokees. But he re- faced a difficult dilemma because his 1836, Houston and the other Texian mained depressed about his failed adoptive father, Chief Oolooyeka, op- delegates voted to declare the inde- marriage. He drank a lot. The Chero- posed the move. Houston took a prag- pendence of the Republic of Texas. The kees called him “Big Drunk.” matic, or practical approach. He convention also appointed Houston Finally, President Jackson persuaded persuaded Chief Oolooyeka to leave commander in chief of all Texas mili- Houston to meet with the Comanches, Tennessee under favorable conditions tary forces. probably the most warlike tribe in the arranged by Houston, which avoided Even before the convention ad- Southwest. His mission was to get them the use of military force. journed, word arrived that Santa Anna to agree not to attack the Eastern tribes Houston left the Army in 1818 and with a large army had crossed the Rio Jackson planned to remove across the returned to Tennessee where he stud- Grande River and was attacking the Mississippi River. In 1832, Houston ied law and opened a law office. He Alamo, an old fortified Spanish mis- crossed into Texas, then a part of Mexico, won election to the U.S. House of sion in San Antonio. Houston, how- to reach the Comanches. Representatives and served two terms. ever, did not yet have a Texas army. Texas already had a sizeable Amer- In 1827, he was elected governor of Santa Anna’s army conquered the ican immigrant population as Spain Tennessee. Alamo and captured the Texian garri- and later Mexico had encouraged set- son at Goliad, killing most of the 6 U.S. HISTORY (c) Constitutional Rights Foundation www.crf-usa.org Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia A painting depicts Santa Anna surrendering to the wounded Sam Houston after the Battle of San Jacinto, 1836. soldiers who had surrendered. Santa City, however, he broke his promise, U.S. senators by the voters did not Anna then organized an attack across claiming Texas was still part of Mexico. occur until 1913.) Texas to crush the rebellion. Houston Houston opposed schemes by quickly assembled volunteers for the Texas hot heads to invade Mexico and Senator Houston Texas army, but needed time to train occupy territory south of the Rio Sen. Sam Houston, who declared them and the right opportunity to at- Grande. Invading Mexico was not himself a Democrat, first arrived in tack. Buying time, he retreated from practical, he said, because “We have Washington in early 1846. He was im- Santa Anna’s invading army, causing no money!” mediately involved in Senate debates many to call him a coward. As president of Texas, Houston on war with Mexico. Santa Anna dis- Finally, an overconfident Santa took a number of unpopular stances. puted the new international boundary Anna led an advance unit of his much He condemned the brutal treatment of with the U.S., following its annexation larger army closer to Houston and Cherokees and other peaceful Texas of Texas. After clashes between Mexi- camped at San Jacinto. This was the tribes by white vigilantes. To settle dif- can and American troops, Santa Anna opportunity Houston wanted. ferences between Indians and whites, declared war on the U.S. On April 21, 1836, Houston on he negotiated just treaties. He also re- President Polk urged Congress to de- horseback led the Texians together with fused to enforce a law that gave free clare war on Mexico, which it did with a unit of Tejanos (Texas Mexicans) in a blacks two years to leave Texas or be Houston’s full support in May 1846. surprise attack on Santa Anna’s camp. re-enslaved. Many Southerners favored the war be- Houston’s fighters, yelling “Remember In between his two terms as presi- cause the U.S. would likely acquire new the Alamo,“ slaughtered the Mexican dent, Houston finally divorced his first western territories that would enable the soldiers. Most important, they captured wife, still living in Tennessee. In 1840 expansion of slavery and admission of the “Napoleon of the West“ himself. In at age 47, he married 21-year-old Mar- new slave states. exchange for his life, Santa Anna signed garet Lea from Alabama. During their Houston’s upbringing in the South an agreement sending the rest of his marriage, they lived in various houses influenced his beliefs about slavery. He army back to Mexico. and farms with a dozen slaves. She defended slavery and believed that Houston was badly wounded in gave birth to eight children. She also whites were superior to blacks. But he the ankle. But his strategy of waiting sobered him up. once said that Indians and black slaves for the right moment to attack made From the beginning of his presi- were equally intelligent. The difference him a Texas hero. dency, Houston strongly pushed for between them, he explained, was that annexing Texas to the U.S. He realized Indians were born free and raised to be President Houston that the republic had little hope of de- self-reliant, while black slaves were In September 1836, Houston was fending itself against hostile foreign born as property with their lives for- overwhelmingly elected the first presi- powers. After some stalling, the U.S. ever controlled by their owners. dent of the Republic of Texas. He served Congress voted to annex Texas to the Unlike most Southern slave own- two terms as president separated by a Union in 1845. ers, Houston allowed his own slaves to term in the Texas Congress. Texas citizens voted for annexation learn to read, write, and do arithmetic. Houston released Santa Anna after in a referendum by an overwhelming They could also keep any money they the dictator promised to recognize majority. The new Texas state legisla- earned when they worked for others. Texas independence. Once in Mexico ture elected Houston as one of its two Houston believed that suddenly U.S. senators. (The direct election of abolishing slavery would ruin the U.S.