Sam Houston: A Prominent Figure in Texas History
Sam Houston, who was born in Virginia on March 2, 1973, was a prominent person in both the state of Texas and the United States as a whole. Despite being a white man raised by Scots and Irish, Houston devotes the most of his time and attention to assisting Texas' native populations. He goes so far as to adopt their culture, among other things. Sam also has a number of positions in Texas and the United States. Despite facing numerous hurdles throughout his battles, he manages to endure the hardships and pains and, in the end, rescues his state. However, he is dumped from office later on, and the emotions and mental afflictions lead to his death on the 26th of July, 1863 (CAMPBELL 309-311).
Sam Houston and His Role in the Lives of Native Americans
This essay will, therefore, focus on discussing Sam Houston's general life and more specifically the critical role he plays in the lives of the Native Americans, especially the Cherokees.
Analysis per Section
Section 1
Sam Houston's family decides to leave Virginia and move to Maryville in Tennessee, and at this time he is at the age of 14 years. He lives with his family for some time, and his elder brother employs him to work as a secretary in one of the offices. Due to the dissatisfaction that he receives from the job, he quits it and escapes to live with the Cherokee community on the other side of the Tennessee River, at the age of 16. He receives a warm welcome from the residents unlike other strangers; he decides to adopt their culture by learning several aspects such as communicating in their language and their way of dressing. Also, since he learns many things from the community, the people are moved with passion and decide to naturalize him as their own. Sam participated and engaged himself in interactive activities with the Cherokees; these events included cultivating and taking care of the slaves. They directed the slaves in doing some duties which were majorly garden work and general cleaning of the compound.
Having been placed by his elder brother as a clerk in an Indian trader's store, his Scotch-Irish spirit rebelled against the restraints imposed upon him, so one day he ran away and joined the Cherokees who lived on the other side of the Tennessee River. This tribe is said to have been one of the most civilized of the aborigines. They not only lived in cabins, but had a written language, owned slaves, cultivated the land, and in their way of living did not essentially differ from the white (CAMPBELL 311).
However, after a relatively short time of stay with the Cherokees, Houston moves back to Maryville where he runs a series of events including teaching. After living in Maryville for some time, pressure mounts on him due to being divorced by the wife, he decides to return to his friends, the Cherokees, who were now living in the Indian Territory. At this specific time, Houston decides to lower himself and lives a life of an ordinary person even after serving as a Governor of Tennessee. He engages in unusual habits like heavy drinking and nicknamed "Big Drunk" by the locals. In the meantime, the Mexicans were suppressing them, and due to this, they started seeking the independence of Texas. During a meeting with the Mexicans, Houston proposes that Texas be separated from Coahuila, but the president declines the proposal. Two years later, after a horrible war, Texas gains its independence and becomes a republic with Houston as the president. After serving two terms in office, he is elected in the United States Senate where he continues with the dressing style of his adopted community; he frequently wears a broad-brimmed white hat of soft fur and a cloak with red lining. It is around this period that Houston marries his wife, Margaret Lea. Nonetheless, he returns to Texas where he finds an unstable political condition and moved by compassion; Sam is again elected as Governor to serve the welfare of the people.
Section 2
Importantly, according to his biography, Houston shows his wisdom and courage in many instances during this period. To begin with, when he returns from the Cherokee community after a stay of approximately three years, he decides to open a school where children could gain knowledge. Since he needed to pay the debt for the ammunition he had just purchased, Houston uses his wisdom to raise the fees to some extent when he realizes that there are fewer schools in the region. Although some parents would fear to bring their children to the school due to the high fees, Houston never keeps that in his mind.
After a while, however, finding himself in debt for the ammunition he had bought, he returned to civilization, opened a school, and soon discharged his obligation (CAMPBELL 311).
Secondly, when war erupts between his people and the Great Britain, he takes the assignment and decides to help his people from the south. He fights with a lot of courage because he feels that the British people are doing injustice to them. Since he always stands for the right things, he engages them and tries to quiet them fully. However, he sustains severe injuries and is exceptionally wounded from the war, but anyway, he entirely fulfills his wish.
Finally, when Houston realizes that the Mexicans are not treating them, especially in Texas well, he begins to fight for the separation of the state. He does not fear to face the top Mexican officials and propose to them about their independence.
In spite of his persistent refusal to fight duels, Houston appears never to have lost his reputation for courage even after his removal to Texas (CAMPBELL 314).
Although the president dismisses their proposal at first, he does not lose hope and encourages his colleagues to continue their struggles. He leads them to participate in the war due to the negligence of their constitution where they emerge victorious at the end and gain their independence. He becomes the first president of the Republic of Texas.
Section 3
Finally, it is after a divorce with his wife Eliza Allen and a separation with the second wife from the Indian Territory a few years back that Houston decides to marry her third wife, Margaret Lea, in the year 1840. Although her husband is growing older, Margaret spends much of her time taking care of him. She plays a crucial role in the life of Houston where she even convinces him to quit drinking and become saved. However, this process does not occur just after a short time because it takes her almost 14 good years to convert him. Margaret's high efforts bear good fruits at last; Rev. Rufus baptizes Houston in the year 1854 in the Baptist church. This incident gives her assurance that their marriage will be a success, something that comes to be true at the end (CAMPBELL 317).
Work cited
Campbell, Randolph B. Sam Houston and the American southwest. Longman Publishing Group, 2002.
