81R11710 MMS-D
By: Kolkhorst H.R. No. 688
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Sam Houston, one of the most imposing figures ever
to lead the Lone Star State, was born on March 2, 1793, near
Lexington, Virginia; and
WHEREAS, After moving at a young age to eastern Tennessee
with his widowed mother and eight brothers and sisters, Sam Houston
ran away from home and lived for three years among the Cherokee,
with whom he developed close bonds of friendship; and
WHEREAS, His military valor during the War of 1812 brought
him to the attention of his commanding general, Andrew Jackson, who
subsequently helped to advance his career; Sam Houston remained in
the army until 1818, when he resigned and began the study of law; in
rapid succession, he was elected prosecuting attorney for the
District of Nashville, congressman, and, in 1827, governor of
Tennessee; two years later, however, while campaigning for
reelection, he separated from his wife; in deep distress, he
resigned his office and rejoined the Cherokee; and
WHEREAS, By 1833, Sam Houston had moved to Texas, which he saw
as a field of vast opportunity; quickly immersing himself in
politics, he favored breaking away from Mexico and served as a
delegate to several conventions, including the one that proclaimed
Texas independence on March 2, 1836; two days later, he was
commissioned major general of the Texas Army and put in charge of
the troops at Gonzales; and
WHEREAS, Commanding inexperienced soldiers and confronting a
much larger Mexican force, Sam Houston began a more than monthlong
withdrawal from Gonzales toward the northeast; though severely
criticized by many, his strategy was vindicated on April 21, 1836,
when he vanquished the troops under General Antonio Lopez de Santa
Anna at San Jacinto; and
WHEREAS, The following September, Sam Houston became the
first regularly elected president of the Republic of Texas; he
served until 1838 and again from 1841 to 1844, during which time he
supported annexation to the United States and worked to maintain
peace with both Mexico and the Indians; and
WHEREAS, Greatly admired by many fellow citizens, Sam Houston
then served as a U.S. senator from 1846 to 1859, when he was elected
governor; a staunch Unionist, he opposed the extension of slavery
and argued strenuously against secession; when, in 1861, Texas
followed a number of other southern states out of the union, he
refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy and was
deposed from office; in the fall of 1862, he moved with his wife,
Eliza, and their children to Huntsville, where he died on July 26,
1863; and
WHEREAS, A man of exceptional ability, ambition, and force of
character, Sam Houston shaped the history of this state and
captured the imagination of its people as few other individuals
have ever done, and it is indeed fitting that his life be honored on
this celebrated date; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 216th anniversary of the birth
of Sam Houston.