SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 364

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to honor and commemorate the life and legacy of Sam Houston, which are being celebrated at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum on March 3, 2009; and

WHEREAS, One of the most important American political figures of the 19th century, Sam Houston was born in Virginia on March 2, 1793; and

WHEREAS, At the age of 16 he ran away from home to live with Cherokee Indians, returning three years later to briefly teach school before enlisting in the United States Army in 1813; and

WHEREAS, When he was grievously wounded at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814, his gallantry and character were noted by General Andrew Jackson; and

WHEREAS, Sam Houston's election as Governor of Tennessee in 1827 led many to believe that he would succeed Andrew Jackson as President of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Ruined in a marital scandal, Sam Houston moved west to the Indian Territory and became a citizen of the Cherokee Nation; coming to Mexican Texas, he took a leading part in the political conventions that led to revolution; and

WHEREAS, As commander in chief of the Texas Army, he won Texas independence at the Battle of San Jacinto; he served two terms as President of the Republic of Texas and engineered annexation of the country into the United States; and

WHEREAS, He served 13 years as a United States Senator from Texas, exhausting himself in the struggle to prevent the breakup of the Union; and

WHEREAS, Believing he could accomplish more at home, he ran for the office of governor; he was elected Governor of Texas on a pro-Union platform, but he was removed from office when he refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy; Sam Houston died July 26, 1863; and

WHEREAS, Sam Houston was a key figure in the history of the American West; his victory at San Jacinto opened the door to America's expansion into a continental power; and

WHEREAS, He was equally important to the history of the American South; his stance as that section's only leader to steadfastly oppose secession and civil war rendered him a tragic figure, even as his passionate oratory against extremism from both North and South earned him respect as the conscience of the nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st Legislature, hereby pay tribute to this illustrious figure in the history of our state and nation and urge all Texans to honor the legacy of Sam Houston by joining in the celebration of his life and accomplishments; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as a memento of this special occasion.

Ogden

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 3, 2009.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate