Sam Houston

**Samuel "Sam" Houston** (March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American statesman, politician, and soldier.  He is best known for his leading role in bringing Texas into the United States. Houston, Texas and Sam Houston State University was named after him.

Shortly afterwards, he relocated to Coahuila y Tejas, then a Mexican state, and became a leader of the Texas Revolution. Sam Houston supported annexation by the United States. When he assumed the governorship of Texas in 1859, Houston became the only person to have become the governor of two different U.S. states through direct, popular election, as well as the only state governor to have been a foreign head of state.

Houston was born on March 2, 1793 in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was of an Irish-Scottish descent. Houston was married to Eliza Allen from 1829 until they divorced in 1837. Then he was married to Diana Rogers Gentry until they divorced. Then he was married to Margaret Moffette Lee from 1840 until his death in 1863. Houston had seven children. Houston died on July 26, 1863 in Huntsville, Texas from pneumonia, aged 70.

## Other websites

- _Life of General Houston, 1793–1863_ published 1891, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
- _Sam Houston ; David Crockett._ published 1901, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
- Sam Houston Memorial Museum
- Sam Houston Memorial Museum Antiquities Collection  From Texas Tides
- Sam Houston's Obituary – The Tri Weekly Telegraph, Houston, Texas July 29, 1863 – TexasBob.com
- Sam Houston Historic Schoolhouse in Maryville, TN USA
- Documentary film on life of Sam Houston.  Massive web site with many pictures, links, and educational tools.
- Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture entry
- Tennessee State Library & Archives, Papers of Governor Sam Houston, 1827–1829
- Sam Houston Rode a Gray Horse
- Houston Family Papers, 1836–1869 and undated, in the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University
- _Booknotes_ interview with Marshall DeBruhl on _Sword of San Jacinto: The Life of Sam Houston_, May 2, 1993.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Sam Houston
- **birth name**: Sam Houston
- **image**: SHouston 2.jpg
- **order1**: 5th Governor of Texas
- **term start1**: December 31, 1859
- **term end1**: March 28, 1861
- **lieutenant1**: Edward Clark
- **predecessor1**: Hardin Richard Runnels
- **successor1**: Edward Clark (governor), Edward Clark
- **jr/sr2**: United States Senator
- **state2**: Texas
- **term start2**: February 26, 1846
- **term end2**: March 5, 1859
- **predecessor2**: None
- **successor2**: John Hemphill (senator), John Hemphill
- **order3**: 1st and 3rd President of the Republic of Texas
- **term start3**: December 21, 1841
- **term end3**: December 9, 1844
- **vicepresident3**: Edward Burleson
- **predecessor3**: Mirabeau B. Lamar
- **successor3**: Anson Jones
- **term start4**: October 22, 1836
- **term end4**: December 10, 1838
- **vicepresident4**: Mirabeau B. Lamar
- **predecessor4**: David G. Burnet (ad interim)
- **successor4**: Mirabeau B. Lamar
- **order5**: 6th
- **office5**: Governor of Tennessee
- **lieutenant5**: William Hall (governor), William Hall
- **term start5**: October 1, 1827
- **term end5**: April 16, 1829
- **predecessor5**: William Carroll (Tennessee politician), William Carroll
- **successor5**: William Hall (governor), William Hall
- **order6**: Member of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives
from Tennessee's Tennessee's 7th congressional district, 7th district
- **term start6**: March 4, 1823
- **term end6**: March 4, 1827
- **predecessor6**: None (district created)
- **successor6**: John Bell (Tennessee politician), John Bell
- **birth place**: Rockbridge County, Virginia
- **death place**: Huntsville, Texas
- **party**: Democratic Party (United States), Democratic
- **signature**: Sam Houston signature.svg