Sam Houston's Rifle
name: label: associated person
content: Houston, Samuel
label: licensee
content: Jarre
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: American made sliding breech block which is also called a harmonica lock. It is a 5 shot, pill ignition. Inscribed “Houston.”
label: Description
content: Specific History
label: Description
content: This rare Henry Gross rifle belonged to Sam Houston.
label: Description
content: General History
label: Description
content: One of the most colorful and controversial figures in Texas history, Sam Houston was born in Virginia on 2 March 1793 and spent much of his youth in the mountains of Tennessee. During the second war with England, Houston enlisted as a private but was made sergeant of a company. He excelled in the military. After receiving three near-mortal wounds at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, he rose to the rank of first lieutenant.
label: Description
content: He practiced law in Lebanon, Tennessee before running for public office. He sought and won public office and was elected to the US Congress in 1823 and again in 1825. In 1827, Houston was elected Governor of Tennessee by a large majority. In 1832, he moved to Texas along with a few friends and emerged as a prominent player in the state's affairs.
label: Description
content: Houston was elected commander-in-chief of the armies of Texas and took control of the Texas forces after the fall of the Alamo. On 21 April 1836, his force defeated Santa Anna and secured Texas independence. Houston was elected the first President of the Republic of Texas. After statehood in 1845, Houston was elected Senator from Texas to the Congress of the United States.
place: label: Place Made
content: United States
label: Associated Place
content: United States: Texas
topic: label: Subject
content: Firearms
label: related event
content: Mexican War
label: related event
content: Expansion and Reform
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
label: See more items in
content: ThinkFinity
label: Exhibition
content: Price of Freedom
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.16085
label: catalog number
content: 16085
label: accession number
content: 13152
objectType: label: Object Name
content: rifle
label: Other Terms
content: rifle; Firearms; Pl; .36 In; Rifled; Muzzle Load; 15; Da
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 1/2 in x 52 in x 3 3/4 in; 21.59 cm x 132.08 cm x 9.525 cm