Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, James Bowie, Will Travis, the list goes on. Do you know all these men?
Sam Houston was born in Lexington, Virginia on March 2, 1793, and died in Huntsville, Texas on July 26, 1863. He was the first President of Texas, also became a Senator for Texas when it was annexed, and was the seventh governor of Texas. He was the commander-in-chief of the Texan War and defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto. When he refused to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy he was evicted from office (as Governor). He chose not to resist, "I love Texas too well to bring civil strife and bloodshed upon her. To avert this calamity, I shall make no endeavor to maintain my authority as Chief Executive of this State, except by the peaceful exercise of my functions.” He decided to retire and died before the war ended. The city of Houston, along with Sam Houston State University, a memorial museum, a U.S. Army base, and an historical park are named after him. He also has the largest statue of an American hero. His dying words to his wife were, “Texas Margaret, Texas”.His last he ever uttered was Texas.The epitome of a Texan. His headstone reads: A Brave Soldier. A Fearless Statesman. A Great Orator — A Pure Patriot A Faithful Friend, A Loyal Citizen. A Devoted Husband and Father A Consistent Christian — An Honest Man Mirabeau Bonaparte Lamar was born in Louisville, Georgia on August 16, 1798, and died on December 19, 1859. He was Sam Houston’s vice-president and a president of the Republic of Texas. Lamar moved to Texas in 1835, and joined the revolutionary army under Sam Houston after hearing of the massacre at the Alamo. He served as president from 1838 to1841. Lamar is also known for his setting aside public domains for public schools, and he is widely regarded as the "Father of Texas Education." Many cities in Texas have schools named after him, including Lamar University in Beaumont, Lamar High School in Houston, Lamar High School in Arlington, and Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg. Some of the lands that he set aside for public education were that of present day University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System. Stephen F. Austin was born in Austinville, Virginia on November 3, 1793, and died in Texas on December 27, 1836). He is the founder of Texas, having brought the first US citizens to her, and is known as the “Father of Texas.” Austin fixed the land system, mapped and charted the province, and encouraged a steady flow of immigrants from the USA. He originally opposed separation from Mexico, but was imprisoned by the Mexican authorities (1834–5) after he attempted to change Texas' status within the Mexican confederation. Freed without a trial, he participated in the Texas Revolution and sought support from the USA. He lost the election for president of the Texas Republic to Sam Houston, but served briefly as its secretary of state. The capital, Austin County, Austin College, Stephen F. Austin University, and numerous K-12 schools are named after Austin. Captain Jack Hays was born in Little Cedar Lick, Tennessee. He settled in Texas in 1836, and joined General Thomas Rusk, who who appointed him member of a company of Texas Rangers. His rose up quickly to Sergeant, and finally Deputy.He, along with John S. (Rip) Ford, Ben McCulloch, and Samuel H. Walker established the ranger tradition. Hays’ rangers gained a reputation as mounted troops with revolvers and individually styled uniforms, who marched and fought with a noticeable lack of military discipline. This rough-and-ready image of an irregular force left its imprint on the chronicles of ranger history. Hays County, Texas as well as Hays High School in Buda, Texas are named in his honor. Anson Jones was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on January 20, 1798, and died on January 9, 1858. He was a doctor, businessman, congressman, and the last president of the Republic of Texas, sometimes called the "Architect of Annexation." He came to Texas in 1833, settling in Brazoria. During the Texas Revolution, Jones served as a judge advocate and surgeon to the Texas army, though he insisted on holding the rank of private throughout the conflict. After the war, Jones returned to Brazoria and resumed his medical practice. It was in 1844 that Jones became the last president of the Republic of Texas. On February 19, 1846, a formal ceremony was held to bring Texas into the United States. Jones, in his last official act, declared that, "The Republic of Texas is no more." Then he retired to Brazoria. Jones County, and its county seat, Anson, were both named for Anson Jones. His plantation home, known as Barrington, is preserved at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Park. John Henninger Reagan was born in Sevier County, Tennessee on October 8, 1818, and died on March 6, 1905. He was a leading politician in the 19th century. Reagan was only 19 when he came to Texas in 1837. He was in the House of Representatives, until Texas seceded from the Union. After that he served in Jefferson Davis’ cabinet as Postmaster General. After the Confederate defeat, he called for cooperation with the federal government and became unpopular, but returned to public office when his predictions of harsh treatment for resistance were proved correct. To those who felt that the Reconstruction was unduly harsh, his prescience was hailed—he became known as the "Old Roman." He was part of the successful effort to remove the Republican Edmund J. Davis from the governorship in 1874, after he attempted to illegally remain in office. That year he returned to the Congressional seat he held before the war, serving from March 4, 1875 to March 3, 1887. He died in Anderson County. Phantly Roy Bean was born in Mason County, Kansas about 1825, and died on March 16, 1903. He was known the "Hangin' Judge". Judge Roy Bean was a saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace who called himself "The Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, Judge Roy Bean held court in his saloon along the Rio Grande River in a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas. James Walker Fannin, Jr. was born in Twiggs County, Georgia on January 1, 1805, and died on March 27, 1836. He was a military figure and Texas leader during the Texas Revolution of 1835–36. Fannin moved to Texas in 1834. Fannin was captured at the Battle of Coleto Creek and killed before a firing squad. William Barret Travis was born in Saluda County, South Carolina on August 1 or 9, 1809, and died at the Alamo on March 6, 1836. He was a lawyer and soldier. Travis commanded the Republic of Texas forces at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution from the Republic of Mexico. Thomas Jefferson Rusk was born in Pendleton, South Carolina on December 5, 1803 – July 29, 1857) was an early political and military leader of the Republic of Texas, serving as its first Secretary of War as well as a general at the Battle of San Jacinto. Rusk first came to Texas in 1834, and became a citizen of Mexico in 1835. He was later a U.S. politician and served as a Senator from Texas from 1846 until his suicide. He served as the President pro tempore of the Senate in 1857. While Rusk attended the spring session of Congress, his wife died of tuberculosis on April 23, 1856. Five of their seven children were still living at the time. Despondent over the death of his wife and ill from a tumor at the base of his neck, Rusk committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 29, 1857. Rusk County and Rusk, Texas were named after him, and part of his old homestead is part of SFASU. Lorenzo de Zavala was born in Tecoh, Yucatán October 3, 1788, and died on November 16, 1836. He was a Mexican politician. He served as finance minister under President Vicente Guerrero. When he discovered that Santa Anna had declared himself dictator of Mexico, Zavala resigned his commission and denounced Santa Anna. And despite Santa Anna’s threats to stay out of Mexico, Zavala went to Texas in 1835, where he got caught up in Texas politics. Though at first he wasn’t on the side of Texas Independence, he soon was. He helped draft Texas’ Declaration of Independence. Zavala was a good friend of Stephen F. Austin, and was used as Sam Houston’s interpreter to Santa Anna. After the Battle of San Jacinto he was sent with Santa Anna to persuade Mexico to recognize Texas as an independent State. Zavala was also the interim vice president of the Republic of Texas. He served under President David G. Burnet from March to October 1836. Zavala died of pneumonia and preceded Stephen F. Austin in death by five weeks. José Antonio Navarro was born in what is now modern day San Antonio, Texas on February 27, 1795, and died on January 13, 1871. He was a Texas statesman, revolutionary, and politician. Navarro served a leader in the revolution, signed the Declaration in 1836, and became a member of the Republic of Texas from Bexar County. His niece was also married to Jim Bowie. In 1845 Navarro was instrumental in drafting the first state Constitution of Texas. He was twice elected to the Texas Senate before retiring from politics in 1849. Navarro County, Texas, is named in his honor. George Campbell Childress was born in Nashville, Texas on January 8, 1804, and died on October 6, 1841. He was a lawyer, statesman and principal author of the Texas Declaration of Independence. In 1835 Childress raised money and volunteers while in Tennessee to go to the aide of the Texans in their rebellion from Mexico. He arrived in Texas on January 9, 1835. David Crockett was born in Greene County, Tennessee on August 17, 1786, and died on March 6, 1836. He was a celebrated folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician; usually referred to as Davy Crockett and "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the Texas Revolution, after arriving there in 1836. He was died at the Alamo. James Bowie was born in Kentucky probably on April 10, 1796, and died on March 6, 1836. He is mostly known for the style of knife he carried. Bowie left for Texas in 1830, and ended up marrying the niece of Lorenzo de Zavala. Bowie had a prominent role in the Revolution, and died at the Alamo.
