Sam Houston
According to Campbell, Sam Houston “came to Texas not as a revolutionary schemer but as a restless man seeking a new beginning, and he was not positive, even as he entered Texas, that his future lay in that direction” (p. 41). Sam Houston came to Texas after caning Congressman William Stanberry for questioning the agreement made between Houston and Secretary of War John Eaton in regards to Indian rations. Houston was in talks with a financier named James Prentiss who wanted Houston to do some survey work for him in Texas. Though there was never a formal agreement, Houston decided to come to Texas anyway, driven by a sense of adventure and wanting a new beginning. He may not have realized it then, but Sam Houston’s new beginning would also help start the new beginning of Texas.
Though Texas was owned by Spain in the 1820s, only a handful of Spaniards actually lived there. Despite being officially part of Mexico, many Americans flocked to Texas. Mexico became a federal republic in 1824 and with the passing of the Colonization Act in 1825, white settlement was encouraged. Texas population spiked due to colonization schemes by men like Stephen F. Austin, but cultural and language differences led to unease. Mexicans believed Anglos were set out to conquer Mexico. Americans held a racist disdain for Mexico (a feeling shared by Sam Houston), and disliked the instability of Mexican government. In late 1832, colonists, led by Austin, created a list of demands for the Mexican government. These demands were denied because they were not submitted by official representatives. At this time is when Sam Houston stepped in.
He came to the town San Felipe de Austin. There he met with Comanche Indians and reported his opinion of Texas to the government. His opinion was that Texas was governed poorly, and was ready for revolution if not better administered. Sam Houston also feared the acquisition of Texas by Great Britain, which the United States did not want...