Sam Houston

Sam Houston was one of the most colorful and legendary figures of American history. During his life he held an astonishing range of high positions: governor of two states (Tennessee and Texas), congressman (Tennessee), senator (Texas), and president of the Republic of Texas for most of its period of independence. He was an ardent expansionist who helped to make "manifest destiny" a reality, and more than any other individual, he was responsible for Texas's entry into the. United States. But Houston was a complex man whose life was marked by failures and despair. He had a lifelong alcohol…