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VOICE ONE:
I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Nicole Nichols with the VOA Special English program,People in America. Today, we continue the story of Sam Houston, aTexas hero.
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VOICE ONE:
Last week, we reported on Sam Houston’s problems ascommander-in-chief of the Texas army in eighteen-thirty-five. Texasbelonged to Mexico at that time and had not yet become part of theUnited States.
Several Texas officers organized a small army and planned toattack Mexico without Houston’s permission. These officers toldtheir men they could have all the riches they could find in Mexico.
Houston believed the planned attack on Mexico was wrong. So heresigned. But before he did, he ordered Texans in San Antonio todestroy the old Spanish fort called the Alamo. Houston did not thinkthe Alamo could be defended against a strong Mexican attack.
VOICE TWO:
In February, eighteen-thirty-six, Texas representatives werepreparing to meet. A few days before the meeting was to open, amessage arrived from San Antonio. A Mexican army, led by PresidentSanta Anna himself, was attacking about one-hundred-eighty Texans atthe Alamo. Houston’s orders to destroy the fort had not been obeyed.Texas soldiers were spread across the area. There was no help tosend to the Alamo.
The representatives decided that they must write a declaration ofindependence from Mexico. The declaration was signed on Marchsecond. Two days later, Sam Houston was elected commander-in-chiefof the military forces of the Texas Republic.
VOICE ONE:
Houston said he would leave immediately for San Antonio. In twodays, his Texas army grew to five-hundred men. However, help cametoo late for the men at the Alamo. Santa Anna’s forces captured thefort and killed every fighter there.
The Mexican leader said death would be the punishment for everyTexan who opposed him. Texans soon learned he meant what hesaid.Santa Anna’s forces captured more than three-hundred Texassoldiers near the town of Goliad. The soldiers surrendered when theMexicans offered to treat them as prisoners of war and return themto the United States. Yet the Texans never saw freedom. They weremarched away from town and shot to death.
VOICE TWO:
Houston’s army continued to grow. However, few of his men weretrained to fight. Houston decided his only hope was to withdrawuntil his soldiers were better trained and had more equipment. Hemarched his small force east, just ahead of Santa Anna’s soldiers.
Santa Anna and his force of one-thousand-two-hundred soldiers hadcamped on a flat grassy area near the San Jacinto River. On Apriltwenty-first, eighteen-thirty-six, Houston and his soldiers foughtthe battle that would decide the future of Texas.
VOICE ONE:
The Texans formed a long line across the north end of the field.Then, they began moving toward the Mexican camp. Only a few metersfrom the Mexican defenses, the Texans fired. They shouted “Rememberthe Alamo!” and attacked the Mexican soldiers.
The battle of San Jacinto lasted only about twenty minutes. TheMexicans were completely defeated. Only six Texans were killed andtwenty-four others wounded. One of the wounded was Sam Houston. TheTexans killed or captured hundreds of enemy soldiers. But GeneralSanta Anna could not be found.
VOICE TWO:
Houston ordered the Texans to find Santa Anna. If the Mexicanleader escaped, he could lead another army against Texas. The nextday, a group of Texans found a small, sad-looking Mexican soldier.The Texans almost let him go. But when they brought this soldiernear the other Mexican prisoners, there were shouts of, “ElPresidente!” It was Santa Anna.
Many of Houston’s men wanted to kill the Mexican leader. ButHouston knew Santa Anna was more valuable alive than dead. SantaAnna was ordered to sign an agreement recognizing the independenceof Texas. The Mexican leader was returned home. And Sam Houstonbecame a hero. The town of Houston, Texas was named in his honor.
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VOICE ONE:
The newly independent Lone Star Republic elected Sam Houston itsfirst president in eighteen-thirty-six. He began to build agovernment. He appointed a cabinet. His government establishedcourts and a mail service. However, there were many problems. Moneyhad to be found to pay the costs of government. And there wastrouble with the army. Soldiers were not happy with their food ortheir pay. Some threatened to overthrow the new government andattack Mexico.
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Houston visited the soldiers. He told them not to do anythingthat might hurt Texas. The soldiers obeyed. The Texas Congressapproved a bill that would let the government borrow one-milliondollars. Houston rejected the bill. He said only half this much wasneeded. After two years as president of the Republic of Texas,Houston had secured the safety of the border, established the moneysystem and gained recognition by the United States government.
Houston wanted Texas to become part of the United States. Butnorthern states opposed statehood for Texas. They did so because ofthe dispute with the southern states over the question of slavery.As a new southern state, Texas would increase the number of statesthat supported slavery.
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VOICE ONE:
In eighteen-forty, Houston married Margaret Lea. They later hadeight children. The next year, the people of Texas elected SamHouston president again. At the time, the republic was deeply indebt. Houston ordered the Texas navy to return from Mexico. And heestablished the use of another kind of paper money, whose value waskept high.
Mexican forces entered Texas again. Houston sent the Texas armyagainst the Mexicans. The invaders were pushed back across theborder. There was trouble with Mexico for the next several years.
VOICE TWO:
James Polk was elected president of the United States ineighteen-forty-four. Congress considered a resolution to make Texasa state. After much debate, the resolution was finally approved andsigned into law. The Republic of Texas became the twenty-eighthstate on December twenty-ninth, eighteen-forty-five. Sam Houstonwent to Washington to serve as one of the state’s first senators. Heserved as a United States senator for thirteen years.
VOICE ONE:
These were difficult times for the United States. The question ofslavery was bitterly debated in Congress. The northern statesdemanded that slavery not be permitted in new states that joined theUnion. The southern states demanded that slaves be permitted in thenew states. In eighteen-fifty, Senator Henry Clay of Kentuckyproposed a way to settle the differences. He urged both North andSouth to compromise to prevent the nation from being destroyed. Hiscompromise was approved.
Just four years later, however, Senator Stephen Douglas ofIllinois proposed a bill that would open all of the West to slavery.Sam Houston warned of terrible trouble if the bill passed. But itwas approved. Houston was criticized in Texas for his opposition toit.
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In eighteen-fifty-nine, the people of Texas elected Sam Houstongovernor of the state. South Carolina proposed a meeting of southernstates to discuss withdrawing from the United States. Most Texaslawmakers supported this action. However, Houston prevented Texasfrom sending representatives to the meeting.
In eighteen-sixty-one, Abraham Lincoln became president of theUnited States. Many Texans still supported withdrawing from theUnited States. But Sam Houston urged his people to wait and see whatkind of leader President Lincoln would be. Not all of them wanted towait. Some called for a meeting to decide the future of Texas.
VOICE ONE:
But before that meeting took place, South Carolina and five othersouthern states withdrew from the United States. Houston again urgedTexas not to withdraw. But delegates at the meeting voted to leavethe Union. Then the delegates declared Texas independent, and votedto make it part of the new Confederate States of America. They alsoordered all Texas officials to declare their loyalty to theConfederacy. Sam Houston refused. He said he loved Texas too much tobring civil war and bloodshed to the state.
Houston was removed from office as governor. His public life wasended. He spent the next few years with his family and friends. SamHouston died on July twenty-sixth, eighteen-sixty-three. The UnitedStates was in the middle of a bloody civil war.
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VOICE TWO:
This Special English program was written by George Grow andproduced by Lawan Davis. Our engineer was Sulaiman Tarawaley. I’mNicole Nichols.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another Peoplein America program on the Voice of America.