“We now occupy the proud attitude of a sovereign and independent Republic, which will impose upon us the obligation of evincing to the world that we are worthy to be free. This will only be accomplished by wise legislation, the maintenance of our integrity, and the faithful and just redemption of our plighted faith wherever it has been pledged.” - Sam Houston

More than most men in history, Sam Houston was a contradictory individual. He was born in the United States while George Washington was in office, and in an era when the native people who were gradually being subjugated were considered savages, he called them friends and even lived among them.

He was abandoned by his first wife and, after suffering the sting of divorce, married again in the manner of his native family, only to abandon his Indian bride to return to life among his own people. In the interim, he fought for their rights in the halls of government, defending them even as he obtained favor in the eyes of one of their worst enemies. More than a decade passed before he would finally make a successful marriage, marrying a woman more than 20 years his junior but with the right mix of charm and grit to make a successful life with him and their large family.

Though he was born and raised elsewhere, Houston is considered one of Texas’ truest sons, and during his life he fought for its independence from Mexico and then for its submission to the United States. He owned slaves himself but spent his entire political career fighting against the spread of “the American cancer” to the West. Then, when his beloved state seceded from the Union, he not only opposed secession but sacrificed his own position to protest it, only to turn around and support the Confederacy during the last years of his life.

What cannot be questioned is how profound an impact Sam Houston had on Texas, Mexico, and the United States over the course of several decades. He had a storied career both in times of war and peace, and he proved to be a stubborn but canny politician who represented multiple states.

Sam Houston: The Life and Legacy of the Man Who Led the Texas Revolution looks at how he became one of the Southwest’s most important figures.