Sam Houston Unlike the previous examples of courage, whose actions lasted almost entirely during their terms as Senators, Sam Houston’s courage is separated into two distinct periods: his terms as a Texas Senator, and his term as Governor of Texas. During his terms as both a Senator and a Governor of Texas, he argued greatly against the Kansas-Nebraska Act and Secession from the Union respectively, all the while being criticized and undergoing the three pressures that Kennedy outlines in his definition of courage. Due to his efforts not only as Senator but also as Governor, Houston then fits the standards of political courage. First being the hero of San Jacinto, and then the President of the Independent Republic of Texas, upon Texas’ admission
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Because of his weakened ties to his native party, due to his differing opinions on legislature, he ran with no party. After an initial campaign that failed, on his second campaign, Houston became Governor of Texas. And near the beginning of his term as Governor, there came talk of secession from the Union. Once again Houston argued against a proposal guaranteed to pass. After failing to stop the proposal from going to the public to be voted upon, Houston went on a campaign across Texas against secession. All throughout his campaign, Houston was criticized and threatened however he kept on despite the backlash. On his last speech he pleaded “but let me tell you what is coming, You may, after the sacrifice of… hundreds of thousands of precious lives, as a bare possibility, win Southern independence… But I doubt it. The North is determined to preserve this Union” (Kennedy …show more content…
Shortly after however, on April 15th 1865 Lincoln was assassinated and so the Vice President of Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, became leader and therefore in charge of reconstruction. Having already been greatly opposed to Lincoln’s plans for reconstruction, when Johnson became President and brought his temperament, the Radical Republicans of the Senate immediately clashed with him. Having the majority in the Senate, they overruled nearly every one of his vetoes allowing for them to effectively control Federal Government, passing whatever bills they like. One such bill, The Tenure of Office Act, however, led to a chain of events that prevented complete
Because of his weakened ties to his native party, due to his differing opinions on legislature, he ran with no party. After an initial campaign that failed, on his second campaign, Houston became Governor of Texas. And near the beginning of his term as Governor, there came talk of secession from the Union. Once again Houston argued against a proposal guaranteed to pass. After failing to stop the proposal from going to the public to be voted upon, Houston went on a campaign across Texas against secession. All throughout his campaign, Houston was criticized and threatened however he kept on despite the backlash. On his last speech he pleaded “but let me tell you what is coming, You may, after the sacrifice of… hundreds of thousands of precious lives, as a bare possibility, win Southern independence… But I doubt it. The North is determined to preserve this Union” (Kennedy …show more content…
Shortly after however, on April 15th 1865 Lincoln was assassinated and so the Vice President of Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, became leader and therefore in charge of reconstruction. Having already been greatly opposed to Lincoln’s plans for reconstruction, when Johnson became President and brought his temperament, the Radical Republicans of the Senate immediately clashed with him. Having the majority in the Senate, they overruled nearly every one of his vetoes allowing for them to effectively control Federal Government, passing whatever bills they like. One such bill, The Tenure of Office Act, however, led to a chain of events that prevented complete