A slave owner who was attributed for taming the American plains, a land full of violent Indian tribes and hostile Mexican armies fought for the rights of his slaves, the Indians who plagued his land, and the people he led. This is the perplexing story of Sam Houston, one of America's most influential men and unlikely civil rights leader. Sam Houston, the first president of Texas and two-time congressman, believed in equal rights for all. He was an advocate for many types of “civil rights movements” such as equal treatment for Native Americans, the Texas Liberation Movement, and the Abolitionist Movement. Sam Houston banned the illegal importation of slaves into Texas, which in turn slowed the slave trade business in the Republic of Texas and
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Houston had a total of 12 slaves, all were free before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. But even more captivating is the fact that all were educated in Houston. In case you are unaware, educating slaves was a crime in pre-civil war America. The punishment for this crime is a fine or, more likely, a whipping. Yet all 12 of Houston’s slaves were educated, which therefore made Houston a criminal. Houston, even though a known slaveholder, publicly voiced his hatred on the topic of slavery. Most considered them to be meaningless words until 1837, when shortly after being elected president of Texas, Houston passed a law outlawing the illegal importation of slaves into the republic and prohibiting slave ships from doing business in Texas. This crippled the already weak economy of Texas as slavery was a key component of agriculture in Texas and led to Houston losing the election. Yet Houston was not finished; in 1854 he voted “against the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which permitted the westward spread of slavery and which southerners favored" (Krystyniak). By doing this, Houston ruined his chances to be elected president of the United States and outraged many people in and around the soon-to-be confederate state of
Houston had a total of 12 slaves, all were free before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. But even more captivating is the fact that all were educated in Houston. In case you are unaware, educating slaves was a crime in pre-civil war America. The punishment for this crime is a fine or, more likely, a whipping. Yet all 12 of Houston’s slaves were educated, which therefore made Houston a criminal. Houston, even though a known slaveholder, publicly voiced his hatred on the topic of slavery. Most considered them to be meaningless words until 1837, when shortly after being elected president of Texas, Houston passed a law outlawing the illegal importation of slaves into the republic and prohibiting slave ships from doing business in Texas. This crippled the already weak economy of Texas as slavery was a key component of agriculture in Texas and led to Houston losing the election. Yet Houston was not finished; in 1854 he voted “against the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which permitted the westward spread of slavery and which southerners favored" (Krystyniak). By doing this, Houston ruined his chances to be elected president of the United States and outraged many people in and around the soon-to-be confederate state of