Randolph Campbell's View Of Sam Houston In The Republic

“Houston was courageous, sensible, and practical. He was right far more than he was wrong, and he never hesitated to oppose mass opinion so long as there was a chance of converting it to his own way of thinking” (Campbell xii). These are the words Randolph Campbell uses in the preface to set the tone for the way he is going to discuss Sam Houston for the rest of the book. Campbell’s opinion and view of Houston is highly romanticized and idealistic. Although he does admit that Houston does have issues, primarily that of drinking and other moral issues, Campbell’s view of Houston, especially as a political leader, is extremely positive. While what he states about Houston is factual and entrenched in reality, it is still biased. This is especially shown in Campbell’s remarks on how Houston’s importance in the …show more content…
Campbell opens on Houston’s childhood and his unique experience of living with the Cherokee Indians for three years when he was sixteen. He goes onto explain how Sam Houston came to know Andrew Jackson, then became governor of Tennessee and subsequently left Tennessee after a scandal with his very young wife and went to Texas to start anew. Campbell then walks through Houston’s ascension to prominence in Texas, his role in the Texas revolution and subsequent role in the political leadership of Texas. He goes through the ups and downs of Houston’s political journey and ends with Houston accepting annexation but worrying about the effects of the civil war. Campbell’s biography ends with Sam Houston’s death before the end of the Civil War. Throughout the entire biography, Campbell continuously brings up Houston’s loyalty to Texas and to the system of democracy, his wisdom and cunning, his ambitious, and his cautious approach that brought him both military and political success. These are the themes to Houston’s life that Campbell proves are true from the beginning to the very