Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis

Sam Houston was descended from Scottish-Irish immigrants from Pennsylvania. His grandfather, John Houston, established the Timber Ridge plantation in Virginia. His father, Samuel, was a member of the revolutionary army, attaining the rank of major. Sam was the fifth of nine children born to Samuel in 1793. Samuel's military service forced the plantation to suffer, and in 1806, Samuel was bankrupt, prompting him to sell Timber Ridge and move west to Tennessee. Samuel never made the trip, dying in 1806. The family nonetheless made the move. Tennessee was frontier country, but had been settled for over a decade.

Sam was a rebellious and restless child. He had very little formal education, and did not take to farm or storekeeper work. Despite lack of education, he read voraciously. After a couple years in Tennessee, Sam ran away, crossing the Tennessee river to live among the...