Samuel Houston—military hero, governor of two states, president of the Texas Republic, and U.S. senator—was born on March 2, 1793. He lived his early life in Tennessee, where he spent most of his time with the Cherokee and was even adopted into the Cherokee Nation. He later enlisted in the army during the War of 1812, worked as an Indian subagent, and pursued a law career in Tennessee. By 1819 Houston’s political career was starting to evolve; he served as adjunct general of the state militia and attorney general for the district of Nashville. With the support of Andrew Jackson, Houston was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served from 1823 to 1827. Then, in 1827, he ran for and won the governorship of Tennessee, though he resigned on April 16, 1829, heading west into Indian Territory and eventually to Texas.