VOA慢速英语2011--Sam Houston, 1793-1863: A 19th Century American Statesman, Politician, and Soldier

People in America - Sam Houston, 1793-1863: A 19th Century American Statesman, Politician, and Soldier

 

STEVE EMBER: I’m Steve Ember.

NICOLE NICHOLS: And I’m Nicole Nichols with the VOA Special English program, People in America. Today, we continue the story of Sam Houston, a Texas hero.

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STEVE EMBER: Last week, we reported on Sam Houston’s problems as commander-in-chief of the Texas army in eighteen-thirty-five. Texas belonged to Mexico at that time and had not yet become part of the United States.

Several Texas officers organized a small army and planned to attack Mexico without Houston’s permission. These officers told their men they could have all the riches they could find in Mexico.

Houston believed the planned attack on Mexico was wrong. So he resigned. But before he did, he ordered Texans in San Antonio to destroy the old Spanish fort called the Alamo. Houston did not think the Alamo could be defended against a strong Mexican attack.

Cavalry1 soldiers line up at Fort Sam Houston, Texas

NICOLE NICHOLS: In February, eighteen-thirty-six, Texas representatives were preparing to meet. A few days before the meeting was to open, a message arrived from San Antonio. A Mexican army, led by President Santa Anna himself, was attacking about one-hundred-eighty Texans at the Alamo. Houston’s orders to destroy the fort had not been obeyed. Texas soldiers were spread across the area. There was no help to send to the Alamo.

The representatives decided² that they must write a declaration of independence from Mexico. The declaration was signed on March second. Two days later, Sam Houston was elected commander-in-chief of the military forces of the Texas Republic.

STEVE EMBER: Houston said he would leave immediately for San Antonio. In two days, his Texas army grew to five-hundred men. However, help came too late for the men at the Alamo. Santa Anna’s forces captured the fort and killed every fighter there.

The Mexican leader said death would be the punishment for every Texan who opposed him. Texans soon learned he meant what he said. Santa Anna’s forces captured more than three-hundred Texas soldiers near the town of Goliad. The soldiers surrendered when the Mexicans offered to treat them as prisoners of war and return them to the United States. Yet the Texans never saw freedom. They were marched away from town and shot to death.

NICOLE NICHOLS: Houston’s army continued to grow. However, few of his men were trained to fight. Houston decided his only hope was to withdraw until his soldiers were better trained and had more equipment. He marched his small force east, just ahead of Santa Anna’s soldiers.

Santa Anna and his force of one-thousand-two-hundred soldiers had camped on a flat grassy³ area near the San Jacinto River. On April twenty-first, eighteen-thirty-six, Houston and his soldiers fought the battle that would decide the future of Texas.

STEVE EMBER: The Texans formed a long line across the north end of the field. Then, they began moving toward the Mexican camp. Only a few meters from the Mexican defenses, the Texans fired. They shouted “Remember the Alamo!” and attacked the Mexican soldiers.

The battle of San Jacinto lasted only about twenty minutes. The Mexicans were completely defeated. Only six Texans were killed and twenty-four others wounded. One of the wounded was Sam Houston. The Texans killed or captured hundreds of enemy soldiers. But General Santa Anna could not be found.

NICOLE NICHOLS: Houston ordered the Texans to find Santa Anna. If the Mexican leader escaped, he could lead another army against Texas. The next day, a group of Texans found a small, sad-looking Mexican soldier. The Texans almost let him go. But when they brought this soldier near the other Mexican prisoners, there were shouts of, “El Presidente!” It was Santa Anna.

Sam Houston in 1848

Many of Houston’s men wanted to kill the Mexican leader. But Houston knew Santa Anna was more valuable alive than dead. Santa Anna was ordered to sign an agreement recognizing the independence of Texas. The Mexican leader was returned home. And Sam Houston became a hero. The town of Houston, Texas was named in his honor.

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STEVE EMBER: The newly independent Lone⁴ Star Republic elected Sam Houston its first president in eighteen-thirty-six. He began to build a government. He appointed a cabinet. His government established courts and a mail service. However, there were many problems. Money had to be found to pay the costs of government. And there was trouble with the army. Soldiers were not happy with their food or their pay. Some threatened to overthrow⁵ the new government and attack Mexico.

NICOLE NICHOLS: Houston visited the soldiers. He told them not to do anything that might hurt Texas. The soldiers obeyed. The Texas Congress approved a bill that would let the government borrow one-million dollars. Houston rejected the bill. He said only half this much was needed. After two years as president of the Republic of Texas, Houston had secured the safety of the border, established the money system and gained recognition by the United States government.

Houston wanted Texas to become part of the United States. But northern states opposed statehood for Texas. They did so because of the dispute with the southern states over the question of slavery. As a new southern state, Texas would increase the number of states that supported slavery.

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STEVE EMBER: In eighteen-forty, Houston married Margaret Lea. They later had eight children. The next year, the people of Texas elected Sam Houston president again. At the time, the republic was deeply in debt. Houston ordered the Texas navy to return from Mexico. And he established the use of another kind of paper money, whose value was kept high.

Mexican forces entered Texas again. Houston sent the Texas army against the Mexicans. The invaders⁶ were pushed back across the border. There was trouble with Mexico for the next several years.

NICOLE NICHOLS: James Polk was elected president of the United States in eighteen-forty-four. Congress considered a resolution to make Texas a state. After much debate, the resolution was finally approved and signed into law. The Republic of Texas became the twenty-eighth state on December twenty-ninth, eighteen-forty-five. Sam Houston went to Washington to serve as one of the state’s first senators. He served as a United States senator for thirteen years.

An old picture of the entrance to Fort Sam Houston

STEVE EMBER: These were difficult times for the United States. The question of slavery was bitterly debated in Congress. The northern states demanded that slavery not be permitted in new states that joined the Union. The southern states demanded that slaves be permitted in the new states. In eighteen-fifty, Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky proposed a way to settle the differences. He urged both North and South to compromise to prevent the nation from being destroyed. His compromise was approved.

Just four years later, however, Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois proposed a bill that would open all of the West to slavery. Sam Houston warned of terrible trouble if the bill passed. But it was approved. Houston was criticized in Texas for his opposition⁷ to it.

NICOLE NICHOLS: In eighteen-fifty-nine, the people of Texas elected Sam Houston governor of the state. South Carolina proposed a meeting of southern states to discuss withdrawing from the United States. Most Texas lawmakers supported this action. However, Houston prevented Texas from sending representatives to the meeting.

In eighteen-sixty-one, Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States. Many Texans still supported withdrawing from the United States. But Sam Houston urged his people to wait and see what kind of leader President Lincoln would be. Not all of them wanted to wait. Some called for a meeting to decide the future of Texas.

STEVE EMBER: But before that meeting took place, South Carolina and five other southern states withdrew from the United States. Houston again urged Texas not to withdraw. But delegates at the meeting voted to leave the Union. Then the delegates declared Texas independent, and voted to make it part of the new Confederate States of America. They also ordered all Texas officials to declare their loyalty⁸ to the Confederacy. Sam Houston refused. He said he loved Texas too much to bring civil war and bloodshed to the state.

Houston was removed from office as governor. His public life was ended. He spent the next few years with his family and friends. Sam Houston died on July twenty-sixth, eighteen-sixty-three. The United States was in the middle of a bloody⁹ civil war.

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NICOLE NICHOLS: This Special English program was written by George Grow and produced by Lawan Davis. Our engineer was Sulaiman Tarawaley. I’m Nicole Nichols.

STEVE EMBER: And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another People in America program on the Voice of America.

1 cavalry   

n.骑兵；轻装甲部队

参考例句：

• We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
• The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

4 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

5 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

6 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

9 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。