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Born in 1793, Sam Houston ran away from home as a teenager to join the Cherokee and became known as “Raven.” At age 19 he fought in the War of 1812, and at 30, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
At 34, he was elected governor of Tennessee. Bored, he resigned, divorced his wife and rejoined his Cherokee friends in Arkansas territory.
Houston eventually settled in Texas, where he led the Texan army to victory against Mexico. He became a U.S. senator and then governor of Texas, becoming the only person elected governor of two states.