Vocabulary

• Ambassador--An official appointed by one country as a representative to another country. Sam Houston was an ambassador to the United States for the Cherokee Nation.

• Annex--To add territory to an existing nation or state. The United States annexed Texas.

• Barb--A sharp, backward pointing projection as on an arrow or fishhook. Sam Houston received an arrow wound that was ripped by the arrow barb when it was pulled out.

• Cede--To surrender, to give up, as by treaty. Mexico ceded a great deal of its territory to the United States following the Mexican War

• Cherokee--A nation of native Americans from the Southeastern United States. Originally they lived in the southern Appalachians, but now are mainly in eastern Oklahoma. As a boy, Sam Houston went to live with the Cherokee Indians.

• Compromise--A settlement of differences in which each side gives something up. Compromises were reached on the slavery question that postponed civil war.

• Congressman--A member of the United States House of Representatives, one of the two divisions of the legislative branch of government. Sam Houston was a congressman.

• Constitutional--A walk taken on a regular basis for exercise and health. Sam Houston liked to take an evening constitutional.

• Contradictions--Words, events or attributes which occur together but are opposites. Sam Houston had many contradictions in his life.

• Despot--An oppressive ruler, with complete authority and power. Santa Anna was a despot.

• Destiny--An inevitable course of events, a fate decided ahead of time. It was considered the destiny of the United States to spread across the continent.

• Dictator--A ruler having complete authority and power--typically a tyrant. Santa Anna had become like a dictator in Mexico.

• Emigration--To leave one country or area and go into another country or area. Americans emigrated to Mexico.

• Hickory--A tree common in the southern part of the United States. Hickory wood is very strong and has been used to make baseball bats. Andrew Jackson was called "Old Hickory."

• Honor--Personal honesty and integrity, maintained without legal obligation, and typically for self-respect and dignity. Sam Houston's mother wrote the word honor in his ring.

• Manifest--Clearly apparent, self evident, obvious. The westward expansion of the United States was considered its manifest destiny.

• Musket--A type of rifle used during Sam Houston's time. The gunpowder and the shot (the bullet) were pushed down the length of the musket, and the gun was fired from a spark when a flint piece hit steel. Sam Houston used a musket in battle.

• Precarious--Subject to sudden and dangerous change or uncertain conditions. Texas was in a precarious position after its revolution, because Mexico could have attacked at any time.

• Raven--A large black bird related to the crow. The raven's feathers often have a deep purple luster, and there may be a touch of dull gren on its breast. The bird is mentioned often in mythology, and was believed to symbolize special powers. Sam Houston was called the "Raven" by the Cherokee Indians.

• Republic--A country governed by the elected representatives of its people. Sam Houston was the president of the Republic of Texas.

• Sage--A wise person. Sam Houston was considered a sage.

• Secede--To withdraw formally from membership in a union or an association. Prior to the start of the Civil War, the states in the South seceded from the Union.

• Senator--A member of the United States Senate, one of the two divisions of the legislative branch of government. Sam Houston was a senator.

• Slavery--The practice of making one person the property of another. In the early years of United States history, Africans were made slaves, and were bought and sold like any piece of property.

• States' rights--In the United States, the principle that states have authority in matters not specifically delegated to the federal government. States' rights was an important issue in the South and was considered a cause for which to fight in the Civil War.

• Strategy--A plan of action, as in military operations, politics, or business. Sam Houston followed a strategy in the battle against Santa Anna.

• Texican, Texian, Texan--A citizen or resident of Texas. The words all mean the same, but Texican or Texian are more often used in purely historical discussions.