| Anson Jones | |
 | |
| In office 9 December, 1844 – February 19, 1846 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Houston |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished James Pinckney Henderson (First Governor of Texas) |
| Born | January 20, 1798 Great Barrington, Massachusetts |
| Died | 9 January 1858 (aged 59) Houston, Texas |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Doctor |
Anson Jones (January 20, 1798 – January 9, 1858) was a doctor, businessman, congressman, and the last president of the Republic of Texas, sometimes called the "Architect of Annexation. The Republic of Texas was formed in 1836 In the midst of the Texas Revolution, Texan settlers elected delegates to the Convention of 1836, which issued the Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Samuel Houston ( March 2, 1793 July 26, 1863) was a 19th century American statesman politician and soldier James Pinckney Henderson ( March 31, 1808 - June 4, 1858) was a United States and Republic of Texas lawyer politician Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1798 ( MDCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1798 ( MDCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health A businessperson (also businessman or businesswoman) is someone who is employed at usually a profit-oriented enterprise, or more specifically someone A Member of Congress is a Politician who is a member of a Congress. The Republic of Texas was a sovereign Nation in North America between the United States and Mexico that existed from 1836 to "
Contents |
Early life
Jones was born on January 20, 1798 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. In 1820, Jones was licensed as a doctor by the Oneida, New York, Medical Society, and began medical practice in 1826. Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Oneida is a City in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 10987 at the 2000 census However, his practice didn't prosper, and he moved several more times before finally being arrested in Philadelphia by a creditor. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə He stayed in Philadelphia for a few more years, teaching and practicing medicine, until in 1824 he decided to go to Venezuela. Year 1824 ( MDCCCXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year
Later, Jones returned to Philadelphia, earned an M.D., and reopened his practice. Doctor of Medicine ( MD or MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine" is a doctoral Still, Jones never had much success as a doctor, and in 1832 he renounced medicine and headed for New Orleans, where he entered the mercantile trade. Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Once again, though, Jones's dreams were thwarted. Though he safely weathered two plagues, his business efforts never met with any success and within a year he was broke.
He was a member and Past Master of Harmony Lodge #52 of Philadelphia.
Life in Texas
In 1833 Jones headed west to Texas, settling eventually in Brazoria. Year 1833 ( MDCCCXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Brazoria is a city in Brazoria County within the US state of Texas. Here, at last, he met with success, establishing a medical practice that prospered quickly. But if Jones was looking for a quiet life in Texas, he would not find it. In 1835 he began to speak out about the growing tensions between Texas and Mexico, and that year he attended The Consultation, a meeting held at Columbia by Texas patriots to discuss the fight with Mexico (the meeting's leadership didn't want to call the meeting a "convention," for fear the Mexican government would view it as an independence forum, though this surely is what it was). Year 1835 ( MDCCCXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. West Columbia is a city in Brazoria County in the US state of Texas within the greater Houston metropolitan area Jones himself presented a resolution at the Consultation calling for a convention to be held to declare independence, but he himself refused to be nominated to the convention.
During the Texas Revolution, Jones served as a judge advocate and surgeon to the Texas army, though he insisted on holding the rank of private throughout the conflict. The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was fought from October 2 1835 to April 21 1836 between Mexico and the Texas (Tejas portion of the Mexican After the war, Jones returned to Brazoria and resumed his medical practice.
Upon his return to Brazoria, Jones found that James Collinsworth, a fellow Texas patriot (albeit one who did not serve in the army) and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Brazoria, had set up a law practice in Jones's office. Jones evicted Collinsworth and challenged him to a duel (though the duel never occurred).
On March 1, 1835, Jones met with four other Masons at Brazoria and petitioned the Grand Master of Louisiana for a dispensation and a charter to form the first Masonic lodge in Texas. In December, when the lodge was set to labor, Jones was elected its first Master. The charter for Holland Lodge No. 36 arrived in April 1836, and Jones carried it in his saddlebags during the-Battle of San Jacinto. At the formation of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas in December 1837, he was elected its first Grand Master.
Move to politics
Jones and Collinsworth would spar again. Collinsworth was instrumental in starting the Texas Railroad, Navigation, and Banking Company, to which Jones was vehemently opposed. Jones was elected to the Second Texas Congress as an opponent of the Company; however, his most significant act in Congress was to call for the withdrawal of the Texas proposal for annexation by the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the He also helped draw up legislation to regulate medical practice, and called for the establishment of an endowment for a university.
Jones expected to return to his practice at Brazoria after his term in Congress, but Texas President Sam Houston instead appointed him Minister to the United States, where Jones was to formally withdraw the annexation proposal. Samuel Houston ( March 2, 1793 July 26, 1863) was a 19th century American statesman politician and soldier
During this time, while many Texans hoped to encourage eventual annexation by the United States, there were some who supported waiting for annexation or even remaining independent. The United States, in the late 1830s, was hestitant to annex Texas for fear of provoking a war with Mexico. Events and trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday. Jones and others felt it was important that Texas gain recognition from European states and begin to set up trade relations with them, to make annexation of Texas more attractive to the United States or, failing that, to give Texas the strength to remain independent.
Jones was recalled to Texas by new president Mirabeau Lamar in 1839. Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar ( August 16, 1798 &ndash December 19, 1859) was the second president of the Republic of Texas, following Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Back at home, he found himself elected to a partial term in the Senate, where he quickly became a critic of Lamar's administration. He retired from the Senate in 1841, declining the opportunity to serve as Vice President in favor of returning to his medical practice. For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link However, late in 1841 he was named Texas Secretary of State by president Sam Houston, who had been recently been elected president again by opponents of Lamar.
Jones served as Secretary of State until 1844. Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year During his term, the main goal of Texas foreign policy was to get either an offer of annexation from the United States, or a recognition of Texas independence from Mexico, or, preferably, both at the same time.
President
In September 1844, Jones was elected president of the Republic of Texas, despite running a virtually silent campaign. Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year That November, James K. Polk was elected president of the United States on a promise of Texas annexation. James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 However, Jones held his silence on the subject, preferring to wait for the ideal outcome of simultaneous annexation and independence offers. This proved unpopular. Late in 1844, the Texas Congress declared for joining the United States, and popular sentiment in the republic for annexation grew. As the months went on with no word from Jones, his citizens burned him in effigy and threatened to overthrow his government. Through this Jones continued to wait.
Finally, in June 1845, Jones's emissary to Mexico returned with a treaty recognizing the republic's independence. Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common At last he put the question before the people — accept the offer of annexation from the United States, or sign the independence treaty from Mexico and remain an independent state. The Congress and the people went for annexation.
Preparations began for annexation, and Jones's role as president was greatly diminished. On February 19, 1846, a formal ceremony was held to bring Texas into the United States. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Jones, in his last official act, declared that, "The Republic of Texas is no more. " Then he retired to Brazoria.
Political aspirations
Jones hoped that the new Texas state legislature would send him to the United States Senate. Washington-on-the-Brazos is a Ghost town along the Brazos River in Washington County, Texas, United States. He was not chosen, and as time went on he became increasingly bitter about this slight. Although Jones prospered as a planter and eventually amassed an enormous estate, he was never able to get past the fact that Sam Houston was chosen over him to represent Texas in Washington, D.C.
In 1857, Jones became convinced that the legislature would finally send him to the Senate, but he received no votes. Samuel Houston ( March 2, 1793 July 26, 1863) was a 19th century American statesman politician and soldier Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D For four days he had lodged at Houston's Old Capitol Hotel, the former seat of government of the Republic of Texas, when he fatally shot himself in his room after dinner on January 9, 1858. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common He was 59 years old.
Jones County, and its county seat, Anson, were both named for Anson Jones. Jones County is a County located in the US state of Texas. In 2000 it population was 20785 A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Anson is a city in Jones County, Texas, United States. The population was 2556 at the 2000 census His plantation home, known as Barrington, is preserved at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Park. Washington-on-the-Brazos is a Ghost town along the Brazos River in Washington County, Texas, United States.
| Preceded by Sam Houston (second term) | President of the Republic of Texas 1844 – 1846 | Succeeded by Office abolished Governor of Texas under the United States |
External links
- Jones, Anson from the Handbook of Texas Online. Samuel Houston ( March 2, 1793 July 26, 1863) was a 19th century American statesman politician and soldier The Republic of Texas was formed in 1836 In the midst of the Texas Revolution, Texan settlers elected delegates to the Convention of 1836, which issued the Governors of Texas The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Handbook of Texas (ISBN 0-87611-151-7 is a comprehensive Encyclopedia of Texas geography history and historical persons published by the Texas
- Mary (Mrs. Anson) Jones letters from the University of Houston. Hosted by The Portal to Texas History
- Letters, Relating to the History of Annexationby Anson Jones, 1848. Hosted by The Portal to Texas History
- Memoranda and Official Correspondence Relating to the Republic of Texas, its History and Annexation. Including a Brief Autobiography of the Authorby Anson Jones, published 1859. Hosted by The Portal to Texas History
- Anson Jones' Gravesite
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