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Anson Jones commits suicide
On this day in 1858, Anson Jones, last president of the Republic of
Texas, committed suicide at Houston. Jones, a physician born in
Massachusetts in 1798, came to Texas in 1833 and served in the Texas
Revolution. He was elected to the Second Congress of the Republic of
Texas and also served as minister to the United States and in the
Republic of Texas Senate before being elected president in 1844. In 1845
he ignored mounting pressures for annexation until he had a treaty of
recognition of the republic from Mexico. After Jones presented to the
people of Texas the alternative of peace and independence or annexation,
the Texas Congress rejected the treaty with Mexico, approved the joint
resolution of annexation, and adopted resolutions censuring Jones. In
1846, at the ceremony setting up the government of Texas as a state in
the Union, Jones declared, "The Republic of Texas is no more." He hoped
to be elected to the United States Senate, but Sam Houston and Thomas J.
Rusk were chosen instead. Jones brooded over his neglect while he became
a prosperous planter and accumulated a vast estate. After an injury that
disabled his left arm in 1849, he became increasingly moody and
introspective. In 1857 he believed that the legislature would send him
to Washington as senator, but he received no votes.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- JONES, ANSON
- REPUBLIC OF TEXAS
- HOUSTON, SAMUEL
- ANNEXATION
- WASHINGTON-ON-THE-BRAZOS STATE HISTORICAL PARK
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Frontier icon Crockett loses election, heads for Alamo (1836)
- Texas Academy of Science organized (1892)
- Frank X. Tolbert dies (1984)
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