Sam Houston moved to Mexican Texas in 1832, shortly after his scandalous assault of Congressman William Stanbery. The circumstances of his move are unclear: some say he was sent to oversee Texas's transfer to the US (or was scheming to build his own independent country), some believe he traveled there to simply negotiate for the Native Americans. No matter his reason for moving, he quickly became swept up in the politics of the region, becoming commander of the Texan revolt, and eventually President of the Republic of Texas, in which he was hailed as a hero.
However, what if Sam Houston never came to Texas? Perhaps his row with Stanbery, or the subsequent assault trial, goes much worse, and the court delivers a much harsher punishment, or Houston's legacy is stained. Fearing he could be recognized in Texas, which already had a sizable amount of American settlers, Houston tries to escape his past and moves to distant, sparsely-populated California.
What conditions, perhaps similar to the scenario outlined above, would lead to Sam Houston settling in California instead of Texas? How would the Texas Revolution fare without him (in my opinion, it would still succeed, but may take a bit longer)? Would Houston end up commanding a revolt in California, similar to the Bear Flag Revolt? Would he succeed and establish an independent California? What knock-on effects would this have? Could we potentially have a city named "Houston" in California?
However, what if Sam Houston never came to Texas? Perhaps his row with Stanbery, or the subsequent assault trial, goes much worse, and the court delivers a much harsher punishment, or Houston's legacy is stained. Fearing he could be recognized in Texas, which already had a sizable amount of American settlers, Houston tries to escape his past and moves to distant, sparsely-populated California.
What conditions, perhaps similar to the scenario outlined above, would lead to Sam Houston settling in California instead of Texas? How would the Texas Revolution fare without him (in my opinion, it would still succeed, but may take a bit longer)? Would Houston end up commanding a revolt in California, similar to the Bear Flag Revolt? Would he succeed and establish an independent California? What knock-on effects would this have? Could we potentially have a city named "Houston" in California?