Sam Houston’s Front Porch with your host, Ed Blackburn

Sam Houston was a man known for making decisions based upon strong principles.  He was severely criticized for being unwilling to compromise those principles, but standing up to peer pressure and doing the right thing served him well in the long run.

What are some of the differences between a democracy and a dictatorship?  How did these ideas influence the development of our country?  Of Texas?  Dr. Susannah Ural discusses these forms of government with your host, Ed Blackburn.

Renowned expert Jeff Dunn discusses the Texas Revolution and the battles that took place during March and April of 1836.  Where did these battles take place?  How did these battles unfold?  And most importantly, how did they turn out?  Featured paintings are by noted Texas artists Charles Shaw, Lee Jamison, and Lajos Marcos.

Once separated from Mexico, political issues in the United States kept Texas from becoming a state, forcing it to govern itself as an independent republic.  Additionally, many in Texas wanted the new country to expand to the Pacific Ocean and become a rival to the United States.  Sam Houston maneuvered Texas into statehood and went on to serve as one of its first two U.S. senators, and later its governor.

Cherokee Elder Robert "Winter Owl" Vann discusses Native Americans and their relationship with Sam Houston.  Learn about the Indian population in North America in general, and specifically in Texas.  Mr. Vann discusses their population, clothing, diet, kinds of shelters they lived in, and many other interesting facts.