Chapter 7 Summary and Analysis

For a brief time after his term as president expired, Houston started a law office, and he also started a land development called Sabine City with several other investors. He traveled to Mobile, Alabama, in order to spark interest in Sabine City, and there he met a 20-year-old woman named Margaret Lea. He was immediately struck by the young woman and became intent on marrying her, even though he was more than two decades older than her. She shared his affection, but for now they parted.

Houston returned to Texas to find that he had been elected to congress, and he became eager to right some wrongs of the Lamar administration. For one, Houston's pride was wounded when Lamar moved the capital from Houston to a settlement now called Austin after Stephen Austin. Even more infuriating for Houston was Lamar's belligerent...