On this day in 1836 Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas. He is best known for his leading role in bringing Texas into the United States. When Texas joined the United States he would serve as a US Senator and was the Governor of Texas when the Civil War broke out. He refused to swear loyalty to the Confederacy after Texas joined the Confederacy and was removed from office. Before moving to Texas, Houston had been the Governor of Tennessee. He is the only person in American history to have been the governor of two different states. The city of Houston was named for Sam Houston.