Thomas Jefferson Rusk

 

                                                                                                                                              

 

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

In Texas, Thomas Jefferson Rusk settled in the Nacogdoches area where in 1835 he organized a company of volunteers to aid in Texas' cause for independence. He was elected as a representative from Nacogdoches to the Convention of 1836, and thus became a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The convention elected him secretary of war, and he soon afterward participated in the Battle of San Jacinto.  After independence was won, Rusk was elected to the Second Congress of the Republic, and later led several campaigns against Indians in east Texas. He became president of the Convention of 1845, and was a strong advocate for the annexation of Texas into the Union. The following year, he and Sam Houston were elected the first Senators to represent Texas in Washington, DC. . 

Read more on Thomas J. Rusk's contributions and accomplishments at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/treasures/giants/rusk.html