Samuel Price Carson (January 22, 1798 – November 2, 1838) was an American political leader and farmer in both

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. He served as U.S. congressional representative from North Carolina.

North Carolina

He was born at Carson House, Pleasant Gardens, in what is now

McDowell County, North Carolina McDowell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,578. Its county seat is Marion. McDowell County comprises the Marion, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also includ ...

, and studied under private tutors in Pleasant Gardens. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and was a member of the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

1822-1824. Carson was elected as a Jacksonian to the Nineteenth and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1833), but lost re-election in 1833. He was then again elected to the state senate in 1834 and served as a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1835.

Robert Brank Vance Robert Brank Vance (1793 – November 6, 1827) was a Congressional Representative from North Carolina He was born on Reems Creek, near Asheville, North Carolina, in 1793; attended the common schools and Newton Academy, Asheville, N.C.; studied ...

was mortally wounded by Samuel Price Carson, who challenged him to a duel, fought at Saluda Gap, North Carolina, because of a derogatory remark made during the 1827 campaign.

Texas / Arkansas

By 1836, he had moved to Texas, and was elected by his neighbors to the

Convention of 1836 The Convention of 1836 was the meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in March 1836. The Texas Revolution had begun five months previously, and the interim government, known as the Consultation, had wavered over whether ...

, where he signed both the

Texas Declaration of Independence The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and was formal ...

and the

Constitution of the Republic of Texas The Constitution of the Republic of Texas was the supreme law of Texas from 1836 to 1845. On March 2, 1836, Texas declared itself an independent republic because of a lack of support in the United States for the Texas Revolution. The declaration ...

. The convention also established an interim or acting government for the republic, which was still at war in rebellion against Mexico. They considered him for president, but elected

David G. Burnet David Gouverneur Burnet (April 14, 1788 – December 5, 1870) was an early politician within the Republic of Texas, serving as interim President of Texas (1836 and again in 1841), Vice President of the Republic of Texas (1839–1841), and Se ...

, instead, by six votes more than Carson received. In a later vote they elected Carson the Secretary of State. President Burnet sent him to

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

, to lead a team to negotiate for recognition of and aid for Texas, then later named

James Collinsworth James Thompson Collinsworth (1802 – July 11, 1838) was an American-born Texian lawyer and political figure in early history of the Republic of Texas. Early life Collinsworth was born in 1802 Davidson County, Tennessee. His father, Edward Collin ...

to replace him as secretary of state. When Carson learned of this from a newspaper, he simply went home.''

The Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

'' entry for Carson. Later, when borders were formalized, Carson's home was identified as part of

Miller County, Arkansas Miller County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,462. The county seat is Texarkana. Miller County is part of the Texarkana, TX-AR, Metropolitan Statistic ...

. He died in

Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...

, and is buried in the Government Cemetery there.

References

External links

U.S. Congress Biographical Directory entry
* * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Carson, Samuel Price 1798 births 1838 deaths 19th-century American politicians American duellists Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina North Carolina state senators People from McDowell County, North Carolina People of the Texas Revolution Secretaries of State of Texas Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence