DAVID G. BURNET: BIOGRAPHY, PRESIDENCY AND OTHER POSITIONS - ARTE - 2024

David G. Burnet (1788-1870) was a federalist lawyer and politician of American origin. He is remembered for holding the presidency during the interim government of the Republic of Texas in 1836 and again in 1841.

He was also second vice president of the Republic of Texas and Secretary of State after Texas became part of the United States of America, a hero who also had his detractors, especially as a result of his forgiveness of Antonio López de Santa Anna, avoiding its execution.

David G. Burnet. Source: illustrator name unknown

Biography

David G. Burnet was born on April 14, 1788, in Newark, New Jersey. He was the fourteenth child of Dr. William Burnet and the third of his second wife, the widow Gertrude Gouverneur Rutgers.

Both parents died when he was just a child so he was raised by his older brothers. After receiving a classical education at a Newark academy, Burnet wanted to join the navy, but did not follow through on his wish.

Early youth

At 17, he became an employee of a New York counting house known as Robinson and Hartshorne. Although it was not a job to his liking, when the company ran into financial difficulties, he gave up his entire personal inheritance, $ 1,300, in vain to try to save the company.

In 1806 he participated as a volunteer in an expedition led by Francisco de Miranda, for the independence of Venezuela, but it was also an unsuccessful attempt. However, he maintained his fight in Chile in 1807 and again in Venezuela in 1808, until Miranda broke relations with Simón Bolívar and decided to return to his country in 1812.

That year he came to the home of two of his older brothers in Cincinnati, Ohio, and began his law studies.

In 1817 he opened a merchant business in Natchitoches, Louisiana, but fell ill with tuberculosis. His doctor suggested he move to a dry climate that could improve his health, so he decided to head to Texas.

On the way he had an accident with his horse and after being rescued by the Comanche Indians he lived with them for a couple of years.

Later he returned to Cincinnati to practice law for a time and there he wrote a series of articles for the Literary Gazette, in which he recounted the years he was living with the Indians.

Arrival in Texas

In 1826 Burnet moved to the Stephen F. Austin colony in Mexican Texas. There he spent a little over a year and a half providing legal advice to the settlers and organizing the first Presbyterian Sunday School program.

The following year, Burnet received a land grant to establish 300 families in East Texas, northwest of Nacogdoches, an area that had already been settled by the Cherokee.

However, in 1828 he was forced to sell them and return to the United States because he could not attract enough settlers. The sale of his lands to Galveston Bay and the Texas Land Company was for the considerable sum of $ 12,000.

He spent two years in the United States, during which time he married and bought a steam engine to open a sawmill. Her plan was to return to Texas.

He established his sawmill on 10 hectares of land along the San Jacinto River, in an area that became known as Burnet's Bay.

Once in the place, the Mexican law gave him a subsidy because his factory was of public service, but they forced him to convert to Catholicism. In response to Burnet's refusal, the Mexican authorities canceled the grant. In 1830 he had to sell the steam engine and sawmill at a loss, but this time he did remain in Texas.

Movement for independence

In 1833 Burnet was the delegate of a committee that asked the Mexican Congress to separate from Texas. Shortly after that request, Antonio López de Santa Anna became president of Mexico and declared himself dictator in 1835.

During that time, Burnet became known as Judge Burnet, as he was the first judge of the Austin district and organized a court in San Felipe.

In November 1835 the consultation of San Felipe was held in which they took the initiative to form a provisional state government, but that attempt was never carried out.

Interim presidency

National flag of the Republic of Texas, used between December 10, 1836 and January 25, 1839. Source: Pumbaa80.

In early 1836, Burnet decided to support William Barret Travis's plea for help at the Alamo and set about recruiting supporters for the cause. On March 2, 1836, the representatives of the Texas colony had signed independence, at the well-known Washington-on-the-Brazos convention. Unexpected circumstances led to Burnet being elected interim president.

Meanwhile, the Mexican army under the command of General Antonio López de Santa Anna managed to control the Alamo.

Burnet's first order was the capital of the new state from Washington-on-the-Brazos to Harrisburg. This order led to massive evacuations of Texas residents fleeing the Mexican army, an event known as Runaway Scrape. The new Republic of Texas and much of the civilian population fled east.

It was not until the decisive Battle of San Jacinto that the independence success of Texas was marked. Santa Anna was defeated and taken prisoner, signing the Velasco treaty, which granted Texas independence.

Meanwhile, the Burnet government, which experienced much of the revolutionary chaos, received a strong rejection when it refused to execute Santa Anna. The Texans asked to be arrested for treason and Burnet decided to resign in October 1836 and not run for election.

Public service stage

In 1838 he served as vice president and the following year he was the first acting Secretary of State.

In 1840 Burnet became interim president again when the elect Mirabeau B. Lamar took leave to seek medical treatment in New Orleans. He later ran for president but was defeated by his strong opponent, Sam Houston.

After the Republic of Texas managed to integrate into the United States, Burnet became the first Secretary of State under Governor James Pinckney Henderson.

Burnet's last public office was that of delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1868.

When Texas joined the United States, Burnet's life was in great turmoil. On the one hand politically, the strong opposition from Houston was affecting her career.

Last years

On a personal level, Burnet was saddened by the death of one of his sons in 1836, which worsens when his wife dies in 1865 and a few months later his other son is murdered. He was left totally alone and without family.

In his later years, Burnet suffered from senility. On December 7, 1870, at the age of 82, David G. Burnet passed away in Galveston, Texas. His remains are buried in the Lakeview Cemetery, located in the Texas city.

References

1. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, September 9). David G. Burnet. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from wikipedia.org
2. Encyclopædia Britannica (2019, August 10). History. Recovered from britannica.com
3. "Burnet, David Gouverneur." (sf) The Handbook of Texas Online. Recovered from utexas.edu
4. "Burnet, David Gouverneur." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Recovered from Encyclopedia.com
5. David G. Burnet. (2013). The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Recovered from encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com
6. Dean, L. (2015, November 16) Entrepreneur David G. Burnet. At Discover Texas. Recovered from discovertexasonline.com