Anson Jones commits suicide
- When
- 1858
- Where
- Capitol Hotel
- Episodes
- 1
Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas, committed suicide in Houston on January 9, 1858. After retiring from public life and failing to secure a U.S. Senate seat, he lodged at the Capitol Hotel. Following dinner, he returned to his room and fatally shot himself.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Anson Jones was an American medical doctor, businessman, and politician who served as the fourth and last president of the Republic of Texas. He played a decisive role in the final negotiations leading to Texas annexation by the United States. After leaving office, Jones retired to his plantation near Washington-on-the-Brazos and largely withdrew from public life.
Final Days. For four days in January 1858, Jones lodged at Houston's old Capitol Hotel, the former seat of government of the Republic of Texas. On January 9, 1858, after dinner, he returned to his room and fatally shot himself.
People involved
- Anson Jones · Last President of the Republic of Texas
- Thomas Jefferson Rusk · Chosen over Jones to represent Texas in Washington, DC
- Sam Houston · Chosen over Jones to represent Texas in Washington, DC
Sources
- Anson Jones Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.