The first governor of Texas, Sam Houston also had been governor of Tennessee. After abruptly resigning as Tennessee governor, he moved to Indian Territory. He then was a trader, advisor, and special envoy for the Cherokee Indians. It was in the latter capacity that he went to Texas in 1832 to attempt to secure a land grant for the tribe from Mexico. By 1835 he had moved to Texas. With the outbreak of the Texas Revolution in 1835, he was named commanding general of the revolutionary army. He served as the first president of the new republic, from 1836 to 1838, and was elected to a second term. After Texas' annexation to the United States, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. Unhappy that Texas appeared to be moving toward secession, he successfully ran for governor as an independent Unionist. Despite his efforts, however, the people of Texas voted to secede, and he was forced out of office in March 1861.