Career

During this time I had many jobs that gave me great experience.  I worked as a magistrate in Kentucky and also was associated with many frontier churches where I would preach and shout.  In 1818 I moved my young family to Tennessee when I was asked by Senator George Washington Campbell to manage his estate while the senator served as Minister to Russia.  Just like when I was young, my family was so large that we needed two cars to move, but this time we moved into the Senator's mansion with its many rooms. 

 

In 1824 I migrated with my family and many relatives to Arkansas territory leading a wagon train south. 7 years after that we moved into Red River County, Texas.  I was elected as a justice of the peace for my new town.  I was very popular. I became more and more of a politician and statesman.  During this time, many people wanted to control and claim the land of Texas.

 

In 1835 I was elected as a deligate of the Red River District.  I met with other deligates in Austin who wanted to set up our own government.  The Mexican President, Santa Anna, claimed the land and the people living there.   Fed up with both the American and Mexican governments the deligates wanted independence.  In 1836 I was one of 5 deligates that wrote and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.  He also helped to write the constitution for the new Republic of Texas.  I was so popular, well loved and such a great leader that I was elected the first Vice President of the Republic of Texas.

 

I would continue to work as as Vice President in the First, Second and Fourth tems of the Republic of Texas.  I also encouraged the Texas Legislature to create square counties based on my work as a surveyor.  

 

The new Republic of Texas presented people with an opportunity to establish colonies.  Families who settled in these colonies would receive a great deal of land, supplies and help building a cabin.  In 1844, I would make 11 trips on horseback from Kentucky and Tennessee guiding families to Texas.  In 1845 I moved my family to Van Alstyne, Texas where he build a new mansion of our own.  I was honored in 1846 when Collin County was created and named in my honor.  In 1848 the county seat was named McKinney.