Isaac Van Zandt
Encyclopedia
Isaac Van Zandt was a political leader in the Republic of Texas
. Van Zandt County, Texas
, was named in his honor.
Van Zandt was born in Franklin County, Tennessee
in the United States
to Jacob and Mary Isaacs Van Zandt. The Van Zandt family had migrated to America from Holland prior to the Revolutionary War. In 1833 he married Frances Lipscomb and went into a joint business venture with his father by opening a store. Van Zandt later moved to Coffeeville, Mississippi
, where he opened his own store. After experiencing financial difficulties after the depression of 1837, Van Zandt became interested in a debate society which enabled him to use his natural talent for public speaking
. This spurred an interest in law and within a year he was a member of the Mississippi
bar
.
He came to the Republic of Texas
in 1838 and settled in Elysian Fields
in what was then Panola County
. In 1839 he moved to what is now Marshall, Texas
.
Van Zandt was the representative of Harrison County
in the House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas from 1840 until 1842, when Sam Houston
appointed him Republic of Texas Chargé d'Affaires in Washington, DC. In 1841 Van Zandt donated land, along with Peter Whetestone, to create a county seat
for Harrison County. Van Zandt named the new city in honor of the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
John Marshall
. As the Republic of Texas ambassador to the United States Van Zandt was instrumental in crafting the Annexation
Treaty of the Republic of Texas to the U.S.
He returned to Texas in 1845 to serve as a delegate to the Texas state constitutional convention. Van Zandt died during a yellow fever
epidemic
in Houston
while campaigning for governor in 1847.
The Van Zandt family donated their plantation
as the site for the College of Marshall in 1912. In 1936 a memorial was constructed in Canton
, the seat of Van Zandt County. Isaac Van Zandt is the father of Texas politician and businessman K. M. Van Zandt and his sister Ida Van Zandt Jarvis, a generous benefactor and the first female trustee of Texas Christian University (TCU). Isaac was also the third great-grandfather of country music
songwriter and performer Townes Van Zandt
.
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
. Van Zandt County, Texas
Van Zandt County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,140 people, 18,195 households, and 13,664 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile . There were 20,896 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
, was named in his honor.
Van Zandt was born in Franklin County, Tennessee
Franklin County, Tennessee
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 41,052. Its county seat is Winchester.Franklin County is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to Jacob and Mary Isaacs Van Zandt. The Van Zandt family had migrated to America from Holland prior to the Revolutionary War. In 1833 he married Frances Lipscomb and went into a joint business venture with his father by opening a store. Van Zandt later moved to Coffeeville, Mississippi
Coffeeville, Mississippi
Coffeeville is a town in Yalobusha County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 930 at the 2000 census. It is named after John Coffee , a planter and military leader.-Geography:Coffeeville is located at ....
, where he opened his own store. After experiencing financial difficulties after the depression of 1837, Van Zandt became interested in a debate society which enabled him to use his natural talent for public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
. This spurred an interest in law and within a year he was a member of the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
.
He came to the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
in 1838 and settled in Elysian Fields
Elysian Fields, Texas
Elysian Fields is a rural unincorporated community in Harrison County, Texas, United States. It lies 11 miles southeast of the county seat of Marshall....
in what was then Panola County
Panola County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,756 people, 8,821 households, and 6,395 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 10,524 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
. In 1839 he moved to what is now Marshall, Texas
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
.
Van Zandt was the representative of Harrison County
Harrison County, Texas
Harrison County is a county of the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 62,110. It is named for Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary. It is located in the Ark-La-Tex region...
in the House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas from 1840 until 1842, when Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
appointed him Republic of Texas Chargé d'Affaires in Washington, DC. In 1841 Van Zandt donated land, along with Peter Whetestone, to create a county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
for Harrison County. Van Zandt named the new city in honor of the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
John Marshall
John Marshall
John Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
. As the Republic of Texas ambassador to the United States Van Zandt was instrumental in crafting the Annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
Treaty of the Republic of Texas to the U.S.
He returned to Texas in 1845 to serve as a delegate to the Texas state constitutional convention. Van Zandt died during a yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
while campaigning for governor in 1847.
The Van Zandt family donated their plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
as the site for the College of Marshall in 1912. In 1936 a memorial was constructed in Canton
Canton, Texas
Canton is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,142. It is the county seat of Van Zandt County.- History :...
, the seat of Van Zandt County. Isaac Van Zandt is the father of Texas politician and businessman K. M. Van Zandt and his sister Ida Van Zandt Jarvis, a generous benefactor and the first female trustee of Texas Christian University (TCU). Isaac was also the third great-grandfather of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
songwriter and performer Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
.