Anson Jones- the Last President of the Texas Republic

Anson Jones was born January 20, 1798 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In 1820, Jones was licensed as a doctor by the Oneida, New York, Medical Society, and began practicing. However, his practice didn't suceed, and he moved several more times before finally being arrested in Philadelphia by a creditor. He stayed in Philadelphia for a few more years, teaching and practicing medicine, until in 1824 he decided to go to Venezuela. Later, Jones returned to Philadelphia, earned an M.D., and reopened his practice. Still, Jones never had much success as a doctor, and in 1832 he quit medicine and headed for New Orleans, where he entered the mercantile trade. Once again, though, Jones' dreams were churshed. His business efforts had any success and within a year he was broke. In 1833 Jones headed west to Texas, settling eventually in Brazoria. Here, at last, he met with success, establishing a medical practice that prospered quickly. But if Jones was looking for a quiet life in Texas, he would not find it. In 1835 he began to speak out about the growing tensions between Texas and Mexico, and that year he attended The Consultation, a meeting held at Columbia by Texas patriots to discuss the fight with Mexico. Jones himself presented a resolution at the Consultation calling for a convention to be held to declare independence, but he himself refused to be nominated to the convention. During the Texas Revolution, Jones served as a judge advocate and surgeon to the Texas army, though he insisted on holding the rank of private throughout the conflict. After the war, Jones returned to Brazoria and resumed his medical practice.Upon his return to Brazoria, Jones found that James Collinsworth, a fellow Texas patriot and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Brazoria, had set up a law practice in Jones' office. Jones evicted Collinsworth and challenged him to a duel (though the duel never occurred).
Jones and Collinsworth would spar again. Collinsworth was