Born in Logan County, Kentucky, in 1796, Bowie moved with his family to Louisiana in 1802, settling there until 1828. He then moved to Texas, becoming a Mexican citizen and acquiring extensive land holdings.
Nevertheless, in 1835, he supported Texan independence as a member of the Committee of Safety, and afterwards as a colonel in the revolutionary army. The following year, he joined the garrison under Col. William B. Travis at the Alamo. However, he fell seriously ill during the siege there, and was found dead on his cot when General Santa Anna's troops took control on March, 6 1836.