Republic of Texas Notes: Chapter 9

The New Texas Government under Sam Houston:  Congress consists of 14 senators and 29 representatives  Sam Houston is the President and Mirabeau Lamar is Vice President in 1836  A temporary capitol is Columbia, a small town near the mouth of the Brazos River, until it is moved to Houston.

Houston’s Foreign Policies:  He wanted Texas to be recognized as an independent state.  He wanted to avoid any further conflict with Mexico.

The Election ballot of 1836:  It asked Texans to ratify the Constitution of 1836  It asked Texans to favor annexation by the US  Voters said yes to both items.  Many people in the US did not want Texas to join them for a number of reasons. (they wanted to avoid conflict with MX and did not want another slave state added)

Relations with Mexico:  Mexico rejected the Treaty of Velasco and the border lines at the Rio Grande River.  Houston sent Santa Anna to the US to discuss the situation. Santa Anna offered to sell TX to the US but they refused because that meant that TX still belonged to MX. Santa Anna left the US and retired from politics.

Houston’s Domestic Policies:  He wanted to gain control of the army  Keep peace in Texas with the Indians  Put the Republic of Texas on solid financial grounds

Lamar’s Presidency:  He became president in 1838  He moved the capital to a small settlement called Waterloo near the Colorado River  In 1839 a new building was built and they named the town Austin after SFA.

Lamar’s Foreign Policies:  He wanted peace but would go to war if needed. He offered to pay MX $5 million to recognize TX as independent and set the Rio Grande as the border. MX refused the deal  He did not want to join the US but did want TX to be recognized as an independent state & open trade with TX. In 1839 France recognized TX as independent followed by Great Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Santa Fe Expedition:  Lamar tried to convince Santa Fe & eastern New Mexico to join Texas. He wanted to expand TX to the Pacific Ocean.  He thought the people would want to be free from MX rule.  He sent an expedition to the area then men got lost on the way, but when they finally made it there, they were not welcomed.  They were arrested and taken to Mexico City.

Lamar’s Domestic Policies:  Create a public school system & a 1 st class university in TX Land was sold for public schools and UT He became known as the “Father of Education”  Strengthen the armed forces (Army & Navy) He bought 6 warships = Texas Navy He fired all Houston’s army and built a new one  Remove all Indians from the frontier He fought the Cherokee Indians and drove them out of Texas, leaving much of East TX to be settled.  He printed paper money help the economy

Houston’s 2 nd term as president:  In 1842 he faces several problems during his 2 nd term: Indian attacks on the frontier  A peace treaty w/ the Caddo Indians and later other tribes Conflict with MX A poor economy  Some govt workers were fired, salaries were cut & the armies size was cut to help reduce spending A weak TX dollar

Archives War:  Houston was afraid that MX would come and try to take archives from Austin so he ordered the movement of these documents to Houston.  Many Texans feared he would try to move the capitol as well, so the fought the men moving the archives and forced them to return the documents to Austin

The Battle of Salado Creek:  MX invaded and captured SA to prove that TX could not control all the territory to the Rio Grande.  Texans gathered at the creek, some hiding and others went into SA to draw out the Mexicans.  The Mexicans came out and the Texans trapped the Mexicans in an open field.  The Texans drove out the Mexicans, 1 Texan died, several Mexicans died.

Somervell’s Expedition:  Houston sent General Alexander S. Somervell to make sure the Mexicans left TX. His men took the town of Laredo  Houston then told them to invade MX if they could win.  Somervell did not think he could win so he withdrew to Gonzales

The Mier Expedition:  300 of Somervell’s men did not want to leave so they chose William Fisher as their leader and invaded MX at the town of Mier.  They did not do well and surrendered. The men were marched to the town of Saltillo. Some men escaped but many were recaptured.  Santa Anna ordered the execution of 10% of the men by the Black Bean method (if you drew a black bean you were to be killed).  17 men were killed out of 176 captured.

Anson Jones’s Presidency:  Became the president of TX in 1844  He continued many of Houston’s policies.  He worked for the annexation of TX (nicknamed Architect of Annexation )and worked hard to get MX to recognize TX as independent.

Annexation of Texas:  FOR annexation because of the threat from MX, Texas’ large debt & family ties to the US  AGAINST annexation because there would not be an even balance of slave vs. non-slave states, Texas debt, & the US was not doing well money wise.

The Treaty of 1844:  It stated that TX was a territory of the US, TX had to give up all of its public lands, US had to pay off TX debt.  It did not get approved by the US due to a vote.

The Joint Resolution of 1845:  TX would join the US as a state after its people approved a constitution.  TX would keep its public lands but sell them to get money to pay off their debt.  TX could divide into as many as 5 states if they wanted  TX was a slave state

Mexico offers recognition:  MX agrees to recognize TX as independent only if TX refuses annexation by the US