Chapter 12: The Lone Star Republic In September 1836, Texans elected Sam Houston as the first president of Texas and Mirabeau B. Lamar as the first vice president. Texans also approved the Constitution of 1836 and the proposal that Texas join the United States. The Texas congress designated the town of Houston as the capital for three years.
The United States government did not annex Texas right away. Mexico refused to recognize Texas's independence, and the United States did not want to damage relations with Mexico. In addition, many antislavery groups opposed annexation because Texas would join the Union as a slave state.
Problems in the Republic The Republic of Texas faced many problems in its early years. The arrival of Anglo American settlers in Central Texas led to raids by the Wichitas, Comanches, Kiowas, and others. Houston called on the Texas Rangers to patrol Central Texas. He also tried to improve relations between Texans and the Cherokees in East Texas.
The Republic also had huge debts. To raise money, the Congress imposed taxes and also placed a tariff on various goods imported into Texas. The public debt of Texas continued to increase, however.
When Houston's term ended in 1838, Texans elected Mirabeau B. Lamar as president. He improved education and moved the government to the Republic's new capital, named Austin. Unlike Houston, Lamar did not favor Native Americans. Years of bitter warfare between the Comanches and the Texans began during Lamar's term. The debt rose to $7 million.
When Houston regained the presidency in 1841, he faced the problems of balancing the budget and protecting Texans from Mexican forces that continued to invade Texas. Fortunately, by 1844 annexation was more popular than it had been in Thousands of Americans had immigrated to Texas, strengthening ties to the United States.
On February 28, 1845, Congress passed a joint resolution for annexation. The Texans quickly approved the terms of annexation, and the Republic of Texas joined the United States as its twenty-eighth state.