1. The Republic of Texas

2. David G. Burnet (Mar. 16, 1836 – Oct. 22, 1836)
Texas Revolution
Elected ad-interim president by delegates at Washington-on-the-Brazos during revolution.
Capital: Harrisburg
Fled to Galveston to escape Santa Anna
Government moved to Velasco after the Battle of San Jacinto

3. 2) Treaties of Velasco
Public Treaty
Santa Anna would never fight against Texas again
Mexican troops would leave Texas
Exchange all prisoners
Secret Treaty
Santa Anna would get Mexico to recognize Texas’ independence
Rio Grande would be the border between Texas/Mexico

4. 3) Sept. 1836: election for official Govt. of Rep. of Texas.
Sam Houston: President
Houston 5119 votes
Henry Smith 743 votes
Stephen F. Austin 587 votes.
Mirabeau B. Lamar: Vice President
Stephen F. Austin: Secretary of State
Houston
Smith
Lamar
Austin

5. Samuel Houston (Oct. 22, 1836 – Dec. 10, 1838)
New Capital
Houston, TX; named in his honor.
Annexation into U.S.A.
Texans wanted to be annexed
Manifest Destiny for U.S. (westward expansion)
Some U.S. leaders didn’t want Texas because Texans supported slavery

6. Cut government spending Created taxes (customs duties, property taxes)
3) Finances
Over $1 million in debt
Cut government spending
Created taxes (customs duties, property taxes)
Didn’t work; Texans too broke to pay
No loan from U.S.
Printed paper money (star money)
Didn’t work; no gold or silver to back it up
People lost faith in the paper money, $1 was only worth 12₵.
Debt increased to over $3 million

7. 4) Military Troubles Mexico refused Rio Grande as border
Army Commander Felix Huston & most soldiers wanted to keep fighting Mexico.
Houston tried to replace Commander Huston with Albert Sidney Johnston
Huston shot Johnston in a duel
Huston tried to convince congress to order attack on Mexico
Houston ordered Texas Army “home-on-leave”
Only 600 loyal soldiers were called back to duty
Bonus! Didn’t have to pay the soldiers on leave.
Huston
Johnston

8. Houston negotiated peace treaty with Cherokee Chief Bowles
5) Native Americans
Houston negotiated peace treaty with Cherokee Chief Bowles
Texas Congress refused to ratify treaty.
Native American tribes raided Texas settlements
Houston relied on the Texas Rangers to patrol frontier
Chief Bowles
Texas Rangers

9. Mirabeau B. Lamar (Dec. 10, 1838 – Dec. 13, 1841
Capital
Moved to Waterloo, renamed Austin, in honor of Stephen F. Austin.
Education
Created public education system
18,000 acres per county for public schools, plus land for state universities.
“Father of Texas Education”
“A cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy…It is the only dictator that freemen acknowledge and the only security that freemen desire.”

10. 3) Mexico
Mex. wouldn’t recognize Texas’ independence.
Sent Texas Navy to assist revolt against Mexico in the Yucatan
Santa Fe Expedition
expedition to claim New Mexico
Settlers refused to become part of Texas
Expedition arrested and marched to prison in Mexico City.

11. Drove the Cherokee out of Texas
4) Native Americans
Battle of the Neches
Drove the Cherokee out of Texas
Council House Fight
Peace conference with Comanche in San Antonio
Fighting breaks out; Comanche chiefs and Texans killed
Comanche attack all across Texas in revenge
Battle of Plum Creek
Army Commander Felix Huston finally defeats the main group of Comanche.
Small raids continue for years
Council House Fight
Battle of Plum Creek

12. Increased the debt significantly.
5) Finances
Spent $5 million:
Texas Navy, Santa Fe Expedition, Indian Wars, education
Couldn’t recoup the cost via taxes or loans, tried printing paper money (red backs); didn’t work.
Increased the debt significantly.

13. Samuel Houston (Dec. 13, 1841 – Dec. 9, 1844)
Finances
Greatly decreased govt. spending
Fired many govt. workers, lowered govt. salaries
Cut the size of the Army
used Texas Rangers & volunteers to defend the republic
Tried to sell the Texas Navy
Commodore Edwin Moore refused to allow the sale, refused to return the Navy to Galveston.
Houston declared Moore a pirate, formally tried him for mutiny, piracy, and murder
Moore found innocent, remained in the Navy
The people of Galveston prevented sale, saved the Texas Navy.
Houston reduced govt. spending by millions of dollars, but debt kept growing
Houston
Edwin Moore

14. 2) Native Americans Houston resumed peace with Native Americans
signed peace treaties with all Texan tribes
Texas gave the American Indians gifts, built trading posts, agreed to slow migration into their lands.
Houston’s peace plan cost less than $1 million.

15. 3) Archives War
Mex. invaded Texas, captured Victoria, Goliad, and San Antonio.
Houston ordered Texas Rangers to move govt. records (archives) to Washington-on-the-Brazos.
Citizens of Austin didn’t want the capital to move.
Fired cannons at the Texas Rangers trying to remove the archives.
Archives stayed in Austin, but Houston’s govt. moved to Washington-on-the-Brazos.

16. 4) Mexican Troubles
Mex. Army captures San Antonio again, Texan volunteers chased them out.
Texas militia victorious at Battle of Salado Creek.
Another militia defeated in “Dawson’s Massacre.”
Houston sent General Alexander Somervell to Rio Grande, Somervell could invade Mexico if he thought his army could win. Somervell ordered withdrawal after taking Laredo.
300 of Somervell’s men invaded anyway, attacked town of Mier.
Texans defeated, 176 captured & marched to Mexico City.
Santa Anna ordered 1 out of every 10 men executed.
Captives drew beans from jar, white beans were safe, black beans were executed. Known as the “Black Bean Episode”.

18. Dr. Anson Jones (Dec. 9, 1844 – Feb. 19, 1846)
Kept Houston’s Mexican/Native American policies, returned capital to Austin.
Annexation Issues
Texans FOR:
Fear of Mexico
U.S. could keep Texas safe
Financial
Texas Govt. was deep in debt.
American currency worth more than Texan currency
Texans AGAINST:
Wanted to stay independent
Americans FOR:
Manifest Destiny (Westward expansion)
Didn’t want Britain involved in Texas
Americans AGAINST annexation:
Additional slave state
probably war with Mexico
Texas’ debt would add to U.S. debt.

19. 3) Annexation at Last!
Jones/Houston convince US President, John Tyler, and US Congress to sign joint resolution accepting Texas as 28th state.
Texas citizens must approve state constitution
Texas keeps public lands, but money from sale must repay Texas’ debts
Texas could divide into five or less states if wanted
Texas would be a slave state.
Great Britain didn’t want Texas in the US, convinced Mex. to recognize Texas’ independence.
Texas congress voted: annexation into the US vs. remain independent with Mexican recognition.
Congress unanimously approved annexation in June, 1845
A convention of delegates approved annexation on July 4, 1845.
Texas people voted for annexation and adopted State Constitution on Oct. 13, 1845.
December 29, 1845; Texas is officially annexed into the United States as the 28th State.