Texas History

Fort Burrows

9.1 - Houston’s First Term 1836 – 1845

Conflicts with Mexico continue after Texas gained its independence. President Sam Houston, worried about Mexican attacks and the poor economy, hoped to make Texas part of the United States. It was Anson Jones that led Texas into the Union in 1845. Many Texans wanted Texas to remain a Republic. If Texas had not joined the Union, it might be an independent country today. It also might have been recaptured by Mexico.

Timeline:

1836  Sam Houston elected 1st President of the Republic of Texas

1836 SFA Dies in December at age of 43

1837  United States 1st recognizes Texas independence

1838  Mirabeau B. Lamar is elected 2nd President of Texas

1839  State capital is moved to Austin

1841  Lamar launches Santa Fe expedition

1841 Houston serves second term as 3rd President

1842  Mexican troops invade Texas

1843  Anson Jones is elected the last, 4th, President of the Republic of Texas

The Republic of Texas has had three (3) Capitols : Columbia, Houston, & Austin

Main Idea:

Sam Houston had three (3) main goals during his 1st term as President

1.  he wanted to gain recognition of Texas independence from other nations

2.  he wanted to make peace with the Indians and Mexico

3.  he wanted to convince the United States to annex Texas

Vocabulary :

cabinet – group of people who take charge of certain duties

foreign policy – government plans to deal with issues outside the country

annexation – when one country takes over part or all of another country

domestic policy – government plans to deal with issues inside the country

Setting the Scene:

Sam Houston solemnly unhooked his sword and passed it to the Speaker of the Texas House. “ It now, sir, becomes my duty to make a presentation of this sword – this emblem of my past services, I expect to resume it, and respond to that call, if needed, with my blood and my life.”

With these words, Houston became President of the Republic of Texas. Mirabeau Lamar, who had commanded Houston’s Cavalry at San Jacinto, became the Vice-President.

Launching the New Government

After revolution Sam Houston was elected as the 1st official President of Texas, his immediate challenges

·  the Mexican Government continued to be a threat

·  Comanches raiding settlements on the frontier

·  Texas in huge debt

·  under Sam Houston’s leadership, congress began work in October of 1836

·  his first task was to form a cabinet

·  Houston named Stephen Fuller Austin as Secretary of State

o  Austin would be in charge of relations with other countries

o  he died shortly afterwards from pneumonia at the age of 43

·  1st Columbia became the site of the new capital

·  in April 1837, a new town called 2nd Houston was made the capital of Texas

Relations With Other Countries

Foreign policy goals

·  Houston had two (2) main foreign policy goals

·  to gain other nation’s recognition of Texas as independent nation

·  avoid further conflict with Mexico

Question of Annexation

·  during the 1st elections, Texans voted whether to ratify the Constitution of 1836 and to support annexation by the United States; they overwhelmingly said YES

·  Houston also favored annexation to provide protection from Mexico

·  some Americans opposed annexation to avoid war with Mexico and because of slavery

·  the United States was the 1st nation to recognize Texas

( US President Jackson and Texas President Houston were old friends)

·  on Andrew Jackson’s last day of office in 1837, he official recognized Texas as an Independent Country

·  Great Britain, France, and other nations waited to see if Texas could hold on to its freedom before giving their recognition

United States 7th President
1829 through 1837
Andrew Jackson - ‘Old Hickory’ / Republic of Texas 1st President 1836 – 1838
and 3rd President 1841 – 1844
Sam Houston – ‘Our Daddy’

Mexico

·  relations between Mexico and Texas were tense

·  Mexico rejected the Treaty of Velasco

·  Mexico rejected the Rio Grande as the border of the new Republic

·  Texas objected to Mexico’s offer to sell Texas to the United States

·  Texans believed that this offer suggested that Mexico still owned Texas

Houston’s Policies at Home

Most of Houston’s armed forces where new troops from the United States. They had missed the Texas Revolution, and they wanted to attack Mexico. Houston sent many of them home on leave. This would save tax money for Texas and keep them from causing trouble. Houston had three (3) Domestic policies; 1st - gain control of the Army, 2nd - keep peace in Texas, and 3rd – to have Texas be solid financially

Relations with Texas Indians

·  Houston sent messages of friendship to several tribes

·  he tried to make treaties and set up trading posts

·  he had little support from Congress

·  since Texas could not afford a large army, he sent them home to separate them

·  they depended on local militias and Texas Rangers to guard the frontier

·  Houston sent messages of friendship to the tribes

·  attempts to make treaties and set up trading posts had little success

·  Native Americans did not trust the Texans in fear of losing their land

Houston’s economic policies:

·  Texas was more than $1 million in debt

·  Houston cut government spending

·  he placed taxes on imports, property, and livestock

·  taxes did little good since most Texans couldn’t afford to pay them

·  Houston decided to print paper money with the land in Texas

·  when and if, the government sold land, this gave value to the paper money

·  Texas leaders believed that new settlers were more important than money

·  they ended up giving away a lot of its land to attract settlers

·  by the end of Houston’s term, a Texas dollar was worth 12 cents

1. Foreign policy is a government’s plan to deal with …

A. its enemies B. immigration

C. issues inside the country D. issues outside the country

2. Why was Houston able to understand the problems of Native American tribes ?

A. he was a Native American himself

B. he had lived among the Cherokees for several years

C. his mother was a Native American

D. he was married to a Native American

3. Houston wanted to gain control of his Army. How did he do it ? ______

4. Houston wanted peace in Texas. How did he do it ?

______

5. Houston wanted solid finances in Texas. How did he do it ?

______

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