Texas History
Fort Burrows
9.1 - Houston’s First Term 1836 – 1845
READ pgs 208 – 213
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
1836
1837
1838
1839
1841
1841
1842
1843
Sam Houston elected 1st President of the Republic of Texas
SFA Dies in December at age of 43
United States 1st recognizes Texas independence
Mirabeau B. Lamar is elected 2nd President of Texas
State capital is moved to Austin
Lamar launches Santa Fe expedition
Houston serves second term as 3rd President
Mexican troops invade Texas
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
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Fort Burrows
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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
st
1 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
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Fort Burrows
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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:
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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 ?
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4. Houston wanted peace in Texas. How did he do it ?
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5. Houston wanted solid finances in Texas. How did he do it ?
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