Before the War
What was life like in Texas before the Civil
War?
The annexation of slave states vs. free
states was a problem.
 Abolitionist movements were in the
Northeast.
 Texans did not re-elect Sam Houston as
their U.S. Senator because of his Unionist
feelings.

1860: Big Trouble
What were several events that caused the
secession of Texas?

Cotton industry and enslaved people
needed for this industry.
Secession
What events caused Sam Houston to struggle
as a governor during this period?
 Houston refused to call the legislature and
tried to block the Secession Convention.
 On Feb. 1, Texas seceded from the Union.
 Houston used the Texas Rangers to try to
stop the messengers to the federal arsenal
to state they have seceded.
 Texans approved secession.
 Houston refused the loyalty oath and was
replaced.
1861: Opening Act
How did the Civil War in 1861 affect
Texas?
Union soldiers began to block the
Galveston port.
 Removal of soldiers that protected the
western frontier.
 New governor

Dissent
Who disagreed with the secession of Texas?
 30% of the population
 German communities of the Texas Hill
Country (Forty-Eighters-free thinkers who
did not believe in slavery)
 Small farmers in northeast Texas who
could not afford the plantation lifestyle
 Many stayed quiet about their opinions
because of vigilante groups that attacked
and sometimes killed dissenters.
1862: Fiery Trial
How did the Conscription Act affect Texas?

Texas opposed the Conscription Act
because they believed it was against
states’ rights. Fewer and fewer men left
to fight in the war.
1862: Fiery Trial
How did the fighting along the coast affect
Texas?
Texans moved inland and the economy
became weaker.
 Cotton and supplies were moved
through Mexico.

1862: Fiery Trial
How did Texans react to the effects of the
war?

The governor and the legislature tried to
buy guns and ammunition and
requested help from President Jefferson
Davis. They were not sucessful.
1863: The Tide Turns
What was the impact of the second Battle of Galveston?
 The victory boosted the morale of the Confederacy,
but Galveston citizens were treated as disloyal with
the city occupied and in bad condition.
 Continued attacks by the Union forces on the Texas
coast extending the war
 The Texas legislature decided to protect the frontier.
 Texans began not to support the war efforts.
 The lives of enslaved people became more
controlled.
1864: No Way Out
How did the war affect everyday Texans?
 Women took on more responsibilities
because men were at war.
 Few battles took place in Texas.
 Shortages disrupted lives.
 More state taxes were imposed.
 School houses were closed.
 Speculators made fortunes.
End of the Ordeal
How did the battles in Texas at the end of
the Civil War affect the state?

Confederate forces resisted Union
incursions, but the end of the war was
already happening in eastern states
where most of the fighting and
destruction occurred.