By: Erika Liebel
Republic of Texas is Born
March 2, 1836
Interim Government
 David G. Burnet – President
 Lorenzo de Zavala – Vice President

David G. Burnet

Interim President
Interim = Temporary
Sam Houston


Elected to 2 terms
Sympathetic to American
Indians

Favored Annexation

Down-sized military

Financial cutbacks

Tried to decommission the
Texas Navy a 2nd time
Mirabeau B. Lamar

The “Education President”

Against annexation




Massive debt – Issued
Redbacks (Texas Money)
Moved capitol from Houston
to Austin
Hostile toward American
Indians
Supported Texas expansion
separate from the U.S.
Anson Jones




Obtained recognition of the
Republic of Texas
The “Silent President”
secretly promoted annexation
Decommissioned the Texas
Navy
President of Texas at the time
of annexation.
Texas Rangers
• A group of law enforcement
officers originally formed by
Stephen F. Austin to keep
peace in the colonies
• The least expensive way to
protect the Texas frontier
Edwin Moore
• Commander of Texas Navy in
1839
• Suspended then courtmartialed by Houston- found
not guilty
• Wrote book To the People of
Texas (personal vindication)
• Prosecuted financial claims
against Texas
Jack Coffee Hays
• Noted Indian fighter
• Commanded 1st Regiment of
Texas Mounted volunteers
• One of the most dangerous &
influential Texas Ranger
• Sided with Anglos in all
disputes
Chief Bowles
• Known as “Peace Chief”
• United several Cherokee
tribes
• Petitioned the Spanish for a
land grant for Cherokee
inhabited land in east Texas.
• Expelled by Mirabeau
Lamar and died while resisting
expulsion at the Battle of
Neches
William Goyens
• Keen business man
• Father was a free mulatto, and
his mother was a white women
• Cherokee interpreter – helped
negotiate treaty with Sam
Houston
• One of the few free AfricanAmericans in Texas
Mary Maverick
• Alabama born Texas pioneer,
attorney, wife, mother, activist
• Kept detailed diaries of her
experiences on the Texas
frontier and later turned them
in to memoirs
Jose Antonio Navarro
• 1 of the 3 Mexican signers of
the Texas Declaration of
Independence
• Only Hispanic delegate to the
convention of 1845
• Texas State Senator
Events
Cordova Rebellion
Plot of rebellion against the
Republic of Texas - 1838
Cordova Rebellion
East Texas group who was
loyal to Mexico were not
allowed to assemble or carry
arms.
Vicente Cordova & followers
proclaimed they would not
tolerate violations of their
rights.
Thomas Rusk ordered 150 men Rusk allied with Lamar – no
to proceed toward Cherokee
members of Cordova’s group
territory to find the
were arrested and went into
insurrectionists against
hiding.
Houston’s orders
Cordova Rebellion

Cordova & Chief Bowles
allied with Mexico to harass
Texas
33 insurrectionists with
Spanish surnames were
arrested for Treason
The Cherokee War & removal
of indians began shortly after
Council House Fight
This incident contributed to
continued frontier violence
Council House Fight

1840 - Comanche peace
Comanches returned with a
representatives arrived in San
few prisoners – Texans
Antonio where Texans
demanded the rest of the
demanded release of white
captives be released
captives, and ordered
Texas soldiers entered the
Comanches out of Central
Council House where
Texas.
negotiations were going on and
held the Chiefs hostage until
prisoners were returned.
Council House Fight
Texan soldiers killed most of
the Comanches in the
Council House courtyard
Santa Fe Expedition
1841 – Mirabeau Lamar’s attempt to
divert trade from the Santa Fe
Trail to Texas and to exert political
control of the New Mexico
settlements by having them join the
Republic of Texas.
Santa Fe Expedition
Essentially Lamar’s
appointees supported Mexico
and the whole expedition and
trade route fell into Mexican
hands
• Lamar and other Texans
• This renewed interest in Texas
accused Juan Seguin of being
by the US and Mexico.
a spy for Mexico, causing him
to flee Texas for Mexico.

Congress would not approve
the idea so Lamar offered
merchants protection of their
goods.
Texas Navy

Launched in 1836 to protect
lines between US & Texas
with the purchase and
commission of 4 vessels
By 1837 all ships had been lost
at sea, run aground, captured
or sold to settle repair bills
The Republic
purchased 6 more ships
that defended the Texas
coast until a truce signed
with Mexico in 1843
and then the US
agreed to protect Texas
Public Debt
Republic of Texas inherited debt
from the provisional and ad
interim governments in the form
of loans & claims for services
and supplies.
More than doubled during
Houston’s first presidency,
(1.2 million to 3.25 million)
Lamar’s presidency added
another 4.85 million. Through
many attempts to lower debt at
the time of annexation public
debt had risen to 12 million and
was absorbed by the US.
Roles of Racial & Ethnic Groups

Anglos – Took • Indians – Frontier
wars – in conflict
the majority of the
with Anglos over
leadership roles
land. Most were
expelled from Texas
during the
during
Lamar’s
Revolution &
Presidency
Republic Era
Roles of Racial & Ethnic Groups

Mexicans – Tejanos served in • African-Americans – Slaves
and/ or supporting Anglos in
the Texas army and served as
liaison between Mexicans and the Revolution - later buffalo
soldiers
Anglos/ Mexicans fought
against Texans and viewed
them as traitors. Many
Mexicans lost their land and
left Texas because they no
longer felt wanted.
Issues
Issues
Location of the
Capitol
Disputes between Houston
& Lamar on location of
capitol prevented focus on
greater issues & incurred
expenses for the change in
capitol
Lack of
Recognition
Constant battle for
Texas administration
which prevented the
standing of Texas for
financial issues, left
Texas vulnerable for
invasion
Slavery
Became an issue for
annexation, split the
population.
Issues
Unrest in the Conflicts with
American
Army
Indians
Unreliable protection
due to furloughs and
postponed salaries.
Houston fired
soldiers who wanted to
fight Mexico
Safety of citizens,
expense for
protection, added to
unrest and
vulnerability for
invasion
Public
Debt
Texas could not
afford operating
expenses, annexation
could solve debt
problems. Couldn’t
collect tariffs on
foreign goods
Issues
Border Disputes
with Mexico
Since Texas had problems with
the Army, protection and
invasion became an issue,
annexation could provide military
protection. No-man’s land (area
between Nueces & Rio Grande
since both countries claimed
different borders
Other Issues
 U.S. President James K. Polk
supported Texas annexation
 U.S. settlers wanted Texas fertile land
 American merchants wanted Texas as a
stop on their way to the ports of
California
 Massive public debt caused Texans to
need financial support from the US
 Frontier wars and threat of invasion
from Mexico presented the need for
protection by the US