Organize information in chapter 11 by creating a Venn diagram about Houston,
Lamar, and Jones.
Add information that tells how the presidents were different and similar.
Jones

Photo from http://www.srttexas.org/Graphic/Texas%20Flag%20Redone.jpg

1
OBJECTIVES
• Identify the problems faced by the Republic of Texas.
• Explain Sam Houston’s role in the early days of the Republic of Texas.
• Analyze the reasons for Texas statehood.
• Describe the issues surrounding the annexation of Texas.

REPUBLIC OF TEXAS IN 1836

• Sam Houston was elected president of the Republic of Texas.
• Mirabeau B. Lamar was elected vicepresident.
• A constitution was adopted.

Sam Houston’s
Inaugural Address
- 1836
“[We] modestly remonstrated against oppression, and, when invaded by a numerous host, we dared to proclaim our independence and to strike for freedom on the breast of the oppressor.
As yet our course is onward. We are only in the outset of the campaign of liberty.” http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/d_h/houston.htm

• The
Mexican government refused to recognize
Texas’s independence
.
– Mexico and Texas were still at war.
• Other nations also needed to be persuaded that
Texas is independent.
• The new government was in debt from the Texas revolution.
• Indians are now way out numbered and Anglo
Americans are taking over their territory.
– Indians threaten to declare war on the Texans .

• Houston was cautious.
• He tried to prevent another war with Mexico or with Native Texans.
• Houston limited government spending.
Houston thought the best solution to
Texas’s problems was annexation to the
United States.
Houston’s well appointed cabinet helped him with these problems. (Stephen F. Austin served as secretary of state.)
Cabinet – council that advises the chief executive

• After serving as secretary of state for only three months, Stephen F. Austin dies at the age of 43.
•Texas’s first empresario
•served as leader for all American colonists in
Texas
•led the first major military conflict in the
Revolution
•traveled to the United States to raise money for the war.

• Initially, Columbia, a small town in Brazoria County, was declared the capital city.
• Two brothers, John and Augustus Allen, planned on building a new town near Harrisburg, which had been burned during the Revolution.
– They named this town Houston, after Sam.
• Houston remained the capital of Texas throughout
Houston’s first administration, even though people complained about the conditions in this town.
– It was muddy, hot, and had simple log structures, etc.

• The addition of Texas to the United States made sense to many.
• Texan Anson Jones went to the U.S. Congress and tried to get them to accept Texas into the
Union.
• Texas would have been considered a slave state, and many members of the U.S. congress opposed slavery.
• This decision was delayed, and Houston ordered Jones to withdraw the request.
– Houston didn’t want Texas to be embarrassed by having its request delayed any longer.

• One of the biggest problems in the new
Republic was the lack of money.
• When Sam Houston began his presidency,
Texas was in debt over $1 million.
• Houston held government expenses to a minimum and tried to raise revenue only for items that were absolutely necessary.
Revenue – annual or current income of the government

• In 1837 the Texas Congress authorized Houston to issue about $600,000 in promissory notes .
• These notes made a promise that the government would pay the specified amount to the holder of the note at a future date.
• This was called “star money” because these
“notes” had a star on the front of them.
promissory notes – written promise to pay a sum of money at a future time

• When Texas’s financial situation did not improve, some feared that the promise of future payment might not be kept.
• As a result, people started refusing to accept the promissory notes.

• In the Treaties of Velasco, Santa
Anna agreed to the independence of
Texas. Mexico refused to accept the treaties.
• Mexico refused to acknowledge that
Texas was independent.

• Thousands of citizens arrived in Texas too late to fight in the Revolution.
• Felix Huston raised an army of 500 to 700 volunteers to fight in the Texas Revolution.
• The war was over when Huston’s army; therefore, their eagerness to fight made them try to renew the war with
Mexico!
• Houston sent Huston’s soldiers home.
– This helped financially because now Houston didn’t dl.tamu.edu/Projects/ sodct/plumcreek.htm
have to pay these soldiers.

• Texas not only had conflicts with Mexico but also the Native Texans.
• Remember, the Native Texans were promised by Houston the title to their land they occupied in East Texas.
• The Texas Congress refused to uphold this treaty (promise) Houston had agreed upon. http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0306805863.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

• Many Texans wanted the Native Texans out because the land they occupied was the richest farmland in Texas.
• Houston, unlike most Texans, was sympathetic to the Native Texans.
• The Texas Rangers had to be called in to patrol the frontier.
• Attacks on both sides continued.

not have back to back terms,
President Houston had to hand over the government in 1838.
• Vice-President Lamar remained popular by the Texas people and was elected as the second president of the Republic of Texas.
http://dl.tamu.edu/Projects/sodct/images/mlamar.jpg

1
MAIN IDEA
The new Republic of Texas faced many problems. Sam Houston, its first president, focused on restricting government spending and establishing good foreign relations. He also worked to avoid new conflicts with Native Texans.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
As Texas’s first president, Sam Houston has served as a model for Texas leaders for many generations.

Photo from http://www.srttexas.org/Graphic/Texas%20Flag%20Redone.jpg

2
OBJECTIVES
• Identify the contributions of Mirabeau B.
Lamar to the Republic of Texas.
• Describe the problems that the Republic of
Texas faced.
• Compare the leadership qualities of Sam
Houston and Mirabeau B. Lamar.

HOUSTON
• was bold
• liked flashy clothing
• worked on keeping peace with Mexico and the Native Texans.
• spent little money
• promoted annexation of
Texas to the U.S.
LAMAR
• liked quiet reading
• did not shy away from conflicts with Mexico and the Native Texans.
• wanted to get rid Texas of
ALL Native Texans
• spent LARGE sums of borrowed money on military expeditions
• wanted Texas to remain independent and expand its borders

http://dl.tamu.edu/Projects/sodct/images/mlamar.jpg
• Lamar’s aggressive approach to Texas’s policies was obvious in his 1838 inaugural address:
– “If peace can be obtained only by the sword, let the sword do its work.”

• Unlike Houston, Lamar wanted to kill or force all of the Native Texans out of Texas.
• Lamar’s generals forced the Cherokees out of East Texas.
– The Cherokees went to live in present-day
Oklahoma.

• Lamar also wanted the Comanches out of Southwest
Texas.
– Many skirmishes took place Texas troops vs Comanches.
• Finally the Comanches agreed to meet in San Antonio
(March - 1840) to discuss peace.
• The Comanches promised to release all Anglo captives.
– One Anglo girl released looked as though she had been tortured.

• The Texans refused to let the Comanche leaders leave without having all the Texas captives released from all Comanche bands.
• When the Comanche leaders tried to leave, they were attacked. This fight was known as the
Council House Fight
.
– 7 Texans were killed.
– MANY Comanche leaders were killed.
– The Comaches were outnumbered and unarmed.

• When news of the Council House Fight reached the
Comanche villagers, they were FURIOUS!
• They thought their leaders should have been safe while attending the PEACE talks.
• The Comanches killed the rest of the Texas prisoners and raided the towns of Linnville and Victoria (South
Texas.)
• The Texans fought back killing more than 100
Comanches in a battle called

• Lamar thought that sending rebels to revolt in
Mexico would help Texas.
• Lamar’s actions only increased tension between Mexico and Texas.
• Lamar also upset New Mexico by assuming that the land west of Texas, along the Rio
Grande, was Texas’s.
– Lamar felt he was entitled to this land under the
Treaties of Velasco that was signed by Santa Anna in 1836.
http://images.google.com/images?q=schoolhouse+rock&hl=en&lr=&start=80&sa=N

• In 1841 Lamar asked permission from congress to send troops to New Mexico. Congress said, “NO!”
– Lamar sent General Hugh McLoed and a force of 270 men to
Santa Fe (1,300 miles away) to convince those in New Mexico they were Texans.
• The people in New Mexico refused to become part of Texas.
– Without the necessary supplies to return home, the Texans surrendered to Mexican authorities and were imprisoned in
Mexico for about a year.
• The Santa Fe expedition was a waste of money that Texas did not have.
• Lives were also unnecessarily lost on this expedition as well.

SANTA FE EXPEDITION, 1841

• Lamar did not like Houston being the capital of Texas.
• Lamar wanted a more centrally located capital.
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/02/25/mardi.gras.melee/map.texas.austin.jpg
• He choose 100 miles north of San Antonio.
• He named this site Austin, in honor of Stephen
F. Austin.

• Lamar is best known for his contributions to public education.
• Lamar believed that a strong educational system would make Texas a great nation.
• The Texas Congress set aside almost 18,000 acres of land in each county for public schools.
• Although few schools were actually build during Lamar’s administration, he became known as the “FATHER EDUCATION IN
TEXAS”.

• Texas’s financial problem got worse during
Lamar’s presidency.
• Lamar expanded the use of bills known as
“redbacks”.
– They were called “redbacks” because of the color of ink that was used.
• The redbacks went down in value.
• Lamar spent money on battles that he didn’t have.
• Public debt increased to almost $7 million by the end of Lamar’s term.
Public debt – amount of money a national government owes

• During Lamar’s presidency, the empresarial system returned.
• The Texas Constitution promised:
– 4,605 acres to every Anglo family already living in Texas.
– 640 acres were given to immigrants
– 320 acres were given for 3 months in the army
Texas’s population increased from 34,000 when the
Republic was first formed to more than 100,000.

2
MAIN IDEA
Mirabeau B. Lamar succeeded Sam Houston as the second president of the Republic of Texas.
He strongly believed that Texas should remain independent of the United States and extend its territory. His beliefs offered a new vision for
Texas.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
Lamar’s policies on Native Texans, relations with
Mexico, land, and education permanently changed the character of Texas.

Mexico not recognizing
Texas as independent
DEBT
Raids by
Indians
Reduce military (ie:
Felix Huston who wanted to start war)
Promissory notes
Cut Spending
Texas Rangers

• Why did Houston push for annexation?
• Why did many Texans favor annexation?
• Why did John Quincy Adams attempt to block annexation?
• Why did people refuse to accept promissory notes?
• Why did Sam Houston try to replace Felix
Huston with Albert Sidney Johnston?
• Why did the Texas Congress refuse to ratify the treaty negotiated with the Cherokees?

Photo from http://www.srttexas.org/Graphic/Texas%20Flag%20Redone.jpg

3
• Explain the changes that
Sam Houston made during his second administration.
• Analyze the events that led to the statehood of Texas.
• Explain the significance of 1845.

• Since the Texas constitution stated that you could not be president for two consecutive terms, Lamar was not eligible to run for president….BUT Sam
Houston was.
• Although not everyone agreed with
Houston’s plan and ideas for Texas, he was reelected in 1841.

•Moore was the Texas Navy Commander in
Mexico.
•Moore defied Houston’s orders to leave
Mexico and went to New Orleans to repair his ships and re-supply his crew.
•Houston declared Moore a pirate and invited other countries to sink his ships!
•Moore eventually returned back to Texas.

• On March 5, 1842, Mexican’s General
Vasquez and about 700 soldiers took control of San Antonio.
• Vasquez raised the Mexican flag, declaring Mexican control.
• Two days later, Vasquez returned to
Mexico.

• In September of that same year, Mexican soldiers invaded Texas again.
• General Woll led 1,400 Mexican soldiers to San
Antonio where they captured San Antonio again and took 67 Texas hostages with them.
• Houston sent a group of 300 militia to pursue
Woll and his men.
– This Texas militia was led by General Alexander
Somervell.

• Before Somervell’s forces could reach the Mexican troops, they had already crossed the Rio Grande into
Mexico.
• Somervell stopped the chase because he thought his orders prohibited him to cross into Mexico.
• Many members of the militia were upset.
– They didn’t want to leave without a fight.
– They thought they didn’t have enough supplies to return across South Texas.
• In revolt, the militia elected William Fisher to lead them into Mexico.
– They crossed the Rio Grande on December 23, 1842.

• Once in Mexico, the Texans demanded that the citizens of Mier (a small town) provide them with needed supplies.
• While the Texans waited, Mexican general
Pedro de Ampudía and his troops arrived and captured them.
• Santa Anna ordered one of every ten prisoners to be put to death. (The others would be imprisoned for LIFE!)

Thomas Green, a member of the expedition, explained how the Mexican leaders decided which men would be killed:
“…by the drawing of black and white beans from a small earthen mug. The white ones signified exemption, and the black death. One hundred and fifty-nine white beans were placed in the bottom of the mug, and seventeen black ones were placed upon the top of them.”
•If the prisoner drew a black bean, they were shot by a firing squad. The ones drawing a white bean were imprisoned.
•Many of the Texans died in prison and the others were released in 1844.

• Houston wanted to move the capital of Texas.
– Houston said that Austin was too approachable, making it a target for raids by Mexican troops and attacks of the Native
Texans.
• Many of Houston’s opponents said that Houston just didn’t want to serve in “Lamar’s Capital”.
• Houston set up the government in Washington-on-the
Brazos.
• The archives remained in Austin because the people in
Austin know that the archives were their last claim to the capital.
archives – public records, papers, or documents

• After the raid by Woll, Houston sent men to remove the archives from Austin.
• As Houston’s men loaded the archives onto the wagons, Angelina Eberly sounded the alarm by setting off the cannon.
• Houston’s men were chased and caught as they rode away in their wagons with the archives.
• The Austin citizens returned the archives to
Austin, where they remained throughout Houston’s presidency.

• Houston had to deal with conflicts among the Texans.
• There was a long-standing feud between two groups in East Texas.
• This feud became known as the
Regulator-Moderator War.
• In August, 1844, Houston sent 600 troops to stop the violence.
• Due to the presence of the troops, the violence ended.

urged the U.S. to annex Texas.
• John Tyler, the current U.S. president, agreed to annex Texas; however, the Senate rejected the ballot by one vote.
• Many Texans were very disappointed.
• This failure will make annexation a key issue in the presidential campaigns to come.

• The Texans elected Dr. Anson
Jones as president.
• Edward Burleson was elected vice-president.
•CANDIDTATES:
•Martin Van Buren – Free Soil Party
•Henry Clay – Whig Party
•James K. Polk – Democratic Party
Polk, who among his party favored the annexation of Texas, won the election.

• On February 26,
1845 , the U.S. Congress approved a joint resolution , agreeing to accept Texas as the 28 th state.
Joint resolution – formal ruling passed by both houses of the legislature and intended to become a law
• On February 19, 1846, President Jones announced the annexation of Texas.

Elected Presidents of the Republic of Texas
1836–1845
David Burnet
Term:
March 16, 1836–
October 22, 1836
Selected as interim president of Texas during the Texas
Revolution.
Sam Houston
Terms: 1836–1838,
1841–1844
Policies: Limited government spending, established peaceful relations with Mexico and Native Americans, encouraged annexation.
Mirabeau B. Lamar
Term: 1838–1841
Policies: Used military force against Mexico and Native Americans, wanted Texas to remain independent, promoted education in Texas.
Anson Jones
Term: 1844–1845
Policies:
Supported annexation.

• limited government spending
• faced financial problems
• promissory notes
• was peaceful with
Mexico and the
Indians
• reduced the army
• eliminated the navy
• supported annexation
• served as president of the Republic of Texas
• served 2 terms
• increased government spending
• faced financial problems
• “Redbacks” issued
• encouraged war with
Mexico and Indians
• supported military expeditions
• established public education
• wanted TX to be independent
• served as president of the Republic of
Texas
• served 1 term
• announced the annexation of Texas
• supported annexation
• served as president of the Republic of
Texas
• served 1 term

3
MAIN IDEA
Sam Houston returned for a second term as president. He reenacted his policies and dealt with problems in Mexico and East
Texas. Texans then elected Anson Jones, who served as the last president of the
Republic of Texas.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
Houston promoted statehood for Texas.