Sam Houston
The First President of
The Republic of Texas
Carrie Hunnicutt
2010 – 2011
Issues facing The Republic of Texas:
Annexation
Foreign policy (relations with Mexico)
Armed Forces
Native Americans
Domestic Policy (economic)
We won, but now what?
• After gaining independence, Texans faced the
challenge of building a new nation
President Sam
Houston
Vice President Mirabeau
B. Lamar
Trouble with the Army
• Many soldiers joined too
late and did not get the
chance to fight in the
revolution
– These people wanted
action
– Called for an invasion of
Mexico
• President Houston sent all
600 soldiers home and
never called them to duty
What about the Indians?
• Indians resented the
newcomers and began a series
of raids that lasted several
years
• President Houston called on
the Texas Rangers to patrol
central Texas
Poor Sam
• When Sam Houston became president, the debt was
$1.25 million
• At the end of his first term as president, the debt for
Texas was $2 million
• Congress took steps to raise money and placed a tariff,
or tax, on various
goods
– These taxes were difficult to collect
because Texans did not have any money
Sam Houston
• IN FAVOR of joining the United States
• Wants peace with Mexico
• Wants peace with the Natives
• Small army – sent soldiers home on leave
• Cut government spending. Tried to find new
ways to make money (taxes, borrow from the
USA, etc)
Sam Houston
Second Term Notes
Challenges that Houston Faced…
Texas was Bankrupt (unable to pay
bills)
Indian raids still threaten frontier
Disputes with Mexico Continued
Domestic Policy -Texas Economy

Needed to decrease spending. He did
this by:
 Firing
some workers
 Reducing Salaries of others
 Continuing policies from his first term
Continued Conflicts with Mexico
Santa Anna was back in Mexico, and
hoped to retake or harass Texas.
 Archives War in March of 1842

 Mexico
invaded again, took the towns of
Victoria, Goliad, and San Antonio.
 Sam Houston knew Mexico was invading
Texas again, so he moved the archives
of Texas to Houston from Austin.
Conflict with Mexico Continued…

Battle of Salado Creek
 Mexico
attacked San Antonio again,
hoping to prove that Texas couldn’t
control its territory.
 Texan volunteers and militia were
outnumbered by over 800 men.
 The Texans lured the Mexicans into a
trap, and defeated the Mexican Army.
 Only one Texan died that day.
Conflict with Mexico continued…

After the battle, 50 Texan Volunteers
from LaGrange arrived.
 The
Mexicans surrounded them, and did not
accept their surrender.
 The men were massacred in a fight
called “the Dawson’s Massacre”
Texas’ Response to the Invasion

Texans wanted Revenge on Mexico
for the Invasion…
 Houston
sent General Alexander
Somervell to scout and see if Mexico had
left Texas.
 They were to invade Mexico only if they
thought they could win.
 What do you think Texas wanted to prove by
this?
Texas’ Response

300 of Somervell’s men did not follow him
when he retreated to Gonzales.
 These
men stayed under the command of a
man named William Fisher.
 176 Men were captured by Mexican
forces, and 17 were executed in the
“Black Bean Episode”
Armed Forces
Houston did reduce spending, but the
debt kept growing.
 Houston tried to sell the navy that
Lamar built for money.
 Selling of navy was unsuccessful because
sailors kept ships at sea to keep Houston
from selling them.

Native American Affairs
Houston wanted to keep peace with the
Native Americans and stop the violence.
 First met in March of 1843

 Agreed
to stop all fighting of all Texas
tribes against the Republic of Texas
until all tribes could meet together in a
Grand Council.
Indian Affairs continued…
Comanche and Wichita leaders at first
refused to attend the meeting in
September (Grand Council Meeting),
when all other tribes signed the
treaty.
 Houston met with the Comanche
leaders and convinced them to sign in
October of 1843.
