By: Erika Liebel

Republic of Texas is Born

March 2, 1836Interim Government

David G. Burnet – PresidentLorenzo de Zavala – Vice

President

David G. BurnetInterim 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 court-martialed 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 African-Americans 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.Rusk allied with Lamar – no members of Cordova’s group were arrested and went into hiding.

Thomas Rusk ordered 150 men to proceed toward Cherokee territory to find the insurrectionists against 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 representatives arrived in San Antonio where Texans demanded release of white captives, and ordered Comanches out of Central Texas.

Comanches returned with a few prisoners – Texans demanded the rest of the captives be released Texas soldiers entered the Council House where negotiations were going on and held the Chiefs hostage until prisoners were returned.

Council House FightTexan 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

Congress would not approve the idea so Lamar offered merchants protection of their goods. • Lamar and other Texans accused Juan Seguin of being a spy for Mexico, causing him to flee Texas for Mexico.

• This renewed interest in Texas by the US and Mexico.

Essentially Lamar’s appointees supported Mexico and the whole expedition and trade route fell into Mexican hands

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 DebtRepublic 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 the majority of the leadership roles during the Revolution & Republic Era

• Indians – Frontier wars – in conflict with Anglos over land. Most were expelled from Texas during Lamar’s Presidency

Roles of Racial & Ethnic Groups

Mexicans – Tejanos served in the Texas army and served as liaison between Mexicans and Anglos/ Mexicans fought against Texans and viewed them as traitors. Many Mexicans lost their land and left Texas because they no longer felt wanted.

• African-Americans – Slaves and/ or supporting Anglos in the Revolution - later buffalo soldiers

Issues

IssuesLocation

of the Capitol

Lack of Recognit

ion

Slavery

Became an issue for annexation, split the population.

Constant battle for Texas administration which prevented the standing of Texas for financial issues, left Texas vulnerable for invasion

Disputes between Houston & Lamar on location of capitol prevented focus on greater issues & incurred expenses for the change in capitol

IssuesUnrest in

the Army

Conflicts with American Indians

Public Debt

Texas could not afford operating expenses, annexation could solve debt problems. Couldn’t collect tariffs on foreign goods

Safety of citizens, expense for protection, added to unrest and vulnerability for invasion

Unreliable protection due to furloughs and postponed salaries. Houston fired soldiers who wanted to fight Mexico

IssuesBorder 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 IssuesU.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