Houston presidency Texas challenges Problems/ Solutions

TEXAS CHALLENGES
AFTER GAINING
INDEPENDENCE

WE WILL.. EXPLORE THE CHALLENGES TEXANS FACED AFTER
GAINING INDEPENDENCE FROM MEXICO

I will... create a chart noting challenges faced by the
young nation and the solutions to those problems

Vocabulary terms

Expenditures

Spending

Revenue

Income

TREATIES OF VELASCO

• After the Battle of San Jacinto, a captured General Santa Anna was forced to sign the 2

treaties of Velasco in exchange for his life.

1st Treaty included the following terms:

• The 1st term: The war between Mexico and Texas was officially ended.

• The 2nd term: Santa Anna would not take up arms against Texas.

• The 3rd term: All Mexicans forces would withdraw beyond the Rio Grande.

• The 4th term: Prisoners would be returned to their homes.

• The 5th term: Mexico would return all captured property.

• The 6th term: Texas leaders would promptly return Santa Anna to Mexico.

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT true about the Treaty of Velasco?

• The war between Mexico and Texas was officially ended.

•  Santa Anna COULD take up arms against Texas again.

• Mexico would return all captured property.

• Texas leaders would promptly return Santa Anna to Mexico. 

• The second treaty was kept a secret. It provided, that

in exchange for Santa Anna’s immediate release, he
would try to persuade Mexican leaders to recognize
Texas as an independent nation.

• In addition, Santa Anna also agreed to promote the Rio

Grande as Mexico’s border with Texas.

• However, the Texans did not keep their promise. Santa

Anna was never released to Mexico and instead sent
to Washington D.C. Because of this, Mexico would not
honor the terms of the treaty.

2ND (SECRET) TREATY OF VELASCO

MEXICO DOES NOT RECOGNIZE TEXAS AS AN
INDEPENDENT NATION.

• Mexico refused to recognize the treaties of Velasco as Mexican leaders

stated that Santa Anna (As a prisoner of war) was no longer president of
Mexico and thus had no authority to sign a treaty.

• Mexico would continue to refuse to recognize Texas as an independent nation

for many years.

Dropdown

Mexico refused to recognize the treaties of ​

Select answer

as Mexican leaders stated that Santa Anna was no longer president of Mexico and had no authority to sign a treaty. 

Open Ended

Why didn't Mexico recognize Texas as an independent nation?

THE ELECTION OF 1836

• One of the biggest challenges faced by a newly independent Texas was the task of forming

a government.

• The Constitution of 1836 required that an election be held to select new leaders.

• In addition to selecting leaders, Texans would also decide whether to approve the Constitution

of 1836 and whether to pursue annexation of Texas to the United States.

• Texas would choose Sam Houston as the President of the Republic of Texas and Mirabeau

B. Lamar as the Vice President.

• Addressing the new Texas Congress, Houston laid out his goals for his term in office. He

stressed the need for peace with Native Americans and the need to stay alert and guard
against an attack by Mexico.

• To address the challenges, Houston appointed advisors to his cabinet.

• Houston Cabinet:

� Secretary of the Treasury: Henry Smith

� Secretary of War: Thomas Rusk

� Secretary of State: Stephen F. Austin (However, Austin would die months later from pneumonia

THE HOUSTON ADMINISTRATION

• When President Houston took over, the Republic of Texas did no have clear

boundaries. Although Congress claimed the Rio Grande as the border with
Mexico, the government of Mexico and even some Texans did not recognize the
Rio Grande as the official border.

• The republic of Texas also had no official capital.

• As promised, Houston attempted to bring Texas into the United States, but the U.

S was not interested. However, they did recognize Texas as an independent nation.

DEFINING TEXAS

Multiple Select

What were some of the problems that affected Texas? Select ALL that apply.

• Congress claimed the Rio Grande as the border

• Mexico did not recognize the Rio Grande as the official border. 

• The republic of Texas had no official capital.

• Texas was annexed by the United States

• Although the war had ended, some Texans in the army harbored strong feelings against

Mexico and there were even some army commanders such as Felix Houston who
wanted to invade Mexico. Houston replaced Felix Huston with a calmer commander
to ease tensions.

• One commander urged soldiers to march on the capital and “chastise the President, kick

Congress out the doors, and give laws to Texas. “ President Houston, to regain control,
placed all 600 troops on leave and never called them back.

• For defense and frontier protection, President Houston turned to the Texas Rangers.

Formed on Nov. 24, 1835, the Texas Rangers had to be ready to ride at all times.

1ST CHALLENGE: HOUSTON & ARMY UNREST

Multiple Select

How did President Houston solve the problem of army unrest? Select BOTH that apply

• Felix Huston was removed from his commanding post

• President Houston paid all the soldiers to fight against Mexico

• The Texas soldiers rioted against Texas

• President Houston put all but 600 troops on leave

• In addition to an unruly army, Texas faced economics problems. The Republic’s

expenditures (Spending), far exceeded its revenue (Income).

• When President Houston took over, Texas faced a national debt of $1.25 million. To

address this issue, Texas collected taxes, sold land and tried to obtain loans from
the U.S. However, the debt continued to rise.

• The Texas Republic attempted to print notes (paper money), but it had no gold or

silver to back them up. People did not trust money that could not be traded for gold or
silver.

2ND CHALLENGE: ECONOMIC POLICIES

Multiple Select

How did President Houston solve the problem of high national debt? Select those that apply.

• President Houston tried to raise revenue through taxes

• President Houston tried to raise revenue through loans

• President Houston tried to raise revenue through sales of public land

• President Houston tried to raise revenue through sales of private property of citizens

• Although Texas had little money, it was rich in land. Land (4,606 acres) was being offered

to heads of families excluding African Americans and Native Americans.

• Texas believed that by establishing a colonization policy and distributing land would

attract people to Texas and thus re-energize the Texas economy.

• However, the land being offered by Texas included land where Native Americans lived on

already.

3RD CHALLENGE: THE NEED FOR MORE PEOPLE

Multiple Select

How did President Houston solve the problem of the need for more people? Select BOTH that apply.

• President Houston established a colonization policy

• President Houston signed the Colonization Law of 1825

• President Houston distributed land

• Those settling in Texas demanded that the Native Americans be removed. However, President

Houston did not support such action as it would plunge Texas into a war that it could not
afford.

• Houston sympathized with the Native’s attempts to control their land and would negotiate a

treaty giving the Cherokees land in East Texas, but the Texas Senate refused to ratify
(Approve) the treaty because Texas settlers wanted the land for themselves.

• Houston wrote a letter to Chief Bowles (Cherokee leader & friend) calling for him to be

patient.

• Some Texas leaders saw Houston’s actions as slowing down westward expansion ( Manifest Destiny)

• In order to reduce conflict and protect Texas on the Plains region, Houston developed an

American Indian Policy that established a line of forts along the frontier and
encouraged trade with Texas Native Americans

4TH CHALLENGE: NATIVE AMERICANS

Multiple Select

How did President Houston solve the problem of conflict with the Native Americans? Select ALL that apply.

• President Houston developed an American Indian policy.

• President Houston established forts

• President Houston encouraged trade

• President Houston expelled all the Native Americans from East Texas

Match

Match the following problems Texas faced and their solutions

• Unruly army

• High National Debt

• Need for more people

• Conflict with Native Americans

removed Huston from command and put all but 600 troops on leave

tried to raise revenue through taxes, loans, and sales of public land

established colonization policy and distributed land

developed American Indian policy, established forts, and encouraged trade

• removed Huston from command and put all but 600 troops on leave

• tried to raise revenue through taxes, loans, and sales of public land

• established colonization policy and distributed land

• developed American Indian policy, established forts, and encouraged trade

Match

Match the following vocabulary terms

• Expenditures

• Revenue

• expel

• Manifest Destiny

Spending

Income

remove

Westward Expansion

• Spending

• Income

• remove

• Westward Expansion

Multiple Select

How did Sam Houston and his cabinet solve the problems the new republic of Texas? Select those that apply.

• President removed Huston from command and put all but 600 troops on leave

• President Houston raised revenue through taxes

• President Houston negotiated Santa Anna's release

• President Houston developed an American Indian policy

Open Ended

Lets discuss: What are some challenges Texas faced after gaining independence and why?