Republic to Statehood: Sam Houston

Republic
to
Statehood

​Washington-on-the-Brazos

March 2, 1836

Texas Declaration of Independence

​Both the Declaration and Constitution were based on the United States' Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution

​​Republic of Texas Constitution

Interim President

​​David Burnet

​Vice President

Lorenzo de Zavala

• Date: May 14, 1836

• Location: Fort Velasco, Texas

• Signatories: Interim President David G. Burnet of Texas and General Antonio López de Santa Anna of Mexico

​

​The Treaties
of
Velasco

The Treaties of Velasco

Public Treaty

The withdraw of Mexican Troops from the Rio Grande
No more conflict between Mexico and Texas
Exchange of Mexican and Texan POWs

Never full filled as Mexico refused to recognize treaty because Santa Ana signed the treaty as a prisoner.

The Treaties of Velasco

Private Treaty

Santa Ana was to work for Texas
Established the Rio Grande River as a boundary

Not released until years later as the Public Treaty was not full filled.

1836–38; 1841–44

During the course of the Texas Revolution, Texas borrowed large amounts of money.

Debt

Native American were fast losing their homelands and not happy at all with that.

​​Native Americans

​Independence not honored by the Mexican government.

​​Threat of War with Mexico

​Problems facing Sam Houston:

• sympathetic to the plight of the Indians

• worked treaty securing Indians lands in East Texas

• BUT after the Revolution, and he had to decide between his allegiances
  towards the Native Americans, and his
  responsibilities as the President of Texas.

​

​Sam Houston's
Native American Policies

​...to join the United States

How is Houston going to handle these problems?

Poll

You are new Texican and Sam Houston wants the Republic of Texas to join the United States; how are you feeling?

• Yes! I am all in joining the U.S.

• No, we have problems, but better to be a free country then joining a new county.

• Meh, don't really care as long as it doesn't affect my way of life.

1. The United States would pay off the debt Texas acquired during the war.

2. The United States would defend Texas against Mexico and Native Americans.

​...to join the United States

What is Houston's rational for wanting to join the United States?

Manifest Destiny
a 19th-century belief that the United States was destined to expand across North America, spreading democracy and capitalism.

But why would the United States want Texas?

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The United States reaction to Texas' request for statehood.

Why is it a no?

Multiple Choice

What is NOT a reason the United States did not want to initially annex Texas?

• Texas would join as a slave state

• Adding Texas could provoke a war with Mexico

• John Tyler thought annexing Texas would help him to get re re elected

• Andrew Jackson thought the backlash from adding Texas would give the opposing political party more power

Multiple Choice

True of False:

Texas' annexation into the United States was a sneaky trick by President John Tyler

• True

Houston…the State Capital

■ Texas needed a grand city for its new

capital…and the city of Houston was born.

■ Houston didn’t quite live up to its billing

however, but it still remained the state
capital under Sam Houston.

Word Cloud

What city is the capitol of Texas under Sam Houston?

Under the new government, Presidents could not serve consecutive terms

so Sam Houston's first term as president comes to an end...but he'll be back.

​

The Election of 1838

Houston's Vice President,
Mirabeau Lamar, did not agree with Sam Houston's ideas, and he decided to run for president in 1838.

​

The Election of 1838

Open Ended

Why did Sam Houston not run for a second term as President of the Republic of Texas?