Texas Republic and Annexation

​Republic of Texas

​6.1

Open Ended

How did Texas survive the challenges of being a newly independent nation?

​6.1

This is the area of land
that Texas claimed to
control after winning
independence from
Mexico in 1836…

…they called it “The
Republic of Texas”.

​6.1

​U.S.A.

​Republic of Texas

​Mexico

And this is “The
Republic of Texas”
according to the
government of
Mexico
MEXICO

Republic
of Texas

Annexation Delayed

The first few years after Texas won
independence was a difficult time. Early
President of Texas had to deal with issues
that affected their foreign policy [how
countries get along with other countries]
and their domestic policy [how a country
handles issues within its own borders]

Most Texans wanted annexation
[becoming part of the United States] but
the U.S. delayed that annexation for a pair
of important reasons: 1) slavery was
already an issue in the U.S., and annexing
Texas as a slave state would make things
worse, and 2) the U.S. didn’t want to
damage relations with Mexico, which
would happen if Texas were annexed.

​Foreign Policy

​Domestic Policy

​Foreign Policy

​6.1

Multiple Select

What were the two main reasons that the U.S. delayed the annexation of Texas for nearly 10 years?

• Slavery was already an issue in the U.S.

• U.S. didn't want to damage relations with Mexico

President Sam Houston

In late 1836, Sam Houston became the first elected president
of Texas. Like most Texans, he wanted Texas to be annexed
into the U.S. but could not make it happen. The city of
Houston was created to be the capital of Texas during this
time. President Houston did his best, but had several big
issues that he had to deal with.

The revolution from Mexico had drained the finances of Texas,
and it was hard to raise taxes on people who were already
poor, so President Houston tried to save money by reducing
the size of the Texas military. He also managed to get peace
treaties with native Texan tribes and used the Texas Rangers to
protect the frontier.

When Sam Houston’s term as president came to an end, he
was NOT allowed to run for re-election [due to laws that had
been written into the Texas Constitution]. In 1838, the Texans
elected Mirabeau B. Lamar to be the 2ndPresident of Texas.

1stPresident
Sam Houston

1stVice President
Mirabeau B. Lamar

1stSecretary of State

Stephen F. Austin

Multiple Choice

Who was the first elected president of Texas

• Moses Austin

• Sam Houston

• Mirabeau B. Lamar

• Stephen F. Austin

Open Ended

Why was Texas so heavily in debt?

Who was the first elected
president of Texas?

Why was Texas so heavily in
debt?

How did Houston deal with
Native Americans?

President Mirabeau B. Lamar

Unlike most Texans, President Lamar did NOT want
Texas to be annexed into the U.S. He thought
Texas should remain an independent country and
perhaps even spread all the way to the Pacific
Ocean. During his time as President, Lamar moved
the capital of Texas to a new city called “Austin”.

Lamar increased the debt that Texas owed by
increasing the size of the Texas military. He then
used that military to force many of the native Texan
groups out of Texas. Lamar was known as the
“Father of Education in Texas” because he
supported public schools and universities.

In 1841, Lamar sent a group of soldiers and settlers
to the Santa Fe area, hoping to take control of it
and set up trade with New Mexico. The expedition
was a total failure.

Who was the 2ndpresident of
Texas?

How did this president feel
about annexation?

What was the result of the
Santa Fe Expedition?

Houston Re-Elected

After Lamar’s term expired, Sam
Houston was re-elected as President
of Texas. Once again, he tried to
reduce the amount of Texas’s debt,
but couldn’t do so. The young
nation owed millions of dollars,
mostly to the U.S. Because of this
debt, it was difficult for Texas to
build up an army or navy.

Conflicts with the native Texan
groups continued until 1842 when
President Houston convinced several
angry tribes to sign peace treaties.

Who was the 2ndpresident of
Texas?

How did this president feel
about annexation?

What was the result of the
Santa Fe Expedition?

Archives War

Mexico didn’t like that Texan soldiers had
invaded [during the Sante Fe Expedition] and
decided to occupy San Antonio and Goliad for a
few days. President Sam Houston worried that
the archives, or official government
documents, were unsafe in Austin and should
be moved back to Houston, Texas.

Residents of Austin believed that President
Houston just wanted to move the capital back
to the city named after him, and they fought
against the government officials in order to
keep the documents in Austin.

After a short fight, President Houston declared
that the archives would remain in Austin.

What are archives?

What was the “Archives
War”?

Where did the archives
end up?

Drawing of the Black Beans

After soldiers from both Texas
and Mexico invaded each
other’s country, a group of
Texan prisoners were forced
to draw beans from a jar that
would determine whether
they lived or died. Prisoners
who drew white beans were
taken to prison in Mexico City.
Prisoners who drew black
beans were immediately
executed.

17 of the 176 prisoners drew
black beans and were then
executed.

What happened to
prisoners who drew

white beans?

What happened to those
who drew black beans?

Texas Annexation

Most Texans still wanted to join the United States.
Many of them had come from the U.S. and had family
or friends there. Most Texans also felt that annexation
would eliminate the looming threat from Mexico.

In 1844, the U.S. Presidential election would
determine Texas’s fate. Henry Clay was against the
annexation of Texas, claiming it would lead to war with
Mexico and cause greater slavery issues. Running
against Clay was James K. Polk, who promised to
annex Texas if he was elected [no matter the
consequences].

When Polk was elected by the people of the U.S., the
annexation of Texas happened. On December 29,
1845, President James K. Polk made Texas the 28th
state in the U.S.

Who was the U.S.
President that made Texas
a state?

When did Texas officially
join the U.S. as the 28th
state?

Population and Farming

The population of Texas had been
increasing in the years between
1836 and 1845. Many people were
coming to Texas for the good, cheap
land.

Most Texans practiced subsistence
farming which included growing
enough food for a family to survive.

Other Texans focused on cash crops,
which are products that are grown
and sold for profit [like cotton].

Why were so many people
coming to Texas during this
time?

When did Texas officially
join the U.S. as the 28th
state?

Education and Religion

Though there weren’t many
public schools in Texas during
this time period, the first
schools of higher education
were opened in the 1840s.

There were also revivals in
Texas – meetings meant to
awaken strong Christian
beliefs.

When did the first
college open in Texas?

What is a revival?