NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______
The Republic of Texas
Lesson 1: Organizing the New Government
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How do governments change?
Terms to Know
amend to change a constitution or law
capitol a building where the legislative body of a republic, state, or country meets
public debt the amount of money a nation's government owes
tariff a tax on imported goods
expenditure money spent
revenue money that a government collects
annexation the incorporating of a country or territory into another country or territory
What do you know?
In the first column, answer the questions based on what you know before you study. After the lesson,
fill in the last column.
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Before
Questions
When was Texas a republic?
Now
What was the first capital of the
republic?
Why did the republic not join
the United States right away?
Launching the New Republic
Guiding Question What challenges did the leaders of the Republic
of Texas face?
The era of the Texas Republic began with the Declaration of
Independence on March 2, 1836. It lasted until 1845, the year Texas
joined the United States.
After independence, Texans needed to form a government. In
an election held in 1836, voters approved the Texas Constitution
and agreed that Texas should try to join the United States. They
denied the Texas Congress the power to amend, or change, the
Constitution. Voters elected Sam Houston as president and
Mirabeau Lamar as vice president. Houston appointed Henry Smith
as secretary of the treasury. Stephen F. Austin became secretary of
state. Both men had run against Houston for president.
Marking the
Text
1. Highlight the period of
the Texas Republic.
Defining
2. What does amend mean?
Reading Essentials and Study Guide 161
NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______
The Republic of Texas
Lesson 1: Organizing the New Government, continued
\
Summarizing
3. What was the earliest
capital of the republic,
why was it not a good
site, and where was the
new capital?
Defining
4. What is a tariff?
Marking the
Text
Reading
Progress Check
6. What challenges did
Houston face as
president?
One of the first tasks of the new government was to select a
capital. The current site, Columbia, was too small and rugged for a
seat of government. John and Augustus Allen had recently founded
a settlement on Buffalo Bayou that they called Houston. The Allens
wanted Houston to be the nation’s leading port. They promised to
build a handsome city if the government would move the capital
there.
In December 1836, Congress made Houston the capital for
three years. Within a year the town’s population grew quickly. The
president’s house was a two-room log cabin. The capitol was a
simple two-story building.
The new government did not have enough money to pay its
leaders or its army. It also owed $1.25 million in public debt from
the revolution. To raise money, Congress put in place a tariff. This
is a tax on imported goods. It also taxed property and livestock.
However, most Texans did not have enough money to pay these
taxes. The government was also unable to borrow enough money.
Houston did what he could to cut costs:
• He sent three of the four regiments of soldiers home.
• He tried to avoid conflict with Native Americans.
• He turned the defense of the republic over to the Texas
Rangers.
The Texas Rangers were a force of scouts and messengers
formed in 1835. They received almost no pay and had to provide
their own horses, food, and guns. After the war, the Rangers’ main
duty was to protect settlers from attacks by Native Americans.
Under President Houston’s peace policies, their activities were
limited.
Despite Houston’s cost cutting, expenditures were always
more than revenues. That is, the money that the government
spent was greater than the money the government took in. By
1839, the public debt had grown by $2 million. To keep running,
the government issued paper money for which the buyer would
receive a payment of interest. Over time, these bills declined in
value, however.
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5. Highlight what Texas
did to keep its government running.
The new nation faced a number of challenges. The new
government had no money. Texas needed other countries to
recognize its independence. It had to decide what to do with
Mexican leader Santa Anna, who was still a prisoner. Native
Americans and settlers were in conflict.
NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______
The Republic of Texas
Lesson 1: Organizing the New Government, continued
Relations with Mexico and Native
Americans
Guiding Question Why were relations between Texas and local
Native Americans and Texas and Mexico challenging?
Santa Anna was still captive in Texas. He ordered Mexican forces to
return south of the Rio Grande. He also proposed a plan by which
the United States could pay Mexico for Texas. In November 1836,
Houston released Santa Anna. Santa Anna visited the United States
and then returned to Mexico. Mexican president Anastasio Bustamante
did not agree with Santa Anna’s plans. Mexico still refused to
recognize the independence of Texas.
The Waco, Comanche, Kiowa, and other Native American groups
resented the Texans living on their lands. The Comanche and Kiowa
were especially hostile. They launched raids on farms and settlements
in central Texas.
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In 1838, Houston sent Charles Sims to meet with Native Americans
to try to end the raids and bring peace. Houston also had Texas
Rangers patrol central Texas. The frequency of Native American
raids decreased.
While Sims successfully negotiated peace with some Native
Americans, other Tejanos and Native Americans prepared for
war. Many Tejanos had remained loyal to Mexico. They were not
happy Texas was independent. The Cherokee were angry that
after the revolution many Americans had settled on Cherokee
lands.
With Mexico’s help, a Tejano named Vicente Córdova secretly
raised an armed force. He convinced some Cherokee and other
Native American groups in East Texas to join him. In August 1838,
the rebels briefly fought against the Anglo Americans. Córdova’s
group was defeated near Seguín in March 1839, and the revolt ended.
Cherokee leaders said that they had not taken part in the rebellion,
and Houston took no action against them.
Seeking Annexation and Recognition
Identifying
7. What two actions did
Santa Anna take while
he was a captive?
Marking the Text
8. Highlight the information about how Houston
worked for peace with
Native Americans in
Texas.
Reading
Progress Check
9. Why did some Native
Americans and Tejanos
oppose the republic?
Identifying
Central Issues
10. Why did some Texans
want to join the United
States?
Guiding Question What were relations with the United States and
other countries like in the early years of the republic?
In the 1836 elections, Texans had voted to join the United States.
Most Texans were from the United States and wanted their new
home to become part of the old one. They were fearful of attacks
by Mexico, and wanted U.S. protection.
Reading Essentials and Study Guide 163
NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______
The Republic of Texas
Lesson 1: Organizing the New Government, continued
Analyzing
11. Why did Jackson not
want to recognize the
Republic of Texas?
Reading
Progress Check
12. Why did Great Britain
and France delay
recognizing Texas as an
independent nation?
Joining the United States meant annexation, or joining of
the territory of one country to another. However, the Mexican
government refused to recognize Texas independence. In turn,
U.S. leaders did not want to upset Mexico by annexing Texas. In
addition, U.S. antislavery groups were able to block annexation.
They knew that adding Texas to the Union would give the slave
states more votes in the U.S. Senate than the free states had.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Andrew Jackson did not recognize
Texas independence. He questioned the ability of the republic to
survive. Houston sent William H. Wharton and Memucan Hunt to
Washington, D.C., to convince U.S. leaders that Texas should be
recognized. In March 1837, the United States finally officially
recognized the Republic of Texas.
Houston next pushed for recognition of Texas by other nations. He
sent J. Pinckney Henderson to Europe to negotiate recognition and
trade treaties with nations there. Houston hoped that if Great Britain
showed interest, the United States would quickly annex Texas.
Henderson said the British could buy as much Texas cotton as
they needed for their textile mills and offered to sell British goods
in Texas. Britain agreed to a trade agreement in 1838. France also
signed a temporary trade agreement. Both countries refused to
recognize Texas, however. Like the United States, they feared it
would not survive. They also did not want to offend Mexico.
Check for Understanding
1. Expository What did Texan voters decide in the election of 1836?
2. Persuasive Why do you think it might have been a good idea for the United States to
annex Texas?
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Writing