Chapter 12: A New NationSection 2: Houston’s First Term

Thinking Question

What are the qualities of a good leader?

Houston’s Administration•Oct 1836: Sam Houston elected president of the Republic of Texas

Sam Houston

Houston’s Administration•Houston’s Goals:

–Peace with American Indians

–Keep guarded against Mexico

–Annexation by the U.S.

Houston’s Administration

Secretary of State:Stephen F. Austin

Secretary of the Treasury:Henry Smith

Houston’s Administration

Secretary of the NavySamuel Rhodes Fisher

Secretary of WarThomas J. Rusk

Houston’s Administration• Supreme Court:

– Chief Justice James Collinsworth

– 4 Associate Justices

• 4 District Courts

• 23 County CourtsChief Justice James Collinsworth

Houston’s Administration• Texas claimed

Rio Grande as boundary

• Mexico claimed Nueces River as boundary

Houston’s Administration• Ad interim

government moved government to Columbia

• Late 1836: Houston named temporary capital

Houston & Army Unrest• Felix Huston:

Texas army commander who desired to invade Mexico

• Replaced by Johnston• Duel between Huston

& Albert Sydney Johnston

Felix Huston

Houston & Army Unrest• Johnston unable

to take command

• Unrest grows• Commander

urges a march on the capital

Albert Sidney Johnston

Houston & Army Unrest•President Houston reduced the

size of the army in 1836 because unrest in the army threatened the new government.

•Houston relied on the Texas Rangers and militia for frontier defense

Economic Policies•Expenditures—government expenses

•Revenues—government income

•National debt = $1.25 million

U.S. National Debt

•Each citizen’s share = $179,355

•Grows on average of $1.43 billion per day

As of March 8, 2011

$55,828,955,743,790.11

Economic Policies• Efforts to solve problems:

– Collected taxes and duties

– Tried to get loans from the U.S.

– Sale of public lands

Economic Policies•Panic of 1837: Financial crisis

during Houston’s administration

•Began in U.S.

•Texas heavily traded with the U.S.

Economic Policies•Limited supply•Not backed•Value dropped

after more paper money was printed

Republic of Texas Currency

Land Policy Under Houston•1836: Texas claimed over 200

million acres in public lands

•Constitution of 1836 provided for sale of lands

•Empresario system

Land Policy Under Houston

•Heads of households: 4,604 acres

•Single men: 1,476 acres

•Distributed 37 million acres

Houston’s American Indian Policy

•Conflict spreads as settlement spreads

•American Indians want to keep land, Texans want to remove Indians

Houston’s American Indian Policy

•Houston lived with the Cherokee Indians

•Desired a peaceful solutionSam Houston

Houston’s American Indian Policy

•Houston negotiated a treaty with the Cherokee

•Cherokee guaranteed title to land

•Senate refused to ratify

Houston’s American Indian Policy

•Ratify—approve or accept formally

•Cherokee become angry

•Mexican agents convince Cherokee to attack

Houston’s American Indian Policy•Chief Bowles—Cherokee leader and friend of Sam Houston

•Encourages Cherokee to remain patient Chief Bowles

Houston’s American Indian Policy

•Gave Cherokee land to keep peace

•Cherokee viewed as Mexican allies

•Enlisted Chief Bowles to help keep peace with Plains Indians

Houston’s American Indian Policy

•Establishes line of forts along frontier

•Used Texas Ranger to patrol frontier

•Texans viewed Indians as a roadblock

Houston’s American Indian Policy

•Negotiated treaties with Indians

•Houston believed the best American Indian policy was to make peace with each American Indian group.

Problem Solution/Action

Unruly Army

Debt

Lack of clear land policy

Conflict with Indians