The Young State

Chapter 14: Texas History

A New Constitution July 1845: Delegates attending the

convention of 1845 wrote a new constitution for the state of Texas Writing a constitution was one of the first

orders of business for the Texas government Provided for a governor

Two year term Created a legislature

Two houses House of Representatives (2 years) Senate (4 years)

Created a court system Supreme court District and county courts

1850: The constitution was amended, or changed, to provide for the election of all judges Also protected slavery Barred all women from voting

A New Constitution, Continued…

Texas Legislators at Work The governor’s term was two years

No Governor could serve more than two terms in a row

J. Pinckney Henderson was elected the first governor of Texas Francis Cox Henderson became known as the

“First Lady of Texas” Sam Houston and Thomas J. Rusk were the

first to be elected to the U.S. Senate David Kaufman and Timothy Pillsbury were

elected to the U.S. House of Representatives

Problems with the New State Serious problems were facing Texas and

their new officials Debt Native American Raids Mexico’s lack of recognition

Notes: A New State Constitution

The Constitution of 1845

Provided for a GovernorTwo-Year Term (J. Pinckney Henderson

elected 1st governor)

Provided for a LegislatureTwo Houses: House of Representatives

(elected for 2 years) and Senate (elected for 4 years)

Provided a Supreme CourtSupreme Court, District Courts, County

Courts (all judges elected)

Slavery Protected slavery in Texas

Women’s Rights Barred all women from voting

Political Parties in Texas 1850’s: Political parties became organized in Texas Most early leaders in Texas joined the Democratic Party

The Democratic party was very strong in the South The Whig Party represented mostly business and

commercial interests The Whig Party was the other major political party in the U.S.

in the 1830’s-1850’s Opposed expansion of slavery in Texas Lacked support in Texas

1854 and 1855: Many Texans joined the American, or Know-Nothing Party. The American party wanted to keep new immigrants from

voting or holding public office The Democratic Party patterned their own party after the

American Party Nominated candidates at political meetings called conventions

None of the major political parties represented African Americans

Free African Americans were not eligible to vote or join political parties Participated by filing petitions with the

legislature Many others went to court to try and protect

the little freedom they had

African Americans in Texas

African Americans in Texas, Cont. 1850: Mary Madison, a Galveston nurse,

filed a petition to stay in Texas This petition was one of only a few to be

granted Emeline FWC, a free African American,

hired lawyers and went to court in Harris County She claimed she had been mistakenly sold as a

slave She and her children were freed by the jury

and awarded $1 in damages

Federal Aid for Reservations The federal government stationed troops in west

Texas to prevent clashes between settlers and Native Americans

As settlers pushed west, clashes increased The U.S. government made a plan to relocated

Native Americans on to reservations Many refused, while others were not given enough land 1859: the government decided to move Native

Americans into Indian Territory, north of the Red River The Comanche's and Kiowa's still continued to attack

settlements after the move

Notes: Political Parties in Texas

Political Parties in Texas

Democratic P.

• Very strong in the South

• Favored annexation

• Represented laborers and farmers

• Most early leaders of Texas were Democrats

Whig Party American Party

• Represented mostly business and commercial interests

• Lacked major support in Texas

• Opposed annexation

• Opposed slavery in new territories

• Also known as the “Know-Nothing” Party

• Wanted to keep immigrants from holding public office or voting.

• First to use conventions to nominate candidates

Headed Towards War The government of Mexico never recognized the

Republic of Texas and considered the annexation of Texas by the U.S. to be an insult to Mexico

Many problems erupted between the United States and Mexico Mexico did not accept the Rio Grande as the border

between Mexico and Texas Mexico did not like the westward expansion of

commerce in to Mexican California The U.S. wanted to acquire the Pacific port of San Francisco

to help in trade with China President James K. Polk was determined to continue

expansion

Earlier the United States asked Mexico to pay the victims of Santa Anna and the Texas Revolution

Now, the U.S. was prepared to pay the debts that Texas owned, including $30 million to Mexico In return, Mexico had to accept the Rio Grande

as the new border They also had to cede, or give, California to the

western half of New Mexico to the United States

The U.S. sent John Slidell to Mexico to negotiate the deal

Headed Towards War, Cont.

Headed Towards War, Cont. The Mexican government refused to speak

with Slidell, resulting in a total break down of diplomatic relations

March 1846: President Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to move his troops across the Nueces River to the Rio Grande

War is Declared May 1846: American and Mexican soldiers

clashed just north of the Rio Grande. May 13, 1846: The United States declared

war against Mexico The Mexican American War was fought at Palo

Alto and Resaca de la Palma. U.S. President: James Polk Mexico’s President: Mariano Paredes

Texans in the War Some U.S. citizens questioned the motives for the

war Abolitionists, people who worked to end slavery, though

the war was a way to spread slavery More than 5,000 Texans joined the war and

fought for the United States Edward Burleson, Albert Sidney Johnson, Mirabeau

Lamar, J. Pinckney Henderson Several companies of Texas Rangers served as

scouts for the American army

United States Victory The United States military was better equipped and better

trained General Zachary Taylor capture northern Mexico, and

followed with Monterrey Feb. 1847: Taylor defeated the Mexican army at Buena

Vista Troops then captured Mexico City in September 1847

Feb. 2, 1848: representatives of both governments signed a peace treaty at Guadalupe Hidalgo Mexico gave up all claims to Texas Accepted the Rio Grande as their border Mexico surrendered all territory between west Texas and the

pacific ocean, known as the Mexican Cession California, Nevada and Utah U.S. agreed to pay $15 million to Mexico for the land

The New Mexico Boundary Dispute The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the

dispute between the United States and Mexico concerning Texas

A new dispute began on whether Santa Fe would become part of Texas, or a new state

In the Pearce Act, as a part of the Compromise of 1850,Texas would give up their claim to the disputed area As a result, the United States gave Texas $10 million

dollars to pay off debts

War with MexicoView towards the Mexican-American War

President PolkWanted to acquire San Francisco (then in Mexico

controlled California) to expand trade. Offered to buy California, and give Mexico $30 million

AbolitionistsWorried that the war was another way for the United

States (slave states) to spread slavery.

5000 Texans5,000 Texans quickly joined the war efforts.

Served as scouts for the American Army.Some women worked as nurses and cooks in war

U.S. Congress

Some believed the motives for war were not honest (example: wanted to spread slavery)

Previous “invasion” of 1846 was actually in disputed lands, not the United States.

Texas Population Booms 1850: The Texas population was 212,592 In the next 10 years, the population grew to

604,215 The Homestead Act allowed people to obtain land

simply by living on the land Helped increase population in to Texas

Most new arrivals came from the Southern United States 42,000 residents came from Tennessee Before the Civil War, abandoned homes in the South

would be marked with signs reading GTT, which meant Gone to Texas

The population increase led to a need for new counties 26 new counties were created

Mexican Texans Mexicans continued to move to Texas as well Most Mexicans lived in one of three areas

Between the Nueces River and Rio Grande In the San Antonio-Goliad area Along the Rio Grande from Del Rio to El Paso

Mexican Texans, Cont. Farming and ranching

provided the main occupations for Mexican Americans Owned ranches Worked as cowhands,

sheepherders and ranch laborers

Mexican Americans living in the towns were business owners Teamsters (animal

drivers) Domestic servants Day laborers Craft workers

Politics and Bias

Some Mexican Americans were active in political life Jose Antonio Navarro and Santos Benavides

Many Mexican Americans still faced hostilities and prejudice Juan Cartina became a protector of the rights

of Mexicans and Tejanos Regarded as an outlaw by the governments of Mexico

and Texas but as a hero by many Mexicans and Tejanos

Politics and Bias, Cont. Most negative feelings towards Mexican

Americans were a result of the battles of the Alamo and Goliad Despite the problems, Mexican Americans were

able to hold on to their culture Today that culture is mixed with Anglo

American culture in Texas

European Immigrants Thousands of people immigrated to Texas from

Europe In the 1840’s and 1850’s, most immigrants to Texas

were from Germany 1860: 43,422 foreign born citizens lived in Texas

Every European country was represented in Texas

German Texans By 1860, one-fifth of all

residents of Houston, Galveston and San Antonio were Germans More than 20,000

Germans lived in Texas Many migrated to Texas to

escape harsh conditions in Germany The potato famine struck

Germany and northwest Europe after devastating Ireland in the mid 1840’s

Political and economic difficulties led Germans to leave Germany for a new start

Other European Arrivals Natives of several other European countries arrived in

Texas during the years of early statehood Ireland, England, France Polish and Czechs

Many Norwegians also came to Texas Elisa Waerenskjold was a pioneer and community leader from

Norway Known as the “walking newspaper’

Jewish immigrants were active in Texas during the early days of colonization Lewis Levy wrote a letter to the Asmonean, a New York

newspaper, urging persecuted Jews to come to Texas New arrivals brought new cultures with music, religion,

traditions and skill sets

Native Americans Only a few Native Americans continued to live

peacefully in Texas The Alabama Coushatta's settled along the Trinity River

in east Texas Many continued to live on a reservation set aside for

them in 1854 By 1855, more than 300 Alabama-Coushatta's lived on

the reservation The Tiguas and Kickapoos

Tiguas are believed to be the descendents, or offspring, of the Pueblos of New Mexico

The Kickapoos were recognized as a sovereign nation in 1989 and are now officially known as the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas

Have a settlement near Eagle Pass, Texas

Immigration In TexasPositive Effects

New counties with local governments were formed

Provided new employment opportunities

Provided land for many who could not previously afford it.

Negative Effects

Many Mexican Americans faced hostility and prejudice

Slavery increased

Immigrant Groups in Texas

Immigrant Group Why, Where, When?

Americans (1840-1850)

Legalized slavery and cheap land brought many Americans. GTT-Abandoned American cabins labeled “Gone to Texas”,

Formed new counties in Texas, brought new jobs

Mexican Texans25,000 Mexicans lived in Texas at this time. Lived near the

Nueces River, Rio Grande River and South Texas. Farmers and Ranchers, teamsters, laborers and craft-workers.

German TexansFounded New Braunfels and Fredericksburg, More than 20,000

German immigrants moved to Texas. Immigrants escaped potato famine in Ireland and Germany.

Other EuropeansImmigrants came from Ireland, Poland, Norway, England and France. Came to escape fighting and famine in Europe. Many

became artisans, writers and active community members.

Alabama-CoushattasTexas Legislature purchased 1,280 acres for the Alabama tribe, Coushatta joined reservation through marriage or

special permission

Tiguas and Kickapoos Kickapoo settlement set up near Eagle Pass, Texas (125 acres), Tiguas settled near El Paso, Texas