The Young State

1. The Young State Chapter 14: Texas History

2. 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)

3. A New Constitution, Continued… • 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

5. 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

6. Problems with the New State • Serious problems were facing Texas and their new officials • Debt • Native American Raids • Mexico’s lack of recognition

7. Notes: A New State Constitution

8. 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

9. African Americans in Texas • 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Notes: Political Parties in Texas Political Parties in Texas Democratic P. 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 • Very strong in the South • Favored annexation • Represented laborers and farmers • Most early leaders of Texas were Democrats

14. 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

15. Headed Towards War, Cont. • 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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 Compromiseof1850,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

21. War with Mexico

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. Immigration In Texas Positive Effects Negative Effects Many Mexican Americans faced hostility and prejudice Slavery increased • New counties with local governments were formed • Provided new employment opportunities • Provided land for many who could not previously afford it.

32. Immigrant Groups in Texas