Slide 1“Political Culture”Northern Mexico (circa 1776)Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Texas & the United StatesSlide 8Secession and Civil WarReconstruction (1867-74)Reconstruction (to 1874)The Reconstruction Constitution (1869)Return of the Democrats (“Redemption”)Slide 14The New Blueprint: Limitation and FragmentationPolitical Economy and Political Culture“Political Culture”Understandings of…-the appropriate relationship between government and the people-the rights and responsibilities of the people-the obligations of government-the limits of government authorityNorthern Mexico (circa 1776)-Around 2,500 Spanish and Mexican settlers north of the Rio Grande-Approximately 30,000 to 50,000 Native Americans-No meaningful Anglo or Black presence-Expanding American settlement in the Mississippi Valley, Comanche raids from Texas into more settled parts of Mexico-Beginning in the 1820s, substantial numbers of Anglos began to move to Texas, often bringing African-American slaves-Independence: 1836Stephen F. AustinTexas & the United States-Texas admitted to the Union as a slave state: 1845-Mexican-American War (1846-1848)– Resulting in American capture of what is now the southwest-U.S. assumed the Republic of Texas’s debts-Texas retained title to unsettled lands-Boundary Act of 1850: Texas gave up extensive land claims in return for $10 millionSecession and Civil War-The frontier of the Deep South-Alienation of the non-slaveholding German population (centered in the Hill Country) from the Confederacy-Military Defeat and ReconstructionReconstruction (1867-74)-Military Occupation-Black Enfranchisement-Many Confederate military officers and officials barred from holding officeReconstruction (to 1874)Republicans: Largely comprised of African-American and German voters, “the party of Lincoln,” some “scalawags” (local Republicans) and “carpetbaggers”Democrats: The party of white supremacy and states’ rightsThe Reconstruction Constitution (1869)-Created a strong central state government-Governor given broad appointive and policy supervision powers-Local government closely controlled by state authorities-Taxes used to support an extensive system of public elementary and secondary education; school attendance made compulsory-Republicans subsidized railroads with bond issues and grants of landReturn of the Democrats (“Redemption”)-Beginning in 1872, former Confederates were allowed to vote again-Democrats regained control of the State Legislature-In 1873, Democrat Richard Coke defeated Edmund J. Davis in the gubernatorial election-In 1875, Texas held a new constitutional conventionDissatisfaction with Republican rule “became reaction against governmental interference of any kind. The distrust and suspicion of legislative action and political power that accompanies any laissez-faire philosophy was more deep-seated in the South than elsewhere. Laissez faire became almost a test of Southern patriotism.”-C. Van WoodwardThe New Blueprint: Limitation and Fragmentation-Separation of Powers-Reduced salaries for state officials-Governor stripped of most appointive powers; most offices made elective-Terms of office shortened-In order to ensure that their objectives were met, the authors of the Constitution went into explicit