March 6 2015 Bio Sam Houston The Runaway Scrape Victory at San Jacinto o The Battle of San Jacinto April 21 1836 o I consulted none I hold no councils of war If I err the blame is mine o He wanted to face Santa Anna at the place of his choosing Calls Santa Anna The Napoleon of the West So he is being the Duke of Wellington o Splits Santa Anna s forces in half o Looks like Houston is running away o Santa Anna had about 700 800 men About 500 men came to join him the next morning o Houston had about 900 1000 men with him o 21st at lunchtime Santa Anna stands his men down Houston is aware of this and decides it s time for the attack Will lead his men Is out in the front His horse is called Sarrison o His horse was gray He sent Seguin to cut off the bridge behind the Mexican troops so they couldn t retreat o Houston leads the battle charge His first and second horses were shot down He sustains injuries to his left ankle but still goes for a third horse o Legend Yellow Rose of Texas Emily Morgan West Emily is a hired African American by James Morgan to act as a housekeeper at Morgan s Point Texas Troops captured some people there including Emily Emily West on the day of the battle when Santa Anna stands his men down she entertains Santa Anna in his tent She played into the Texan victory o According to eyewitnesses men shouted Remember the Alamo and Remember o Very short battle 15 18 minutes Goliad o Texan losses 9 killed o Mexican losses 30 wounded 630 killed 208 wounded 730 captured his disguise o Santa Anna put on a corporal s outfit as a disguise When he was captured the men stood up and said Your Excellency thus ruining o Houston does not allow Santa Anna to be executed At this time he is the President of Mexico so he could be used for bargaining Aftermath of the Victory at San Jacinto o Economic depression Lost a whole planting season o What to do with the army o Problems with Mexico Houston was shot in the ankle so while he is on break the army loses control Following the battle there are large numbers of Mexican troops in what is now Texas The Texans had fought for independence but will Mexico recognize that independence The Texans demanded a boundary at the Rio Grande The Mexicans said no but even if Texas was independent the boundary wouldn t be at the Rio Grande it would be at the Nueces River by Corpus Christi The Treaties of Velasco May 14 1836 o Public treaty Three main elements End hostilities with the implication that Mexican troops withdraw back into Mexico Prisoner exchange The promise that Santa Anna will be released o Secret treaty Santa Anna is to be released immediately Santa Anna promises to recognize Texas independence Santa Anna promises to recognize the boundary between Texas and Mexico as the Rio Grande o Santa Anna is overthrown as President while in Texas as a hostage Bustamante becomes President The new government does not recognize any treaties that Santa Anna has agreed to o The Mexican troops return home but what really happens is an armistice cease fire No official agreement to the end of the war The Election of 1836 o Referendum supporting annexation 3277 91 Annexation to the United States Overwhelmingly FOR annexation to the United States o Ratification of the Constitution A Constitution will be ratified in September of 1836 o Election of a President Nominees are Sam Houston Stephen Austin Henry Smith Houston gets 79 Austin gets 9 and Smith gets 12 Houston becomes the first President of Texas o He reluctantly accepts the presidency The Early Republic o Houston s First Administration Organizing a government Domestic affairs economy Foreign policy Election 1838 o Organizing a government Ratification of the Constitution in September of 1836 Sam Houston is appointed as President Will always support and rely upon annexation to the United States o That s where he thought the future lay Mirabeau Bonaparte Lamar wanted to take Texas as an independent prosperous republic o Is opposite in almost every way from Houston People want annexation of Texas to the United States o Houston s First Administration Organizing a Government Appoints Mirabeau Bonaparte Lamar as his vice president Stephen Austin is Houston s secretary of state Henry Smith is Houston s secretary of the treasury William Wharton is Texas s ambassador to the United States First capital of Texas is in West Colombia Texas Thomas Rusk is Houston s secretary of war September to December 1836 Congress convened under a triple trunk live oak known as the Independence Tree Some real estate developers approached Sam Houston and said that they wanted to build a new city and name the city after him Houston is the new capital of the Republic of Texas 1837 1839 The Economy Texas is experiencing an economic depression as part of a global depression The new republic is already 1 million dollars in debt when Sam Houston takes office as President During his first year this value grew from one million to two million Money would be coined with the same values as the United States o Never actually issued coins o Did issue promissory notes called redbacks They quickly devalued Also called The Texas Dollar Tried to introduce import taxes property taxes and livestock taxes o Texans are not keen on paying taxes so these did not raise much revenue Sam Houston was not too concerned because he was hoping that Texas would simply be annexed to the United States Controlling the army To try and get the army under control he will make General Felix Huston commander of the army Huston begins talking of attacking Matamoros o Houston thinks this is insane He replaces Huston with Albert Sidney Johnston o Huston saw this as an insult to his reputation and challenges Johnston to a duel Stand back to back take ten paces turn around and shoot Dueling is illegal because it s really murder It was still popular in the nineteenth century especially among military men o Neither Huston nor Johnston was a good shot Took three times Huston wounds Johnston in the hip Because he won he remains in charge of the army Huston goes to the Capitol to convince Congress that they really need to invade Matamoros is there o Sam Houston is in the Capitol as well and he hears that Huston o While Huston is with Congress Houston goes behind his back and disbands the army disbanded He orders the army to go on a furlough and then to be o When Huston returns to San Antonio and finds that his army has been disbanded he resigns We no longer have an army o Houston
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