The Poet PresidentIntro / ContextThe Constitution of the Republic of Texas limited the first presidents term to two years. Beginning in 1836 and made him ineligible for successive reelection. Therefore, Houston couldn’t run again for presidentCircumstances that were best for his reputationHis admin could boast of nothing noteworthy except for achieving recognition by the USDidn’t achieve annexationDidn’t achieve recognition by any other countryHouston admin handling of the army Indians land policies and financial matters had met with limited success at bestMoreover, the president’s weakness for alcohol and his unsettled personal life provided additional ammo for his political enemiesLamar Takes OfficeAnnounced as a candidate in 1838 and he would run primarily against Houston’s recordHouston and his friends attempted unsuccessfully to convince Rusk to run and turned to GraysonGrayson committed suicide rather than get into the raceHouston shifts it’s support to James Collingsworth (chief justice of the courtHe committed suicide alsoDrunk for a week before he jumped into the Galveston BayTurned to Robert WilsonLamar defeated Wilson 6995 votes to 253 votes. Landslide!David G Burnet won the VPTexas voters had turned the govt over to men who hated Sam Houston and promised to stabilize and strengthen the republic by reversing Houston’s policiesAbout Lamar - The PoetBorn in 1798 and raised as a social elite on his father’s Georgia plantationExpert horsemanAccomplished fencerBegan writing poetry and painting in oilsEnjoyed the finest education that could be had at the time in the SouthEducated at two diff academiesLeadvilleEdentonAt 22, he co-founded a newspaperBy 30, he had moved back to Georgia and founded a second newspaperAt 31, elected to the GA state senateWithdrew from reelection bid when his wife diedRetreated from public life to write poetryReturned to public life but ran unsuccessfully in 1832 and 1834 for a US congressional seatThen sold his interests in the newspaper and followed James Fannon to Texas to collect historical dataBy the time he reached Texas, his health and spirits had mended and he decided to settleWhen things started to heat up, he declared on the side of Texas independenceHelped build the fort at VelascoKept writingContributed 3 long poems published by area newspapersBrazoria Texas RepublicanLiked Texas so much that he hurried back to GA to settle his affairs and move back to Texas.As an intellectual, Lamar had some big dreamsHe had inherited from Sam Houston, a Republic of Texas barely better off than when they defeated MexicoNo moneyNo commercial treatiesNo international recognitionExcept from the USNo prospects of annexation from the USConstant Indian attackMexico hadn't recognized Texas's independenceThreatened invasion and reconquestLamar was a dreamerHad some grand visions for TexasThis country would grow into a Texas empire that would stretch to the Pacific oceanThe children of this nation would attend schools and universities funded by Texas’s wealth in landDomestic AffairsBegan almost immediately to take steps to realize his dreamsUnderstood benefits and cost of education and the detriments of uneducated populationThe state should educate it’s peopleA republic couldn’t exist without a public school system.School system would provide the founding, grounding literacy necessary for the greatness of Texas to materialize like he envisioned it.Within a month of taking office, he had proposed Texas’s land grant provisionDidn’t happen over night, decades later, his vision would blossom into the school and university system in TexasKnown as the Father of EducationSet aside land for use for schoolsSold state land and tried to raise internal revenue on the land.Initially, his plans didn’t yield that much revenue, but cash would materializeBeneficiaries - the state set aside 50 leagues of land (221,400 acres) as an endowment for two institutions for higher educationTexas A&Mt.u.Both would receive their startup money from this vast endowment.Increased public servicesthe establishment of clearly defined legal procedures, govt engaged in commercial treaties and a national bank to help build the economy.Also strove for direct taxationTo strengthen and fund the militarypissed at Houston for downsizing itTaxes helped fund new military posts to help protect settlers from Indian attacks, Mexicans and to help build the Texas Navy.Before his inauguration, Lamar joined friends on a buffalo huntfound a hilly spot that he thought would make a great spot for the new capital cityWanted to make a statement by building his capital right smack in the middle of the Texas territory.Capitalto show that Texans would expand to the coast and conquer the West.Lamar pitched the idea to congress in 1839passed an act creating a 5 man commissionPlacement would be between the Colorado river and above the San Antonio roadThis provision was serious because it meant moving the govt out of Sam Houston’s turf and away from East. Texas.5 man commission recommended Waterloo as the future site of AustinAustin (the name congress had chosen)Houston supporters pointed out that the site wasFar too remoteAway from the homes of most TexansMexicans and Indians could easily attack itLamar moved anywaysSummer of 1839, Edwin Waller constructed the necessary buildings and the Republic of Texas arrived onOct 17, 1839Lamar and his cabinet members arrived firstPartied it up that night congratulating themselves in one of the two local hotelsFiscal WoesStruggled to place Texas on a more secure financial footingHad already inherited a 2 million dollar debt from the Houston adminPolicies to advance public education, finance national bank, rebuild the strength of the military, Indian policies, as well as relocating the national capital put serious pressure on the finances and added to the national debtWas counting on recognition and loans from England and France to finance his ambitious programs, but the loans never cameTo worsen matters, revenue was inadequateNot much taxes, not much land revenue, not much tariffsTo remedy the debt, Lamar turned to paper money to stimulate economic growthHoped more money would equal more spending thus growing the economy.The Panic of 1837, created a