Texas Faces

Foreign
Challenges

Establishing Diplomatic Ties

Mexico

did not recognize TX

Independence.

Establishing Diplomatic Ties

Texas needed other countries to

recognize TX independence to...
1.
2.
3.
4.

encourage settlement,
encourage foreign trade,
receive foreign loans
and to pave the way for TX to become
annexed by the U.S.

Establishing Diplomatic Ties

1.

2.

The U.S. was

hesitant to recognize
TX independence.
Mexico still
considered TX a part
of Mexico.
TX supported
slavery.

Foreign Recognition

U.S. President Andrew Jackson,

sent Henry Morfit to inspect TX.

He said
TX had too much debt.

1.

2. TX population was too small.

Foreign Recognition

3. TX

had too many difficulties

establishing a new government.

4. TX had too strong an enemy in

Mexico.

5. The TX Army was not unified.

Foreign Recognition
Andrew

Jackson reported Morfits

findings to the U.S. Congress.
Since Mexicos Government was in
chaos, the U.S. Congress decided to
recognize TX Independence.
Alcee Louis La Branche was
appointed U.S. Minister to TX in
1837.

Foreign Recognition

1.
2.

Texan James Pinckney Henderson

went to Europe to gain recognition
there.
France was the 1st European
country to recognize TX in 1839.
Great Britain, Belgium and the
Netherlands followed soon after.

In

Santa Fe Expedition

1836, the Republic

of Texas Congress
established the
southern and western
boundaries of TX as
the Rio Grande from
its mouth at the Gulf
of Mexico to is source.

Santa Fe Expedition
The

Republic of Texas included

all of New Mexico East of the
Rio Grande, including Santa Fe.
Mexico and the people of New
Mexico disputed the claim.
Texas wanted to use the Santa
Fe Trail for trade.

Santa Fe Expedition
In

June of 1841, Lamar sent 320

men to Santa Fe to take control
of the region with $200,000
worth of trade goods.
Jose Antonio Navarro was sent as
well with 5 companies of soldiers.

Santa Fe Expedition

Native

Americans attacked the

expedition as they traveled through
their land.

Food

and water was in short supply.

Santa Fe Expedition
The

expeditions wagons got

stuck at the Caprock
Escarpment.
They decided to send 1 group of
soldiers to Santa Fe while the
others stayed with the wagons.

When

Santa Fe Expedition

Texans got to New Mexico,

they were captured by Mexican
Forces in Oct., 1841.

Others

members of the expedition

were also captured in other New
Mexico towns.

Santa Fe Expedition
Texans

on the expedition were

marched to prison in Mexico City
and were there until April 1842.
President Lamars Santa Fe
Expedition was a failure.
60 Texans died.

The Texas Navy

Lamar

sent the Texas Navy to

the Yucatan and rented the
navy out to rebels fighting
Mexico for $8,000 a month.
He wanted to pressure Mexico
into recognizing TX.

The Texas Navy

Sam

Houston became president

again and ordered the navy back
to Texas.
Houston tried to auction off
ships, but the ships were
prevented from being sold.
The

ships were no longer in use.

The Archives War

Mexican

leaders who were mad at

President Lamar began raids in TX.

In

the Spring of 1842, Mexican

General Rafael Vasquez attacked San
Antonio, Goliad, Refugio and Victoria,
but returned to Mexico.

The Archives War

Fearing

Austin would be
attacked, Texas officials
wanted to move the
government archives (records)
to preserve them.

The Archives War

Texans

showed up with guns

fearing that the capital would
be moved back to Houston.
Shots were fired and the
archives (records) were left in
Austin.

Mier Expedition
Texans

were upset by the attack on

San Antonio.
They sent General Alexander
Somervell to recapture the
prisoners taken by General Woll.
General Somervell realized he didnt
have enough men, so he sent them
home.

Mier Expedition
300

men under Colonel William S.

Fisher headed towards the
Mexican town of Mier.
They ran out of supplies by the
time they reached Mier, Mexico.

Mier Expedition
Texans

entered Mier and

demanded supplies of the
townspeople.
900 Mexican Soldiers met them
the next day.

Mier Expedition
100

Mexicans and 30 Texans were

killed or wounded.
Running out of supplies, the Texans
surrendered.
Captured Texans were taken
towards Mexico City.
Santa Anna ordered every 10th
person shot!!!

Mier Expedition
176

prisoners drew beans from

a jar to see who will live and who
would die.
White=exempted, Black=death

Mier Expedition
Great

Britain and France slowly

restored peace between Mexico
and Texas.
In the Spring of 1845, under
pressure from these nations,
Mexico recognized Texas
independence hoping to stop the
western expansion of the U.S.

President Anson Jones

Anson

Jones won the Texas presidency

in 1844.
He was a doctor from Brazoria and a
veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto.
Jones continued Houstons policy of
limited government spending.
Jones also worked for peace with the
TX Native Americans.

Texans Debate Annexation

Texans

were in favor of annexation

to the U.S.
Houston also supported annexation.
Lamar opposed annexation.
President Jones wanted to repair
relations with Mexico first before
becoming annexed by the U.S.
He was the last president of the
Republic of Texas.