Sam Houston Second Term Notes Challenges that Houston

Sam Houston Second Term Notes Challenges that Houston Faced… üTexas was Bankrupt (unable to pay bills) üIndian raids still threaten frontier üDisputes with Mexico Continued

Domestic Policy -Texas Economy l Needed this by: l Firing to decrease spending. He did some workers l Reducing Salaries of others l Continuing policies from his first term

Armed Forces l Houston did reduce spending, but the debt kept growing. l Houston tried to sell the navy that Lamar built for money. l Selling of navy was unsuccessful because sailors kept ships at sea to keep Houston from selling them.

Native American Affairs l Houston wanted to keep peace with the Native Americans and stop the violence. l First met in March of 1843 l Agreed to stop all fighting of all Texas tribes against the Republic of Texas until all tribes could meet together in a Grand Council.

Indian Affairs continued… l Comanche and Wichita leaders at first refused to attend the meeting in September (Grand Council Meeting), when all other tribes signed the treaty. l Houston met with the Comanche leaders and convinced them to sign in October of 1843.

Continued Conflicts with Mexico l Santa Anna was back in Mexico, and hoped to retake or harass Texas. l Archives War in March of 1842 l Mexico invaded again, took the towns of Victoria, Goliad, and San Antonio. l Sam Houston knew Mexico was invading Texas again, so he tried to move the archives of Texas to Houston from Austin. The people in Austin stopped him.

Conflict with Mexico Continued… l Battle of Salado Creek l Mexico attacked San Antonio again, hoping to prove that Texas couldn’t control its territory. l Texan volunteers and militia were outnumbered by over 800 men. l The Texans lured the Mexicans into a trap, and defeated the Mexican Army. l Only one Texan died that day.

Conflict with Mexico continued… l After the battle, 50 Texan Volunteers from La. Grange arrived. l The Mexicans surrounded them, and did not accept their surrender. l The men were massacred in a fight called “the Dawson’s Massacre”

Texas’ Response to the Invasion l Texans wanted Revenge on Mexico for the Invasion… l Houston sent General Alexander Somervell to scout and see if Mexico had left Texas. l They were to invade Mexico only if they thought they could win. l What do you think Texas wanted to prove by this?

Texas’ Response l 300 of Somervell’s men did not follow him when he retreated to Gonzales. l These men stayed under the command of a man named William Fisher. l 176 Men were captured by Mexican forces, and 17 were executed in the “Black Bean Episode”