For damn sure more than Austin haha. Naw just cool for a place less than an hour from home to be named and I didn't name it. Hell seen those falls myself took a girl to them once upon a time
Lone Star Republic
- Thread starter Kaiser Chris
- Start date
Chapter 23 1838 in Texas
Chapter 23 1838 in Texas
"We'll we lasted one full year of independence, here's to many more!"- Davy Crockett 1838
"Houston may think he won the election but in three years i shall have my victory"- Vice President Mirabeau B. Lamar 1838
After officially managing to stay on its own two feet for its first year, Texas seemed to be doing well on its own and the world was getting used to the presence of this wild western country in the realm of nations. Though not as impactful as the previous year, 1838 was an important time for Texas as its Independence was becoming normal and its citizens were settling into routine of life on the frontier. Indeed more and more immigrants were coming to Texas within the year and it looked as though the original settlers of the revolution would soon be overwhelmed by new arrivals looking for opportunities in cattle herding and the cotton industry. While this may present a problem the people of Texas were just content to let life continue and try and meet their challenges when the time came, for now they had a country to build and they intended to make it the greatest in the world.
In terms of domestic policies for Texas's second year the government worked towards securing stability rather than creating its new laws. They had spent more than enough time pouring new amendments into the constitution and creating laws to meet the public's current needs, now the matter at hand was how to enforce them. With the borders being spread out over hundreds of miles and only around 60,000 people from which you could govern and tax from, a new system of decentralized law enforcement was required. From this arose the sheriff system that the Southwest became so famous for. Based on the old English system of law enforcement, a sheriff was an official who a local population of a settlement would elect to keep the peace. Their duties would include enforcing the laws of the Republic of Texas among the populace and prosecuting any crimes that took place within the settlement. Sheriff's were somewhat seen as the guardians of the town and would usually be seen along with the mayor as one of the principal leaders of the population during town meetings and discussions. In theory this practice would work as the sheriff could rely on the populace as support in criminal investigations and town defense against Indian attacks due to Texas's liberal stance on gun control, all that was really required from the job was to make sure the perpetrator stayed in jail and that they would be reported to authorities in Austin. It wasn't always a perfect system though as some sheriffs would become corrupt and stylize themselves as tyrants of their towns who would often extort "protection money" to look over the town. Thankfully the Texas Rangers could always be counted upon as to curb away corruption and defend the interests of the settlers. To the average pioneer in Texas, a Ranger was something of a living legend, they were the heroes of story who would battle injustice in all places while living the adventurous life of the wild west. In truth though it was often a busy and stressful job as duty required for the men of the company to constantly travel across the nation and answer calls that the capitol had received from outlying settlements. It was a perilous and dangerous life though the men of the Texas Rangers battalion were always ready to answer the call and were recruited from the highest caliber, having some of the most legendary men of the frontier such as Deaf Smith, John Coffee Hays, the McCulloch brothers, and John Salmon Ford. When situations got too large for either the local sheriff or the Texas Rangers the army would be called upon to handle the situation. Under the guise of William Travis the Texan Army had reformed to a small but capable fighting force that was ready to defend their country from all internal or external threats. They were formed as a 1000 man regiment that were split into four battalions of 250; being stationed at Santa Fe, Austin, Monterrey, and Houston. Though the Rangers would like to boast that the army was little more than a glorified militia band, the Texas army was quite a formidable force to be reckoned with. These were the men who were hardened veterans of the Alamo and San Jacinto and would spend years perfecting their craft fighting hostile Indians on the plains and minor rebellions by anarchistic citizens. While the army was never able to expand in large quantities there quality more than made up for it as their fighting could be praised as roughly equal to the Virginia 1st or the Massachusetts 4th. The last part of domestic security that needs mentioning is that of the French army stationed in Texas. While these men had superior firepower and training to their Texan counterparts they often struggled in the frontier. While the French could be counted upon as a deterrent and defense against large Indian attacks there was simply little to do during times of peace. Many soldiers were also trained in the art of Napoleonic warfare and were often puzzled by fighting styles that didn't include walking in straight columns toward the enemy. Still though these men adapted by taking lessons from their Texan counterparts and were soon seen as a welcome protection by the Texan people. These conflicts in Texas would indeed prove useful to the French military when they used this and the Algerian expeditions to build up their colonial policies. The 6000 French forces stationed in Texas were split into six 1000 man battalions that were stationed at Nacogdoches, Austin, Santa Fe, San Antonio, San Diego, and Los Angeles.
When it came to foreign relations Texas was doing pretty well on its own part. It's Southwestern alliance was still strong and relations had been established with Brazil, Belgium, the United States, with many more unofficial trade relationships in the works. One foreign development that would come to divide many Texans was the possibilities of Texas's annexation into the United States. Due to the success Texas had so far and the impossibility of a Mexican attack the pro and anti annexation groups were roughly down the middle. The pro-annexation side came from Houston's faction and many of the American settlers who lived in Eastern Texas and wanted to reconnect with their home country. Lamar and the nationalists against any concept of annexation as they argued Texas was perfectly capable being independent and that they would lose many of their freedoms upon entering the Union. This side was further supported by the frontier Texans, German and French immigrants, and the Tejano and Indian communities. Both the Tejanos and Indians knew that any annexation into the United States would only come to diminish their status to second class citizens so they fervently fought in support of the nationalists, a situation that was rather ironic considering some hardliner Nationalists were against these two groups living in Texas. Though some negotiations were in the works the Panic of 1837 and the Van Buren assassination essentially halted the process. The Whig party in the United States was able to gain control and halt the process of annexation entirely, while each passing year in Texas would turn the population more and more towards independence. The most significant development that happened during this time though is of course the Guatemala War. Texas coming victorious through the conflict was able to show the world that the nation was a rising star among the western powers and that French protection wasn't the only reason not to invade Texas. The war also did much to boost nationalist sentiments with many Texans feeling intense pride and patriotism with the success of the Texan Navy and the second successful war conducted by Texas with a foreign power in just two years.
The United States wouldn't be getting a 27th star anytime soon.
In terms of economic development there were four main sectors; cattle, bison, cotton, and timber. This limited agricultural economy would come to hold Texas's full economic potential until the 1850's with the California Gold Rush and the westward expansion. Still, the economy continued to grow despite the ongoing recession in Texas's neighbor. Of particular note was the booming growth of the cotton, shipbuilding, and gun industry. Cotton was a crop that was just beginning to be grown in Texas with the introduction by immigrants from the Southern United States. With the lands back east starting to produce lower qualities of cotton with the land dying every year due to overproduction in harvest, Texan cotton would soon rise in demand with thousands of acres of land ready for harvest and cheap prices being able to match the American market. With Texas's large forests it is of not surprise that the shipbuilding sector was able to boom so easily. With the growth of the navy, new settlements popping up on the frontier, demands for ships across the gulf, lumber was of high demand in the 1840's with shipbuilding being a profitable market. Much of this growth would center around Galveston as the island's port was being established as the nations premier port where shipyards would build the Texan merchant navy and new harbors would take in the increasing traffic of the gulf. Lastly of note was the beginning of gun culture in Texas. Due to the ferocity of life in the frontier Texans were very liberal with the usage of guns and it was not uncommon for the average child to start learning gun safety and usage at the age of 10 or for women to carry around pistols wherever they went. The constant stocking up of guns and extensive usage of ammunition in firefights made for a gun smith's dream land. The nation would benefit greatly when young entrepreneur Samuel Colt decided to immigrate to Texas in 1838 to restart his arms manufacturing company after losing an heavy amount of business in the Panic. Colt found his innovative designs to be quite popular with the Texan people and was able to gather enough funds to found the Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1840. Colt would always be in business due to a constant demand for new firearms and would soon see his new colt revolvers come to fame after 1,000 pistols were purchased by the Texas Rangers for use.
Samuel Colt and his famous Colt Revolvers
When Houston had called for the Indian Citizenship Initiative many had been skeptical. Many settlers had laughed saying that it was impossible to civilize an Indian and that the land in question rightly belonged to the white men. Yet Houston was able to prove them wrong when already within a few months of implementation the Cherokee, Lenape, and Alabama-Coushatta had signed up with the program and had dedicated themselves to serving the republic as Texas citizens. Over time the Texan people soon began to become used to the idea of Indians actually being able to become citizens as the new Indian districts were able to ensure stability in Texas and they still allowed for settlers to seek new land, albeit under the Indian's terms. Soon Texans saw the benefits of trading with these people instead of killing with them and doing business with a Cherokee would be seen as no different than one with an settler from Tennessee. Conflict had not died out entirely though as there were still many tribes primarily from the Comanche and Apache who would prey on defenseless pioneer caravans and settlements, while angry white settlers would take their anger out on civilized Indians who had integrated in Texan society. Houston resolved to solve these issues by having Texas Rangers protect Indian districts while he used the army to hunt down any hostile Indians that had attacked the settlements. The racial divide which had been ongoing between these two races wouldn't just die overnight, though it was starting to heal and move on.
When the time came for the Presidential elections in 1838 it was quite obvious that Sam Houston was going to run for re-election. Since the end of the revolution Texas had been prospering under Houston's administration and he was still quite beloved from his role in San Jacinto. Houston personally believed that he needed to stay in office as he could not let Lamar and his supporters gain control of the Presidency as it would ruin everything Houston had been working for domestically and prevent any possibility of Annexation. Surprisingly Lamar choose not to run for President during the election but instead seek a continuation of the vice-presidency. Lamar knew that at the moment he did not have enough popularity against Houston to beat him in an election and he had not built up enough political power to support him if he even won a hypothetical election. Therefore Lamar choose to continue his current plans and gain support in congress to go against Houston. He also figured that with ongoing relations with the United States continuing to be shaky and the people's call for Independence growing that they could choose him over Houston in 1841, something that he was later proven correct. Houston tried to prevent Lamar from running as Vice President by passing an amendment stating that the Vice President must be on the same ballot as the President. Houston cited the Van Buren assassination as an example that any administration voted in must be united. Lamar was able to work with his allies in the House and Senate to filibuster the amendment and it wouldn't pass until 1839. For Houston's main opposition was current Postmaster General David Burnett who wanted the presidency after losing his interim position to Houston. Though Burnett had managed to gain a small group of supporters he wasn't able to defeat Houston's large popularity and charisma in the polls. Thus, the 1838 Presidential election would end in Houston and Lamar getting re-elected to their positions, with both men already planning their policies for the next three years and for the 1841 election.
1838 Presidential Elections:
President: Houston 6,659 85.3%. Burnett 1,142 14.7%
Vice President: Lamar 6,995 93.2%. Wilson 504 6.8%
Houston (Right) Vs. Burnett (Left)
"We'll we lasted one full year of independence, here's to many more!"- Davy Crockett 1838
"Houston may think he won the election but in three years i shall have my victory"- Vice President Mirabeau B. Lamar 1838
After officially managing to stay on its own two feet for its first year, Texas seemed to be doing well on its own and the world was getting used to the presence of this wild western country in the realm of nations. Though not as impactful as the previous year, 1838 was an important time for Texas as its Independence was becoming normal and its citizens were settling into routine of life on the frontier. Indeed more and more immigrants were coming to Texas within the year and it looked as though the original settlers of the revolution would soon be overwhelmed by new arrivals looking for opportunities in cattle herding and the cotton industry. While this may present a problem the people of Texas were just content to let life continue and try and meet their challenges when the time came, for now they had a country to build and they intended to make it the greatest in the world.
In terms of domestic policies for Texas's second year the government worked towards securing stability rather than creating its new laws. They had spent more than enough time pouring new amendments into the constitution and creating laws to meet the public's current needs, now the matter at hand was how to enforce them. With the borders being spread out over hundreds of miles and only around 60,000 people from which you could govern and tax from, a new system of decentralized law enforcement was required. From this arose the sheriff system that the Southwest became so famous for. Based on the old English system of law enforcement, a sheriff was an official who a local population of a settlement would elect to keep the peace. Their duties would include enforcing the laws of the Republic of Texas among the populace and prosecuting any crimes that took place within the settlement. Sheriff's were somewhat seen as the guardians of the town and would usually be seen along with the mayor as one of the principal leaders of the population during town meetings and discussions. In theory this practice would work as the sheriff could rely on the populace as support in criminal investigations and town defense against Indian attacks due to Texas's liberal stance on gun control, all that was really required from the job was to make sure the perpetrator stayed in jail and that they would be reported to authorities in Austin. It wasn't always a perfect system though as some sheriffs would become corrupt and stylize themselves as tyrants of their towns who would often extort "protection money" to look over the town. Thankfully the Texas Rangers could always be counted upon as to curb away corruption and defend the interests of the settlers. To the average pioneer in Texas, a Ranger was something of a living legend, they were the heroes of story who would battle injustice in all places while living the adventurous life of the wild west. In truth though it was often a busy and stressful job as duty required for the men of the company to constantly travel across the nation and answer calls that the capitol had received from outlying settlements. It was a perilous and dangerous life though the men of the Texas Rangers battalion were always ready to answer the call and were recruited from the highest caliber, having some of the most legendary men of the frontier such as Deaf Smith, John Coffee Hays, the McCulloch brothers, and John Salmon Ford. When situations got too large for either the local sheriff or the Texas Rangers the army would be called upon to handle the situation. Under the guise of William Travis the Texan Army had reformed to a small but capable fighting force that was ready to defend their country from all internal or external threats. They were formed as a 1000 man regiment that were split into four battalions of 250; being stationed at Santa Fe, Austin, Monterrey, and Houston. Though the Rangers would like to boast that the army was little more than a glorified militia band, the Texas army was quite a formidable force to be reckoned with. These were the men who were hardened veterans of the Alamo and San Jacinto and would spend years perfecting their craft fighting hostile Indians on the plains and minor rebellions by anarchistic citizens. While the army was never able to expand in large quantities there quality more than made up for it as their fighting could be praised as roughly equal to the Virginia 1st or the Massachusetts 4th. The last part of domestic security that needs mentioning is that of the French army stationed in Texas. While these men had superior firepower and training to their Texan counterparts they often struggled in the frontier. While the French could be counted upon as a deterrent and defense against large Indian attacks there was simply little to do during times of peace. Many soldiers were also trained in the art of Napoleonic warfare and were often puzzled by fighting styles that didn't include walking in straight columns toward the enemy. Still though these men adapted by taking lessons from their Texan counterparts and were soon seen as a welcome protection by the Texan people. These conflicts in Texas would indeed prove useful to the French military when they used this and the Algerian expeditions to build up their colonial policies. The 6000 French forces stationed in Texas were split into six 1000 man battalions that were stationed at Nacogdoches, Austin, Santa Fe, San Antonio, San Diego, and Los Angeles.
When it came to foreign relations Texas was doing pretty well on its own part. It's Southwestern alliance was still strong and relations had been established with Brazil, Belgium, the United States, with many more unofficial trade relationships in the works. One foreign development that would come to divide many Texans was the possibilities of Texas's annexation into the United States. Due to the success Texas had so far and the impossibility of a Mexican attack the pro and anti annexation groups were roughly down the middle. The pro-annexation side came from Houston's faction and many of the American settlers who lived in Eastern Texas and wanted to reconnect with their home country. Lamar and the nationalists against any concept of annexation as they argued Texas was perfectly capable being independent and that they would lose many of their freedoms upon entering the Union. This side was further supported by the frontier Texans, German and French immigrants, and the Tejano and Indian communities. Both the Tejanos and Indians knew that any annexation into the United States would only come to diminish their status to second class citizens so they fervently fought in support of the nationalists, a situation that was rather ironic considering some hardliner Nationalists were against these two groups living in Texas. Though some negotiations were in the works the Panic of 1837 and the Van Buren assassination essentially halted the process. The Whig party in the United States was able to gain control and halt the process of annexation entirely, while each passing year in Texas would turn the population more and more towards independence. The most significant development that happened during this time though is of course the Guatemala War. Texas coming victorious through the conflict was able to show the world that the nation was a rising star among the western powers and that French protection wasn't the only reason not to invade Texas. The war also did much to boost nationalist sentiments with many Texans feeling intense pride and patriotism with the success of the Texan Navy and the second successful war conducted by Texas with a foreign power in just two years.
The United States wouldn't be getting a 27th star anytime soon.
In terms of economic development there were four main sectors; cattle, bison, cotton, and timber. This limited agricultural economy would come to hold Texas's full economic potential until the 1850's with the California Gold Rush and the westward expansion. Still, the economy continued to grow despite the ongoing recession in Texas's neighbor. Of particular note was the booming growth of the cotton, shipbuilding, and gun industry. Cotton was a crop that was just beginning to be grown in Texas with the introduction by immigrants from the Southern United States. With the lands back east starting to produce lower qualities of cotton with the land dying every year due to overproduction in harvest, Texan cotton would soon rise in demand with thousands of acres of land ready for harvest and cheap prices being able to match the American market. With Texas's large forests it is of not surprise that the shipbuilding sector was able to boom so easily. With the growth of the navy, new settlements popping up on the frontier, demands for ships across the gulf, lumber was of high demand in the 1840's with shipbuilding being a profitable market. Much of this growth would center around Galveston as the island's port was being established as the nations premier port where shipyards would build the Texan merchant navy and new harbors would take in the increasing traffic of the gulf. Lastly of note was the beginning of gun culture in Texas. Due to the ferocity of life in the frontier Texans were very liberal with the usage of guns and it was not uncommon for the average child to start learning gun safety and usage at the age of 10 or for women to carry around pistols wherever they went. The constant stocking up of guns and extensive usage of ammunition in firefights made for a gun smith's dream land. The nation would benefit greatly when young entrepreneur Samuel Colt decided to immigrate to Texas in 1838 to restart his arms manufacturing company after losing an heavy amount of business in the Panic. Colt found his innovative designs to be quite popular with the Texan people and was able to gather enough funds to found the Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1840. Colt would always be in business due to a constant demand for new firearms and would soon see his new colt revolvers come to fame after 1,000 pistols were purchased by the Texas Rangers for use.
Samuel Colt and his famous Colt Revolvers
When Houston had called for the Indian Citizenship Initiative many had been skeptical. Many settlers had laughed saying that it was impossible to civilize an Indian and that the land in question rightly belonged to the white men. Yet Houston was able to prove them wrong when already within a few months of implementation the Cherokee, Lenape, and Alabama-Coushatta had signed up with the program and had dedicated themselves to serving the republic as Texas citizens. Over time the Texan people soon began to become used to the idea of Indians actually being able to become citizens as the new Indian districts were able to ensure stability in Texas and they still allowed for settlers to seek new land, albeit under the Indian's terms. Soon Texans saw the benefits of trading with these people instead of killing with them and doing business with a Cherokee would be seen as no different than one with an settler from Tennessee. Conflict had not died out entirely though as there were still many tribes primarily from the Comanche and Apache who would prey on defenseless pioneer caravans and settlements, while angry white settlers would take their anger out on civilized Indians who had integrated in Texan society. Houston resolved to solve these issues by having Texas Rangers protect Indian districts while he used the army to hunt down any hostile Indians that had attacked the settlements. The racial divide which had been ongoing between these two races wouldn't just die overnight, though it was starting to heal and move on.
When the time came for the Presidential elections in 1838 it was quite obvious that Sam Houston was going to run for re-election. Since the end of the revolution Texas had been prospering under Houston's administration and he was still quite beloved from his role in San Jacinto. Houston personally believed that he needed to stay in office as he could not let Lamar and his supporters gain control of the Presidency as it would ruin everything Houston had been working for domestically and prevent any possibility of Annexation. Surprisingly Lamar choose not to run for President during the election but instead seek a continuation of the vice-presidency. Lamar knew that at the moment he did not have enough popularity against Houston to beat him in an election and he had not built up enough political power to support him if he even won a hypothetical election. Therefore Lamar choose to continue his current plans and gain support in congress to go against Houston. He also figured that with ongoing relations with the United States continuing to be shaky and the people's call for Independence growing that they could choose him over Houston in 1841, something that he was later proven correct. Houston tried to prevent Lamar from running as Vice President by passing an amendment stating that the Vice President must be on the same ballot as the President. Houston cited the Van Buren assassination as an example that any administration voted in must be united. Lamar was able to work with his allies in the House and Senate to filibuster the amendment and it wouldn't pass until 1839. For Houston's main opposition was current Postmaster General David Burnett who wanted the presidency after losing his interim position to Houston. Though Burnett had managed to gain a small group of supporters he wasn't able to defeat Houston's large popularity and charisma in the polls. Thus, the 1838 Presidential election would end in Houston and Lamar getting re-elected to their positions, with both men already planning their policies for the next three years and for the 1841 election.
1838 Presidential Elections:
President: Houston 6,659 85.3%. Burnett 1,142 14.7%
Vice President: Lamar 6,995 93.2%. Wilson 504 6.8%
Houston (Right) Vs. Burnett (Left)
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Is death Smith related to deaf Smith?
Could be wrong on this but isn't 10 a little old to start being taught how to use a gunin this Era? While I hadn't been given any yet by the time I was 10 I'd already been sitting 22s for a while and has stated getting to carry a shotgun while dove hunting
Could be wrong on this but isn't 10 a little old to start being taught how to use a gunin this Era? While I hadn't been given any yet by the time I was 10 I'd already been sitting 22s for a while and has stated getting to carry a shotgun while dove hunting
Yeah i was referring to Deaf Smith, just unconsciously typed Death because they sound the same phonetically, just edited it in the post though. By the way if you guys are wondering I'll do a complete Texas Rangers post around the 1870's time, if you feel like it should be earlier tell me and i can do one that will probably be 1850's.
I guess everyone is taught at a different rate but I was personally taught by my dad how to wield a firearm when i turned 15. I sort of thought adolescence was the age in which you would learn nowadays so turning 10 would make sense back then as the person in question starts to enter maturity and can actually hold a gun properly. Don't really have any statistics on the case but its just an age I came up with that sounded right.
Here is the new flag of Rio Grande after the Mexican Civil War.
Well yeah everyone learns at different times. I was raised around them hell I was taken dove hunting at 7 months old. But I was also taught to respect them. If I touched mom or dad's gun without then there and giving me permission to I'd get a whipping so I new better. There's some people I don't think mature enough at 10 for a gun. Hell some adults I know aren't mature enough lol
Nice flag
Chapter 24 Houston's Second Term
Chapter 24 Houston's Second Term
"Partisan Politics at an end. Lamar and supporters found the Republican Party."- San Antonio Gazette 1840
"For generations my family has lived in the new world off the lands of California. Now I find myself as a Texan"- Carlos Gutierrez 1837
"Those country hillbillies stole our capitol designs."- President Richard Mentor Johnson 1840
The second term of Houston's presidency turned was focused primarily on three important issues facing Texas; the west, trade, and Austin. With the work being done on settling the constitution and internal laws Houston needed to prove that Texas was fine on its own as a nation and was perfectly capable of running its western territories while keeping the economy afloat. During Texas's early years the economy was sometimes unstable as the Redback was a new currency on the market that had little backing in gold or silver with Texas having little to offer to the global economy. Sure the country was a leader in the agricultural sector and could produce more than enough to maintain a large export system, however there was little of value that other countries such as the United States or Argentina could not match. Therefore Houston informed in his State of the Republic address that he would make sure on making Texas's economy strong while opening up the vast California Commonwealth for new economic resources or settlement. Houston would manage to achieve his goals but the full effects of his policies would not be seen until several decades later.
While the annexation of California from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo can clearly be seen as a benefit in the long run, back then it looked to be detrimental to some. The area between the modern day commonwealth and the Rio Grande was entirely mountainous with lots of deserts and could be seen as impossible to travel through for even the native Indian tribes. While the lands on the Pacific were fertile and full of opportunity for trade with Asia there were few settlements available to build a strong ocean port and little way of getting settlers into the region. In order to solve the problem Houston created the California expedition which being reminiscent of the Lewis and Clark expedition, was created with the purpose of finding a strong route to the pacific and creating various plans for Austin to use to colonize the region. The men Houston choose to lead this job were the Walker brothers, Doug and Robert. The two men had lived in western Texas for over a decade and being members of the Texas Rangers were more than suited to the difficulty that the job would require in traveling the wild west. The men set out for California on March 13th, 1839, and were accompanied by the 3rd Texas battalion that was to be stationed at Monterrey as well as a group of over 2 dozen men who ranged in various professions from cartography and hunting to assist the men in their assignment. The job would last over two years as the Walkers would travel all across the California Commonwealth and Western Texas to categorize the land and seek out potential places of settlement. Along the way they meet various Indian tribes who they informed of the ICI and also categorized dozens of species who were previously unknown to the Lewis and Clark expedition. The expedition yielded immense success as the Walkers came up with both the Santa Fe and Arizona trails. Two routes of travel that would ensure the safety of the pioneers through the territory and also take them within the range of several settlements and friendly tribes which had previously been established there. The men also discovered various economic activities that could be beneficial to Texas such as the winery and citrus fields in California, copper mining in Arizona, and potential coal deposits in Deseret. Lastly the two men would give a full report detailing potential ports on the pacific with specific attention to the locations of modern day Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. History wouldn't be done with the Walker brothers yet though as these two men would also be the first to discover gold in Northern California eight years later.
Advertisement for settlement of California in 1850.
In order to improve the Republic's image Houston knew that he needed to improve current trade standards while also building up the capitol of Austin in a manner that would one day rival Washington. At the moment it was hard to take Texas seriously for some foreigners as Austin was barely more than a pioneer town and trade routes were few with Galveston being the nation's only port. Houston ordered for the construction of the capitol to be accelerated with the treasury putting in funds to hire foreign workers from the United States to get the job done. Large plans were underway to model the capitol after Washington D.C by creating a President's mansion similar in design to the White House, the national capitol which would be completely designed in the manner of the United States capitol building, with the Texas version being several feet high to prove the point that everything was bigger in Texas. A merchant district was built a few blocks from the Capitol in order to entice various businesses into the city, while the various government institutions such as the national bank, army headquarters, supreme court, and foreign embassies were all built within one contained district to connect the government together. The population would start off small with it only being consisting of the government bureaucrats, politicians, and their families, soon though people would flock to the center of Texas so that in 1861 the population was around 15,000. With the business of building the capitol out of the way Houston set his sights on the national trade routes. In order to make Galveston the premier gulf port Houston gave out large amounts of subsidies to be invited in the harbor and build infrastructure around the island for the populace. Meanwhile Houston gave out large land grants to settlers who were willing to settle on other potential coastal cities such as Corpus Christi, Brownsville, San Diego, and Monterrey. Houston also sought out Austin in his past experiences by resetting the Empressario system in Texas to entice large amounts of colonists into Texas with the promise of large amounts of cheap land and the idea of a community of their respective peoples. This version was even more successful with the previous system with both Aldelsverien and the Mormons providing the largest examples. Towns were also set up along the Santa Fe and Arizona trails to keep national trade and transportation stable and afloat, with large amounts of infrastructure subsidies dedicated to creation of roads. Lastly of note was the passing of the Homestead Exemption Act in 1839, this law was designed to protect a person's property from being seized by creditors and was the first of its kind in the world. This law would encourage many people to immigrate to Texas with the promise of their land being protected and over the years the Texas Rangers would engage in Land Wars with various creditor mobs that sought to exploit the citizens and seize their land for profit within Texas.
The Presidents Mansion (Right) and Texas Capitol(Left)
Houston's second term is described as an immense success that was able to establish the economy of Texas while providing the birth of Western Expansion. To many people within Texas it looked like Houston was about to achieve his third term come September 1841. There was just one problem though that would plague the nation's first president throughout his campaign. While Houston had achieved many accomplishments for Texas he never gave up on his quest to achieve Texas annexation. Even after the Johnson administration and the Whig controlled congress gave up their side of the talks, Houston would still send Austin and other Texas delegates to Washington to try and negotiate entry into the Union. These attempts disgusted many nationalists and already worsened their fears with the ongoing immigration tide coming from the United States. Enough was enough for Vice President Lamar and the man knew he had to make a stand for the Texas people come September. Thus, on July 14th, 1840, the Republican Party of Texas was born.
September 4th, 1840. Austin, Texas.
Senator Juan Seguin sat alone in his office looking over proposals for new trade tariffs on Great Britain. He had just finished talking to his friend Davy Crockett who had just been elected to the House of Representatives. Both men had agreed that placing tariffs on Britain was highly negative to the Texan economy as it would take away several cheap manufactured goods that were in high demand by the upper class and most of the Americans. On the other hand the French ambassador had been enticing Houston to go through with them as France being Texas's primary economic benefactor couldn't allow their chief rivals to have profitable trade relations with Texas. Even if Juan was more than willing to side with the French he knew that Texan cotton prices would suffer due to Britain possibly taxing them in retaliation. It was either pissing of your closest European ally or the largest empire in the world; decisions, decisions. Juan's stress wasn't helped by the fact that he was actively working with Navarro to try and set up immigration restrictions while encouraging more immigration from Mexico. Juan loved the fact that more people were coming to call Texas home but at the same time he was afraid that the Tejano's would suffer as second class citizens under the rule of the American gringos, sure France and Germany were balancing the numbers but that would only continue for so long, it wouldn't be too far ahead that Juan would be a minority in his own home. He knew he could retire in San Antonio with his wife Maria as he had done more than enough in the revolution, but Juan knew it wasn't fair to the people of Texas, they needed him and he couldn't possibly stand back while his nation was still struggling. As he was reminiscing over current affairs Juan got a notice by his secretary Martha that Vice President Lamar was here for the appointment that he had scheduled with Lamar. 'I wonder what the hell he wants?' Juan didn't exactly hate him persay and could hold some measure of respect for the man as he was also dedicated to fighting for the interests of Texas. The problem was Lamar was a little bit radical in his policies and sometimes let it known that it was his people who he was concerned with first. 'Might as well let him in and be done with it. I am a politician after all so I do need to play these games.'
A few seconds later strode in Lamar who had plenty of arrogance and swagger in his step that gave off the impression that he was the President of Texas, 'not that we all don't know you want the job.' "Mirabeau how nice of you to come, tell me what exactly does the second most powerful man of the land have to do with San Antonio's senator."
"Juan I'm insulted, can't a fellow civil servant have a casual visit with one of our revolution's greatest heroes."
"Politicians don't have visits Mirabeau, they have meetings and only use flattery when they want something. Now sit down and get to the point."
"You don't have to be so rude about it, though I do like that your direct and don't bother with the political chit chat, that's something I can respect." Lamar made his way down to the chair in front of Seguin's desk and took a seat.
"Now since you insisted let's get down to business. As you know the elections are taking place within a year and I plan to run for the Presidency this time around."
"What, you're going to run with that little Republican Party you founded?"
"Why yes, you see we Republicans have a goal, we're going to lead this country into greatness, we're going to make Texas the proud jewel of the Southwest and keep the nation out of the hands of Houston and his lapdogs."
"Come on Houston isn't all that bad, alot of the peace and stability we have right now is because of him and his lapdogs, besides he still led us to victory in the Revolution."
"Yes I can't deny that Houston hasn't done some good with his ideas, even that foolish program with the savages is producing some results. But do you really think it's okay to leave that man in power for the next three years? I swear it's like half of what he does is to go against our nation not for it. When I came back with the Treaty of Guadalupe you'd think I'd get praise for expanding our country to the Pacific, but do i get that, NOOO. The man instead rants on about how it was reckless and stupid and that it would only hurt our country. Yet you've seen all the good it's done, we've been getting alot of money from trade with Santa Fe and California is starting to show promise as a fine pacific port, we even got the Mormons to settle that barren wasteland. Tell me it was not a good idea."
Juan couldn't deny that what Lamar done had been beneficial to the nation. He saw that in the long run it would be very beneficial for Texas to have access to the Pacific and have huge quantities of land to expand upon.
"And don't even get me started with what that idiot is trying to pull with the United States."
"I thought you were an Americano once upon a time?"
"Yes I do admit that Georgia will always remain a part of my heart. But now I am a Texan and I'll be damned if I let Houston get away with turning our grand country into another state. Even with all the success that we have been building the man is practically obsessed with putting our lone star as number 27 on the stars and stripes. Just look at how damn liberal he is with allowing the Americans into the country. Sure most of them may be southerners like me but you know deep down their just a bunch of opportunists looking to exploit our nation. The fact that our constitution allows for people to become residents after six months doesn't help."
Juan found it a little bit ironic how Lamar was ranting on about the Americans considering he only entered into Texas five years ago. Yet at the same time he couldn't help but agree with his points. If Texas were to enter the Union then it would destroy all the hard work that Juan and his companions had been trying to achieve for the past few years and at the same time reduce Juan to a second class citizen. The situation also wasn't helped with the amount of Southerners coming every year that worked towards that scenario happening no matter what.
"I understand your concerns with some of Houston's rather illogical policies concerning America, but what does this have to do with me?"
"Ah yes, you see Juan in order for me to beat Houston next year I'm going to need alot of help. Your support would be of immense value to my campaign as you are seen as the leader of the Tejano faction and can win support from other moderate congressmen. Here are my terms. I want you to become a member of the Republican Party, help draft resolution that suits my interests, and endorse my campaign while enticing other politicians to enter the party and my camp. In return I'll keep Navarro as Secretary of Immigration in my cabinet, the first justice I nominate to the supreme court will be a Tejano, I'll support your ascension as Senate Majority leader, and help pass legislation that would be of immense benefit to your people."
Juan was stunned at the current offer. While Houston did consider him to be a close friend and good senator he had never offered him anything of value like this before. He knew that there was little chance of an offer like this coming by again.
"I must say Mirabeau I'm quite shocked. I took you to be a little bit more of a.. closed minded type that wants to suit your own interests."
"I must admit I have been doing some thinking over the past few weeks over what I need to do to win the presidency and run this country. I know that I must make some allies to win and its best to be friends with the original citizens of the land rather than those eastern carpetbaggers who still think of themselves as Americans first. We are Texans after all, both you and I. So what do you say."
Juan was conflicted, to enter into this agreement would be an immense potentially political benefit but would also alienate Houston and backfire if Lamar lost the election. "Give me some time to think about this. After all you have just given me a largely conflicting proposition that I must reflect and pray upon before I make a reply."
"Take all the time that you need, just think about all the possible good that we can do together in the mean time." Lamar stood up to shake Seguin's hand then made for the door of the office. Before he left Lamar had this to say to Seguin. "Juan just remember there's a reason we're called the Republican Party, we are fighting to defend the Republic, not sell it out to our neighbors." With those parting words Lamar left Seguin's office to leave him pondering on the proposition.
'Hmmm, Juan Seguin the Republican Senator from San Antonio.'
"Partisan Politics at an end. Lamar and supporters found the Republican Party."- San Antonio Gazette 1840
"For generations my family has lived in the new world off the lands of California. Now I find myself as a Texan"- Carlos Gutierrez 1837
"Those country hillbillies stole our capitol designs."- President Richard Mentor Johnson 1840
The second term of Houston's presidency turned was focused primarily on three important issues facing Texas; the west, trade, and Austin. With the work being done on settling the constitution and internal laws Houston needed to prove that Texas was fine on its own as a nation and was perfectly capable of running its western territories while keeping the economy afloat. During Texas's early years the economy was sometimes unstable as the Redback was a new currency on the market that had little backing in gold or silver with Texas having little to offer to the global economy. Sure the country was a leader in the agricultural sector and could produce more than enough to maintain a large export system, however there was little of value that other countries such as the United States or Argentina could not match. Therefore Houston informed in his State of the Republic address that he would make sure on making Texas's economy strong while opening up the vast California Commonwealth for new economic resources or settlement. Houston would manage to achieve his goals but the full effects of his policies would not be seen until several decades later.
While the annexation of California from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo can clearly be seen as a benefit in the long run, back then it looked to be detrimental to some. The area between the modern day commonwealth and the Rio Grande was entirely mountainous with lots of deserts and could be seen as impossible to travel through for even the native Indian tribes. While the lands on the Pacific were fertile and full of opportunity for trade with Asia there were few settlements available to build a strong ocean port and little way of getting settlers into the region. In order to solve the problem Houston created the California expedition which being reminiscent of the Lewis and Clark expedition, was created with the purpose of finding a strong route to the pacific and creating various plans for Austin to use to colonize the region. The men Houston choose to lead this job were the Walker brothers, Doug and Robert. The two men had lived in western Texas for over a decade and being members of the Texas Rangers were more than suited to the difficulty that the job would require in traveling the wild west. The men set out for California on March 13th, 1839, and were accompanied by the 3rd Texas battalion that was to be stationed at Monterrey as well as a group of over 2 dozen men who ranged in various professions from cartography and hunting to assist the men in their assignment. The job would last over two years as the Walkers would travel all across the California Commonwealth and Western Texas to categorize the land and seek out potential places of settlement. Along the way they meet various Indian tribes who they informed of the ICI and also categorized dozens of species who were previously unknown to the Lewis and Clark expedition. The expedition yielded immense success as the Walkers came up with both the Santa Fe and Arizona trails. Two routes of travel that would ensure the safety of the pioneers through the territory and also take them within the range of several settlements and friendly tribes which had previously been established there. The men also discovered various economic activities that could be beneficial to Texas such as the winery and citrus fields in California, copper mining in Arizona, and potential coal deposits in Deseret. Lastly the two men would give a full report detailing potential ports on the pacific with specific attention to the locations of modern day Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. History wouldn't be done with the Walker brothers yet though as these two men would also be the first to discover gold in Northern California eight years later.
Advertisement for settlement of California in 1850.
In order to improve the Republic's image Houston knew that he needed to improve current trade standards while also building up the capitol of Austin in a manner that would one day rival Washington. At the moment it was hard to take Texas seriously for some foreigners as Austin was barely more than a pioneer town and trade routes were few with Galveston being the nation's only port. Houston ordered for the construction of the capitol to be accelerated with the treasury putting in funds to hire foreign workers from the United States to get the job done. Large plans were underway to model the capitol after Washington D.C by creating a President's mansion similar in design to the White House, the national capitol which would be completely designed in the manner of the United States capitol building, with the Texas version being several feet high to prove the point that everything was bigger in Texas. A merchant district was built a few blocks from the Capitol in order to entice various businesses into the city, while the various government institutions such as the national bank, army headquarters, supreme court, and foreign embassies were all built within one contained district to connect the government together. The population would start off small with it only being consisting of the government bureaucrats, politicians, and their families, soon though people would flock to the center of Texas so that in 1861 the population was around 15,000. With the business of building the capitol out of the way Houston set his sights on the national trade routes. In order to make Galveston the premier gulf port Houston gave out large amounts of subsidies to be invited in the harbor and build infrastructure around the island for the populace. Meanwhile Houston gave out large land grants to settlers who were willing to settle on other potential coastal cities such as Corpus Christi, Brownsville, San Diego, and Monterrey. Houston also sought out Austin in his past experiences by resetting the Empressario system in Texas to entice large amounts of colonists into Texas with the promise of large amounts of cheap land and the idea of a community of their respective peoples. This version was even more successful with the previous system with both Aldelsverien and the Mormons providing the largest examples. Towns were also set up along the Santa Fe and Arizona trails to keep national trade and transportation stable and afloat, with large amounts of infrastructure subsidies dedicated to creation of roads. Lastly of note was the passing of the Homestead Exemption Act in 1839, this law was designed to protect a person's property from being seized by creditors and was the first of its kind in the world. This law would encourage many people to immigrate to Texas with the promise of their land being protected and over the years the Texas Rangers would engage in Land Wars with various creditor mobs that sought to exploit the citizens and seize their land for profit within Texas.
The Presidents Mansion (Right) and Texas Capitol(Left)
Houston's second term is described as an immense success that was able to establish the economy of Texas while providing the birth of Western Expansion. To many people within Texas it looked like Houston was about to achieve his third term come September 1841. There was just one problem though that would plague the nation's first president throughout his campaign. While Houston had achieved many accomplishments for Texas he never gave up on his quest to achieve Texas annexation. Even after the Johnson administration and the Whig controlled congress gave up their side of the talks, Houston would still send Austin and other Texas delegates to Washington to try and negotiate entry into the Union. These attempts disgusted many nationalists and already worsened their fears with the ongoing immigration tide coming from the United States. Enough was enough for Vice President Lamar and the man knew he had to make a stand for the Texas people come September. Thus, on July 14th, 1840, the Republican Party of Texas was born.
September 4th, 1840. Austin, Texas.
Senator Juan Seguin sat alone in his office looking over proposals for new trade tariffs on Great Britain. He had just finished talking to his friend Davy Crockett who had just been elected to the House of Representatives. Both men had agreed that placing tariffs on Britain was highly negative to the Texan economy as it would take away several cheap manufactured goods that were in high demand by the upper class and most of the Americans. On the other hand the French ambassador had been enticing Houston to go through with them as France being Texas's primary economic benefactor couldn't allow their chief rivals to have profitable trade relations with Texas. Even if Juan was more than willing to side with the French he knew that Texan cotton prices would suffer due to Britain possibly taxing them in retaliation. It was either pissing of your closest European ally or the largest empire in the world; decisions, decisions. Juan's stress wasn't helped by the fact that he was actively working with Navarro to try and set up immigration restrictions while encouraging more immigration from Mexico. Juan loved the fact that more people were coming to call Texas home but at the same time he was afraid that the Tejano's would suffer as second class citizens under the rule of the American gringos, sure France and Germany were balancing the numbers but that would only continue for so long, it wouldn't be too far ahead that Juan would be a minority in his own home. He knew he could retire in San Antonio with his wife Maria as he had done more than enough in the revolution, but Juan knew it wasn't fair to the people of Texas, they needed him and he couldn't possibly stand back while his nation was still struggling. As he was reminiscing over current affairs Juan got a notice by his secretary Martha that Vice President Lamar was here for the appointment that he had scheduled with Lamar. 'I wonder what the hell he wants?' Juan didn't exactly hate him persay and could hold some measure of respect for the man as he was also dedicated to fighting for the interests of Texas. The problem was Lamar was a little bit radical in his policies and sometimes let it known that it was his people who he was concerned with first. 'Might as well let him in and be done with it. I am a politician after all so I do need to play these games.'
A few seconds later strode in Lamar who had plenty of arrogance and swagger in his step that gave off the impression that he was the President of Texas, 'not that we all don't know you want the job.' "Mirabeau how nice of you to come, tell me what exactly does the second most powerful man of the land have to do with San Antonio's senator."
"Juan I'm insulted, can't a fellow civil servant have a casual visit with one of our revolution's greatest heroes."
"Politicians don't have visits Mirabeau, they have meetings and only use flattery when they want something. Now sit down and get to the point."
"You don't have to be so rude about it, though I do like that your direct and don't bother with the political chit chat, that's something I can respect." Lamar made his way down to the chair in front of Seguin's desk and took a seat.
"Now since you insisted let's get down to business. As you know the elections are taking place within a year and I plan to run for the Presidency this time around."
"What, you're going to run with that little Republican Party you founded?"
"Why yes, you see we Republicans have a goal, we're going to lead this country into greatness, we're going to make Texas the proud jewel of the Southwest and keep the nation out of the hands of Houston and his lapdogs."
"Come on Houston isn't all that bad, alot of the peace and stability we have right now is because of him and his lapdogs, besides he still led us to victory in the Revolution."
"Yes I can't deny that Houston hasn't done some good with his ideas, even that foolish program with the savages is producing some results. But do you really think it's okay to leave that man in power for the next three years? I swear it's like half of what he does is to go against our nation not for it. When I came back with the Treaty of Guadalupe you'd think I'd get praise for expanding our country to the Pacific, but do i get that, NOOO. The man instead rants on about how it was reckless and stupid and that it would only hurt our country. Yet you've seen all the good it's done, we've been getting alot of money from trade with Santa Fe and California is starting to show promise as a fine pacific port, we even got the Mormons to settle that barren wasteland. Tell me it was not a good idea."
Juan couldn't deny that what Lamar done had been beneficial to the nation. He saw that in the long run it would be very beneficial for Texas to have access to the Pacific and have huge quantities of land to expand upon.
"And don't even get me started with what that idiot is trying to pull with the United States."
"I thought you were an Americano once upon a time?"
"Yes I do admit that Georgia will always remain a part of my heart. But now I am a Texan and I'll be damned if I let Houston get away with turning our grand country into another state. Even with all the success that we have been building the man is practically obsessed with putting our lone star as number 27 on the stars and stripes. Just look at how damn liberal he is with allowing the Americans into the country. Sure most of them may be southerners like me but you know deep down their just a bunch of opportunists looking to exploit our nation. The fact that our constitution allows for people to become residents after six months doesn't help."
Juan found it a little bit ironic how Lamar was ranting on about the Americans considering he only entered into Texas five years ago. Yet at the same time he couldn't help but agree with his points. If Texas were to enter the Union then it would destroy all the hard work that Juan and his companions had been trying to achieve for the past few years and at the same time reduce Juan to a second class citizen. The situation also wasn't helped with the amount of Southerners coming every year that worked towards that scenario happening no matter what.
"I understand your concerns with some of Houston's rather illogical policies concerning America, but what does this have to do with me?"
"Ah yes, you see Juan in order for me to beat Houston next year I'm going to need alot of help. Your support would be of immense value to my campaign as you are seen as the leader of the Tejano faction and can win support from other moderate congressmen. Here are my terms. I want you to become a member of the Republican Party, help draft resolution that suits my interests, and endorse my campaign while enticing other politicians to enter the party and my camp. In return I'll keep Navarro as Secretary of Immigration in my cabinet, the first justice I nominate to the supreme court will be a Tejano, I'll support your ascension as Senate Majority leader, and help pass legislation that would be of immense benefit to your people."
Juan was stunned at the current offer. While Houston did consider him to be a close friend and good senator he had never offered him anything of value like this before. He knew that there was little chance of an offer like this coming by again.
"I must say Mirabeau I'm quite shocked. I took you to be a little bit more of a.. closed minded type that wants to suit your own interests."
"I must admit I have been doing some thinking over the past few weeks over what I need to do to win the presidency and run this country. I know that I must make some allies to win and its best to be friends with the original citizens of the land rather than those eastern carpetbaggers who still think of themselves as Americans first. We are Texans after all, both you and I. So what do you say."
Juan was conflicted, to enter into this agreement would be an immense potentially political benefit but would also alienate Houston and backfire if Lamar lost the election. "Give me some time to think about this. After all you have just given me a largely conflicting proposition that I must reflect and pray upon before I make a reply."
"Take all the time that you need, just think about all the possible good that we can do together in the mean time." Lamar stood up to shake Seguin's hand then made for the door of the office. Before he left Lamar had this to say to Seguin. "Juan just remember there's a reason we're called the Republican Party, we are fighting to defend the Republic, not sell it out to our neighbors." With those parting words Lamar left Seguin's office to leave him pondering on the proposition.
'Hmmm, Juan Seguin the Republican Senator from San Antonio.'
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Lamar seems to be playing the game of politics well, but it will remain to be seen if he can best Houston in the up coming election. Being who I am, I'm pulling for Houston but I think I'm going to be dissapointed when the votes are counted.
One thing, I notice there is talk of Texas becoming the 28th state if it is annexed, but if it is 1840 shouldn't it be the 27th state? If I'm wrong here who had their statehood bumped up? Anywho, a good pair of updates.
One thing, I notice there is talk of Texas becoming the 28th state if it is annexed, but if it is 1840 shouldn't it be the 27th state? If I'm wrong here who had their statehood bumped up? Anywho, a good pair of updates.
I would like to sincerely apologize to all Floridians reading this TL for having forgotten their state. The problem is in our Texas History books whenever it mentions the annexation of Texas, Texas is the only state that is mentioned at being admitted at that point. So I've been subconsciously indoctrinated that Texas was the only state to join the Union in 1845. Rest assured the addition of Arkansas and Michigan occurs at the same date as OTL and I will have Florida join the Union sometime during the 1840's. Thanks to peiman for alerting me to this error and I have corrected it. Also of note I put Herrick's map on my Guatemala War post.
I'll post the next chapter sometime during the week that deal's with the Johnson administration. In the meantime I'll work a little bit on my Texasball strips. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more.
At least they bother to mentioned you became a state. When I was in school I think we talked about Oregon becoming a state once, and if you missed that day of class you'd probably think our application to get a star was still pending.
With that out of the way, looking forward to the update on the Johnson administration and a possible Texasball.
I'll post the update or Texasball on either Tuesday or Wednesday. The delay is I'm working with Herricks to make a wikibox for the 1840 election so I'll post it once I have confirmation on whether or not it is made. As a little hint to the next Texasball it will be about the Yucatan.
For those of you patiently waiting for the next chapter, I'm going to post Chapter 25 tomorrow afternoon. The Chapter will cover the Johnson administration and the 1840 U.S Presidential Elections. This weekend I will be dedicating my time to working on multiple chapters as well as some new Texasball strips. The content for the next week will consist of domestic events in both Texas and America with one chapter covering foreign affairs. Afterwords we will be heading into the 1846 arc. You see until now developments outside of North America have mostly progressed same as OTL. 1846 will see a series of revolutions that will NOT entirely fail and will change the geopolitical spectrum of Europe, if not the world for the entire rest of the century until the Great War. Thank you very much for sticking to the TL and stay tuned for more tomorrow.
Really liking this timeline! Just a quick question about the Mormons, has the POD changed Joseph Smith's death? He didn't die until 1844, and the Mormons weren't kicked out of Illinois until 1846. Did they just go straight to Texas instead of Illinois after being kicked out of Missouri?
Thanks for your support. In reference to your question, it was stated in Chapter 16 that Smith died in 1839 in this TL after riots spread in Missouri that claimed his life. In the aftermath Young was convinced to head to Texas due to a supposed vision Smith had of a promised land west under the lone star of Bethlehem i.e. Texas. While Young managed to convince a large number of Mormons to head to Texas with him, a good amount still stayed in the United States by heading to Illinois like OTL or moving west to the territories. Around modern day in the TL the overall Mormon demographic of North America will be split evenly between Texas and the American Midwest.
Update later today.
Chapter 25 The President No One Wanted
Chapter 25 The President No One Wanted
"How the hell can you be so obsessed with Texas that you forget about how ruined our economy is?"- Senator Daniel Webster to House Speaker James Polk 1838
"All going according to plan."- Senator Henry Clay 1841
"Thank God! Now I can finally get back to running my bar."- President Richard Mentor Johnson 1841
Today the office of the Vice-Presidency is considered an important position in both the United States and Texas that only being elected to the Presidency itself can ever eclipse. The Vice-President is considered to be the number two man (or woman) that is essential to the function of the nation by being head of the Senate and being chief representative of the President in all foreign and domestic affairs. It is always important for the Vice President to be healthy and well protected due to the fact that at any moment the President can die or become incapacitated for office, requiring the VP to take charge and lead the nation in the former leaders absence. The effectiveness of each Vice Presidency has varied through each administration with many stand in VP's who were only chosen to balance out the ticket for votes, and active VP's who gain power in government and through their actions become leading politicians who can gain the office of the Presidency through their own merit in a future election. In 1838 both Vice Presidents Johnson and Lamar were strong examples of this with Johnson being the former and Lamar the latter respectively. While thankfully Houston was never assassinated or attained a life-threatening illness in his Presidency, the man agreed in his memoirs that had he died as President then Lamar, despite his political fallouts with Houston, would've been more than fit to lead the Republic as the successive President. The same thought was never given to Richard Mentor Johnson who was chosen to bring in the southern wing of the Democratic Party and when in Washington was never given a single amount of political responsibility. The Democrats would soon see the error of their ways when on April 15th, 1838, President Van Buren was killed by an assassin from South Carolina and in the hours after the assassination, Johnson was sworn in as President. Technically there was no official rule in the Constitution for the succession of office upon the death of the President as the American founding fathers had overlooked this in the writing of Article 1. While it seems common sense today to have a backup plan for the leader of your nation, back then no thought had been given to the possibility of a Presidential death as all previous office holders were healthy and had completed their terms. Indeed the Constitution was extremely vague when addressing this, only stating that should the President die, become disabled, or be removed from power while in office, the powers and duties of the President are thereby transferred to the Vice President. The American politicians at the time did not know whether or not that meant the Vice President would directly assume the Presidency or merely act as standing President while new elections took place. Speaker James Polk was the first to take action by calling Chief Justice Roger Taney to the White House at midnight and have Johnson swear the Presidential oath. Many of the Whig Party cried foul and declared that Johnson had illegally obtained office and should step down from the presidency. These criticisms climaxed in the Supreme Court with the case Clay Vs. United States where Senator Henry Clay sued the executive government for the supposed illegal action. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Johnson and stated that his succession to Office was legal and that the Vice President shall assume the Presidency under the President's incapacitation as stated in the Constitution. The Presidential succession was later solidified with the passing of the 13th amendment in 1840 which remained Johnson's greatest achievement in office. For now the American people while not satisfied were content with the new President.
Throughout Johnson's presidency the man had come under intense criticism and attack by the Whig Party, with Jackson and Van Buren gone Johnson was the next step to victory and the Whigs weren't going to have him win another victory for the democrats. Though the man in the past was a war hero for his actions against the Creek and was likewise a competent and popular congressmen, the public instead directed its attention to Johnson's time as Vice President, which wasn't really much on paper. Like Van Buren the Whigs lambasted Johnson for the poor job on the economy and why he never did anything about it, granted Johnson was never really given a task in relation to the country but it was far more embarrassing to say my boss didn't trust me to do something rather than being seen as a lazy bum. It didn't help Johnson in the least that once the Panic started he was given a nine month leave to go back to his tavern in Kentucky and make sure all his finances are in order, something the Whigs exploited constantly by calling him an uncaring drunkard. At first Johnson tried to get much passed in the beginning with the Democratic congress but the southern wing of the party absolutely refused to work with him. The reason being that in the past Johnson actually had a common law marriage with one of his slaves, an octoroon slave named Julia Chinn. Johnson actually treated Julia as an equal by sharing control of his plantation with her as well as recognizing their two daughters as his own. This marriage had been known for several years and was tolerated in his electoral district, but the rest of the south saw this as a complete abomination. Despite the fact that Johnson never once advocated for abolition the south was fearful that this president would ruin the country by letting slaves become citizens and have rights. Thus in the north Johnson was portrayed as a careless drunk, while in the South he was seen as an immoral abolitionist. When the Whigs came into power the situation only got worse economically as the Whig Party called for the refounding of the national bank and the cutting back of paper circulation. Johnson being a Jacksonian Democrat, absolutely refused to go along with these demands and was supported by the Democrats who still saw that Jackson did nothing wrong. Making a 2 year stand off on Capitol hill that would not cease until the election of Harrison. While Johnson did attempt to alleviate the nations economy these efforts would often be a double edged sword, as he sought to eliminate the depression by spending large federal funds on infrastructure projects and extending circulation. While this may have cut down on unemployment a bit it did drive the nation's debt and inflation to new highs. This was not to say though that Johnson found no success in the country. Johnson's presidency is often remembered fondly in the northwest for being the first President to have widespread support in opening up the Oregon territory. Johnson was also the first President to campaign for prison reform after witnessing the harsh conditions that convicts go through while supporting the end of debtor imprisonment. Most controversially, Johnson decided to continue the Indian removal as well as aggressively pursue the Seminole War by sending more federal troops to Florida in order to encourage white settlement to increase the process of statehood. When Indians in Seqouyah started to defect to Texas, Johnson ordered federal agents to turn a blind eye as "It would be Texas's problem now". In the manner of slavery Johnson did little to change the status as he was already under immense pressure from the Southern Democrats. One notable exception was the case of the Amistad where Johnson continually advocated for the freedom of the captured slaves as they were enslaved illegally due to the ban on the African slave trade. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the slaves in January 1841 and Johnson's last act in office was to see these men be granted safe passage to Liberia. Finally Johnson solved the issue of Presidential security by founding the Presidential Guard, an elite unit of bodyguards who would protect the President and other high level politicians at all times while in Washington, around the country, or abroad.
The elite U.S Presidential Guard on duty. Painting of La Amistad. One of the most controversial issues during the Johnson administration.
When it came to foreign policy the Johnson administration had little to focus on since Europe was at peace and the United States hadn't extended its influence to Asia or Latin America fully yet. It would be in North America where the issue of expansion dominated the Johnson administration. For the past two years many within the southern wing of the Democratic party had been crying for the annexation of Texas to commence. These congressmen were worried that with potential states for slavery under the Missouri compromise running out that the south would be contained and that slavery would be eventually abolished. The Democrats cited that Texas already had a large population of Americans within its borders that would be willing to enter into statehood and that the acquisition of California would provide the United States with a strong presence on the Pacific coast where trade could be established with Asia. In the beginning of the Van Buren term the movement was gaining strength and with Sam Houston being a Unionist it looked as though Texas would enter the United States. Then the Panic happened which made all possible negotiations put on hold for the moment due to the need to prioritize the economy, then the movement died entirely with Van Buren's assassination. Though Johnson was a slave owning southerner who was greatly pro-annexation of Texas, his inexperience in the executive office and nonexistent influence within congress turned many congressmen away from the issue of Texas. Indeed this was used against Johnson in propaganda by the Whigs where political cartoons would depict Johnson as a greedy plantation aristocrat whose concern was over the expansion of slavery over the welfare of the common people, despite Johnson's liberal stances on slavery. Seeing that the Texas movement was growing highly unpopular in the United States, Johnson decided to drop the matter altogether in 1839 when the Whig Party managed to gain control of both houses of Congress. A choice which enraged the south at what was seemingly a halt of slavery, one which would start the regional tensions leading to the Civil War. This decision would later be reflected on the Texas side in the 1841 elections. With the issue of Texas having been nullified, Johnson turned his attention in foreign policy to the highly disputed Oregon territory. In the treaty of 1818 the border between Canada and the United States was settled at the 49th parallel but the Oregon territory was left under the terms of a joint occupation. For years this was accepted though recently thousands of Americans had been moving into the region since the 1830's. The fact that the United States had given up on Texas meant that Oregon was the only way the United States would gain access to the pacific. While a compromise could've been made for the territory, congress was absolutely stubborn in refusing to go below the 54.5 N. In order to gain votes for the north in reelection, Johnson passed a series of acts that would sponsor increased settlement of Oregon as well as the normalization of territorial government in Oregon. To supplement these claims Johnson ordered the construction of 5 forts and the sending of 7500 men of the U.S Army to guard and defend the territories (at least under the 49th). The Oregon Acts found widespread bipartisan support as the Northern Democrats and Whigs saw the area as American territory that needed to be protected from the British behemoth at all costs. While southerners though ill content that Oregon received support rather than Texas, saw the economic potential in Pacific territory that could sell cotton and other cash crops to Asia. London looked at these measures with immense alarm and decided to pass its own acts to compete with American colonization of the area. These actions would later result in the Oregon War during the Harrison presidency.
Oregon Country. At the time under joint occupation of U.S and Great Britain.
When time came for the election in 1840 the odds did not look good for the Democratic Party. The economy was still in shambles and Johnson's popularity was at a low with only 32%. At the time there were few well known contenders among the Democrats who could successfully challenge the Whigs many knew that any attempt would only end in a loss as the party was still unpopular for the economic situation. So the Democratic Party saw it fit for Johnson to run for re-election so that any loss would result in him becoming an scape goat and for any challenger to be free to step up to the primaries in 1844. On the Whig side the party chose war hero William Henry Harrison as the man was the most successful of the candidates during the last election and was seen by the party as a strong contender for office with his common man/frontier image versus that of the aristocratic Johnson. For his vice-president Harrison chose Daniel Webster who was a strong orator in congress, loyal to the party, and would bring end the New England delegates. Webster was more than happy to accept as Johnson's presidency proved just how important the office of Vice President had become. During the election the Whigs campaigned with a fervor that was never seen before, attacking Johnson on all his political and personal faults. There was little mention of the economy on the campaign trail with the Whigs focusing on the image of an incompetent Johnson who was to blame for America's troubles. For someone who was clearly in the losing side, Johnson still put up an effort and went throughout the east coast, trying to show his accomplishments to the people and saying that the economy would get fixed under a second term. When election day came in the electoral vote was a clear victory for Harrison with 215 votes to Johnson's 79. What was oddly uprising was the close popular vote with Harrison only managing to win 53.7& of the vote, it seemed like some people did like Johnson after all. While many would seem depressed at losing the election, Johnson was actually happy as he could finally leave Washington, satisfied that he did well in an election and managed to achieve some good as President. He would spend the rest of his days running his bar in Kentucky that he named "The President's Pub", which today is a successful franchise that has spread all throughout the United States. With Harrison's victory came the rise of a new era in United States politics, the Whig Era.
A/N: Credit for the high quality wikibox goes to user Herricks. Edited electoral map by Cool-Eh
"How the hell can you be so obsessed with Texas that you forget about how ruined our economy is?"- Senator Daniel Webster to House Speaker James Polk 1838
"All going according to plan."- Senator Henry Clay 1841
"Thank God! Now I can finally get back to running my bar."- President Richard Mentor Johnson 1841
Today the office of the Vice-Presidency is considered an important position in both the United States and Texas that only being elected to the Presidency itself can ever eclipse. The Vice-President is considered to be the number two man (or woman) that is essential to the function of the nation by being head of the Senate and being chief representative of the President in all foreign and domestic affairs. It is always important for the Vice President to be healthy and well protected due to the fact that at any moment the President can die or become incapacitated for office, requiring the VP to take charge and lead the nation in the former leaders absence. The effectiveness of each Vice Presidency has varied through each administration with many stand in VP's who were only chosen to balance out the ticket for votes, and active VP's who gain power in government and through their actions become leading politicians who can gain the office of the Presidency through their own merit in a future election. In 1838 both Vice Presidents Johnson and Lamar were strong examples of this with Johnson being the former and Lamar the latter respectively. While thankfully Houston was never assassinated or attained a life-threatening illness in his Presidency, the man agreed in his memoirs that had he died as President then Lamar, despite his political fallouts with Houston, would've been more than fit to lead the Republic as the successive President. The same thought was never given to Richard Mentor Johnson who was chosen to bring in the southern wing of the Democratic Party and when in Washington was never given a single amount of political responsibility. The Democrats would soon see the error of their ways when on April 15th, 1838, President Van Buren was killed by an assassin from South Carolina and in the hours after the assassination, Johnson was sworn in as President. Technically there was no official rule in the Constitution for the succession of office upon the death of the President as the American founding fathers had overlooked this in the writing of Article 1. While it seems common sense today to have a backup plan for the leader of your nation, back then no thought had been given to the possibility of a Presidential death as all previous office holders were healthy and had completed their terms. Indeed the Constitution was extremely vague when addressing this, only stating that should the President die, become disabled, or be removed from power while in office, the powers and duties of the President are thereby transferred to the Vice President. The American politicians at the time did not know whether or not that meant the Vice President would directly assume the Presidency or merely act as standing President while new elections took place. Speaker James Polk was the first to take action by calling Chief Justice Roger Taney to the White House at midnight and have Johnson swear the Presidential oath. Many of the Whig Party cried foul and declared that Johnson had illegally obtained office and should step down from the presidency. These criticisms climaxed in the Supreme Court with the case Clay Vs. United States where Senator Henry Clay sued the executive government for the supposed illegal action. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Johnson and stated that his succession to Office was legal and that the Vice President shall assume the Presidency under the President's incapacitation as stated in the Constitution. The Presidential succession was later solidified with the passing of the 13th amendment in 1840 which remained Johnson's greatest achievement in office. For now the American people while not satisfied were content with the new President.
Throughout Johnson's presidency the man had come under intense criticism and attack by the Whig Party, with Jackson and Van Buren gone Johnson was the next step to victory and the Whigs weren't going to have him win another victory for the democrats. Though the man in the past was a war hero for his actions against the Creek and was likewise a competent and popular congressmen, the public instead directed its attention to Johnson's time as Vice President, which wasn't really much on paper. Like Van Buren the Whigs lambasted Johnson for the poor job on the economy and why he never did anything about it, granted Johnson was never really given a task in relation to the country but it was far more embarrassing to say my boss didn't trust me to do something rather than being seen as a lazy bum. It didn't help Johnson in the least that once the Panic started he was given a nine month leave to go back to his tavern in Kentucky and make sure all his finances are in order, something the Whigs exploited constantly by calling him an uncaring drunkard. At first Johnson tried to get much passed in the beginning with the Democratic congress but the southern wing of the party absolutely refused to work with him. The reason being that in the past Johnson actually had a common law marriage with one of his slaves, an octoroon slave named Julia Chinn. Johnson actually treated Julia as an equal by sharing control of his plantation with her as well as recognizing their two daughters as his own. This marriage had been known for several years and was tolerated in his electoral district, but the rest of the south saw this as a complete abomination. Despite the fact that Johnson never once advocated for abolition the south was fearful that this president would ruin the country by letting slaves become citizens and have rights. Thus in the north Johnson was portrayed as a careless drunk, while in the South he was seen as an immoral abolitionist. When the Whigs came into power the situation only got worse economically as the Whig Party called for the refounding of the national bank and the cutting back of paper circulation. Johnson being a Jacksonian Democrat, absolutely refused to go along with these demands and was supported by the Democrats who still saw that Jackson did nothing wrong. Making a 2 year stand off on Capitol hill that would not cease until the election of Harrison. While Johnson did attempt to alleviate the nations economy these efforts would often be a double edged sword, as he sought to eliminate the depression by spending large federal funds on infrastructure projects and extending circulation. While this may have cut down on unemployment a bit it did drive the nation's debt and inflation to new highs. This was not to say though that Johnson found no success in the country. Johnson's presidency is often remembered fondly in the northwest for being the first President to have widespread support in opening up the Oregon territory. Johnson was also the first President to campaign for prison reform after witnessing the harsh conditions that convicts go through while supporting the end of debtor imprisonment. Most controversially, Johnson decided to continue the Indian removal as well as aggressively pursue the Seminole War by sending more federal troops to Florida in order to encourage white settlement to increase the process of statehood. When Indians in Seqouyah started to defect to Texas, Johnson ordered federal agents to turn a blind eye as "It would be Texas's problem now". In the manner of slavery Johnson did little to change the status as he was already under immense pressure from the Southern Democrats. One notable exception was the case of the Amistad where Johnson continually advocated for the freedom of the captured slaves as they were enslaved illegally due to the ban on the African slave trade. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the slaves in January 1841 and Johnson's last act in office was to see these men be granted safe passage to Liberia. Finally Johnson solved the issue of Presidential security by founding the Presidential Guard, an elite unit of bodyguards who would protect the President and other high level politicians at all times while in Washington, around the country, or abroad.
The elite U.S Presidential Guard on duty. Painting of La Amistad. One of the most controversial issues during the Johnson administration.
When it came to foreign policy the Johnson administration had little to focus on since Europe was at peace and the United States hadn't extended its influence to Asia or Latin America fully yet. It would be in North America where the issue of expansion dominated the Johnson administration. For the past two years many within the southern wing of the Democratic party had been crying for the annexation of Texas to commence. These congressmen were worried that with potential states for slavery under the Missouri compromise running out that the south would be contained and that slavery would be eventually abolished. The Democrats cited that Texas already had a large population of Americans within its borders that would be willing to enter into statehood and that the acquisition of California would provide the United States with a strong presence on the Pacific coast where trade could be established with Asia. In the beginning of the Van Buren term the movement was gaining strength and with Sam Houston being a Unionist it looked as though Texas would enter the United States. Then the Panic happened which made all possible negotiations put on hold for the moment due to the need to prioritize the economy, then the movement died entirely with Van Buren's assassination. Though Johnson was a slave owning southerner who was greatly pro-annexation of Texas, his inexperience in the executive office and nonexistent influence within congress turned many congressmen away from the issue of Texas. Indeed this was used against Johnson in propaganda by the Whigs where political cartoons would depict Johnson as a greedy plantation aristocrat whose concern was over the expansion of slavery over the welfare of the common people, despite Johnson's liberal stances on slavery. Seeing that the Texas movement was growing highly unpopular in the United States, Johnson decided to drop the matter altogether in 1839 when the Whig Party managed to gain control of both houses of Congress. A choice which enraged the south at what was seemingly a halt of slavery, one which would start the regional tensions leading to the Civil War. This decision would later be reflected on the Texas side in the 1841 elections. With the issue of Texas having been nullified, Johnson turned his attention in foreign policy to the highly disputed Oregon territory. In the treaty of 1818 the border between Canada and the United States was settled at the 49th parallel but the Oregon territory was left under the terms of a joint occupation. For years this was accepted though recently thousands of Americans had been moving into the region since the 1830's. The fact that the United States had given up on Texas meant that Oregon was the only way the United States would gain access to the pacific. While a compromise could've been made for the territory, congress was absolutely stubborn in refusing to go below the 54.5 N. In order to gain votes for the north in reelection, Johnson passed a series of acts that would sponsor increased settlement of Oregon as well as the normalization of territorial government in Oregon. To supplement these claims Johnson ordered the construction of 5 forts and the sending of 7500 men of the U.S Army to guard and defend the territories (at least under the 49th). The Oregon Acts found widespread bipartisan support as the Northern Democrats and Whigs saw the area as American territory that needed to be protected from the British behemoth at all costs. While southerners though ill content that Oregon received support rather than Texas, saw the economic potential in Pacific territory that could sell cotton and other cash crops to Asia. London looked at these measures with immense alarm and decided to pass its own acts to compete with American colonization of the area. These actions would later result in the Oregon War during the Harrison presidency.
Oregon Country. At the time under joint occupation of U.S and Great Britain.
When time came for the election in 1840 the odds did not look good for the Democratic Party. The economy was still in shambles and Johnson's popularity was at a low with only 32%. At the time there were few well known contenders among the Democrats who could successfully challenge the Whigs many knew that any attempt would only end in a loss as the party was still unpopular for the economic situation. So the Democratic Party saw it fit for Johnson to run for re-election so that any loss would result in him becoming an scape goat and for any challenger to be free to step up to the primaries in 1844. On the Whig side the party chose war hero William Henry Harrison as the man was the most successful of the candidates during the last election and was seen by the party as a strong contender for office with his common man/frontier image versus that of the aristocratic Johnson. For his vice-president Harrison chose Daniel Webster who was a strong orator in congress, loyal to the party, and would bring end the New England delegates. Webster was more than happy to accept as Johnson's presidency proved just how important the office of Vice President had become. During the election the Whigs campaigned with a fervor that was never seen before, attacking Johnson on all his political and personal faults. There was little mention of the economy on the campaign trail with the Whigs focusing on the image of an incompetent Johnson who was to blame for America's troubles. For someone who was clearly in the losing side, Johnson still put up an effort and went throughout the east coast, trying to show his accomplishments to the people and saying that the economy would get fixed under a second term. When election day came in the electoral vote was a clear victory for Harrison with 215 votes to Johnson's 79. What was oddly uprising was the close popular vote with Harrison only managing to win 53.7& of the vote, it seemed like some people did like Johnson after all. While many would seem depressed at losing the election, Johnson was actually happy as he could finally leave Washington, satisfied that he did well in an election and managed to achieve some good as President. He would spend the rest of his days running his bar in Kentucky that he named "The President's Pub", which today is a successful franchise that has spread all throughout the United States. With Harrison's victory came the rise of a new era in United States politics, the Whig Era.
A/N: Credit for the high quality wikibox goes to user Herricks. Edited electoral map by Cool-Eh
Attachments
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Well it seems President Johnson is going off to a good retirement, and he managed to do a little good. It also seems like Harrison will live in TTL and the US will get a new national bank which could improve our financial position in the 19th century. On the minus side...
Anywho, a good update, and I eagerly await to see if the US of this world can not only keep my home state of Oregon out of British hands, but gain the whole of the Oregon territory.
I can only hope the best for my country here. At this point the United States has the population and industry to put up a better fight than we did in the last two go rounds, but Britain is the super power at the moment. I have faith in the American eagle though, but there is no way this will be as easy a fight as the OTL Mexican-American war.
Anywho, a good update, and I eagerly await to see if the US of this world can not only keep my home state of Oregon out of British hands, but gain the whole of the Oregon territory.
Omake: Why Harrison Survives
February 3rd, 1841
Around 8:00 both the President and Vice President Elect were found eating dinner together in a small French restaurant in the east side of Washington. The building had been cleared out and was under heavy security as the newly founded Presidential Guard did not want to take any chances for the new leaders of the nation. Both men were found sitting near the fireplace enjoying a large steak meal while Daniel Webster was currently reading a document that had been given to him by William Harrison.
"So Dan, what do you think of my speech for the innaguration?"
The Vice President sighed as he put the papers down and tried to think of what to say next. "Bill, since your going to be my boss for the next four years I'm going to be completely honest with you. The quality of your work is ok, but the speech is too damn long?"
"What's the big issue with length? I only want to go into great detail about my goals so that my speech and my policies will forever be remembered. Wait, did you say it was only OK?"
"Look Bill, I understand you want the people to know that your a great man who can make a great president. I also know how much you want to make yourself different than Jackson and how as the first Whig President you'll fight for the parties agenda. While that's all said and good you don't need to talk for 2 HOURS just to get your points across. Your only going to work to work against yourself by filling the audience with boredom. Even some of the most well spoken preachers I know can't work up a crowd for that long. Just stick to your main points and use your charm to keep the crowd invested. Your trying way too hard to convince the American people of your capabilities when YOU were the man elected By a considerable margin if I might add."
"But I wrote some really great stuff, like my section on the bank for example, look at how I tell the people my plans for reestablishment so that they'll know I keep to my promises."
"I'm not saying you should get rid of the whole thing. Just condense it to make a quick thirty minute talk and be done with it. John Quincy once told me that it's not the speeches or promises they'll remember you for, but your actions as President that count."
"Fine. Can you at least be the one to edit since your so insistent on cutting it?"
"Sure. Just one more thing. For the love of God Bill, get a new wardrobe. You can't just can't wear those clothes in Washington at this time of year. At the very least get a coat or you'll catch pneumonia at this rate."
February 3rd, 1841
Around 8:00 both the President and Vice President Elect were found eating dinner together in a small French restaurant in the east side of Washington. The building had been cleared out and was under heavy security as the newly founded Presidential Guard did not want to take any chances for the new leaders of the nation. Both men were found sitting near the fireplace enjoying a large steak meal while Daniel Webster was currently reading a document that had been given to him by William Harrison.
"So Dan, what do you think of my speech for the innaguration?"
The Vice President sighed as he put the papers down and tried to think of what to say next. "Bill, since your going to be my boss for the next four years I'm going to be completely honest with you. The quality of your work is ok, but the speech is too damn long?"
"What's the big issue with length? I only want to go into great detail about my goals so that my speech and my policies will forever be remembered. Wait, did you say it was only OK?"
"Look Bill, I understand you want the people to know that your a great man who can make a great president. I also know how much you want to make yourself different than Jackson and how as the first Whig President you'll fight for the parties agenda. While that's all said and good you don't need to talk for 2 HOURS just to get your points across. Your only going to work to work against yourself by filling the audience with boredom. Even some of the most well spoken preachers I know can't work up a crowd for that long. Just stick to your main points and use your charm to keep the crowd invested. Your trying way too hard to convince the American people of your capabilities when YOU were the man elected By a considerable margin if I might add."
"But I wrote some really great stuff, like my section on the bank for example, look at how I tell the people my plans for reestablishment so that they'll know I keep to my promises."
"I'm not saying you should get rid of the whole thing. Just condense it to make a quick thirty minute talk and be done with it. John Quincy once told me that it's not the speeches or promises they'll remember you for, but your actions as President that count."
"Fine. Can you at least be the one to edit since your so insistent on cutting it?"
"Sure. Just one more thing. For the love of God Bill, get a new wardrobe. You can't just can't wear those clothes in Washington at this time of year. At the very least get a coat or you'll catch pneumonia at this rate."
Chapter 26 Rise of the Two Party System
Chapter 26 Rise of the two party system
"God help our country now that the fool is in power."- President Sam Houston 1841
"For Freedom. For the Republic. For Texas."- Slogan of the Republican Party 1841
"We all know that with Lamar in charge the country will suffer greatly. Everything that we've worked for to this point will be for naught if those damn Republicans lead the nation to a path of ruin. So I say we start our own party. A united party that will stand together in defiance to protect our rights, our representation, and our liberty. The Western Union Party."- Doctor Anson Jones 1841
In the beginning of Texas during its time under Mexico as well as the first years of the Republic, there was little involvement or need for partisan politics. Most of the Tejano settlers in Texas had belonged to the liberal faction of Mexican politics and there was little opposition in Coahuila to the party's power. In addition most of the American settlers who had immigrated were former southern Democrats, who were all roughly in the same mindset fiscally and socially. Thus, the politics that went on in Texas mostly consisted of disputes, negotiations, and agreements between the men and women of the various counties who all vied for their common interests. This system would change after Texas's independence with the formation of two factions within the government, the nationalists and unionists. The nationalists led by Lamar largely represented the interests of the frontier settlers and would later be joined by the German, Catholics, and half of the Tejano population. The official policies of the nationalist layed upon full exploitation of the California territory, expulsion of hostile Indian tribes and extensive settlement of the west, protectionist trade, high spending on education, increased industrialization, and a large standing military. The Unionists meanwhile primarily advocated for statehood to the United States and were generally in the more liberal side of politics. There support was drawn from American immigrants, Native Americans, French, Mormons, New Mexico and California, and the liberal Tejanos. Their official policies were based upon annexation, peace with the Indians, large support for the agriculture industry, free trade, good relations with neighbors, and fiscal savings on the budget. At first the Unionists were in control of the government with many of the first congressmen being Americans who wanted a return to the United States as well as Revolution veterans who had served under Houston's command. Ironically for each law that the Unionist dominated congress passed that benefited Texas, the nationalists gained strength and popularity among the electorate. Citizens of Texas were beginning to become patriotic for their new land and with each domestic and foreign success that was achieved in Houston's two terms, the public began to become increasingly distant from the idea of annexation. When Van Buren was assassinated and the Whigs took power in the United States, it seemed that the issue of annexation would come to an end with politics eventually shifting towards a conservative vs. liberal divide. That was not the case though as President Sam Houston stubbornly refused to back down on his stance of annexation and continued to seek annexation. Many Texan historians over the years have attempted to find out the exact reason why Houston refused to fully support Texas independence. Some say that Houston wanted for Texas to be annexed so that he could gain political power to one day be President of the United States, others claimed that he wanted for Texas to enter the union so that slavery could extend to the Pacific, most however agree that Houston wanted for Texas to become a state out of fears of a future Mexican invasion and the desire to use federal support and the northern industry to give Texas an easier access to industrialization. Whatever the reason, as Houston continued to make speeches about the benefits of the Union many in Congress and the population began to worry. Most wondered why their President and war hero did not have faith in the successful republic and was ready to surrender sovereignty. Did he never believe in Texas all along? It was in these conditions that Lamar and the nationalists began to reach popularity as soon thousands of citizens all across the Republic pledged their allegiance to the nationalist cause. Using his newfound influence Lamar called a meeting of likeminded politicians in the beginning of July 1840 and called for the founding of a political party that would represent the interests of the Texas people first and foremost, defending their freedom and independence. After several days debating on party structure the Republican Party was born on July 14th, 1840. The Republicans named themselves as such due to their nationalist ideals in representing the Republic (and more importantly the state of Texas) first and foremost. At first Houston laughed at the party and called them a bunch of backwards idealists who would not stand a chance against his coalition. Houston soon found his worse fears to came true though as in the 1840 congressional elections through either direct election or induction to the party by incumbent politicians; the House of representatives now comprised of 2/3rds republicans (36/54) while the Republican party maintained a slight majority in the senate (15/25). The worst betrayal to Houston was when Senator Juan Seguin announced his intentions to join the Republican party, this defection caused Houston to lose the Tejano vote as the Mexican settlers of Texas would listen to the will of Seguin no matter what side he was on. On September 30th Lamar officially announced his candidacy for President of Texas with David Burnett as his running mate. Houston now found himself running in a battle against his vice-president, in an election that would nowhere be easy as his last one.
The Lone Star Bull. A popular symbol of the Republican party.
Despite the intense rivalry between the two candidates the 1841 Texas Presidential Elections were a rather civil affair. While both sides openly attacked each other in criticism and slander, with Lamar calling Houston a traitorous Judas and Houston calling Lamar a wild madman, there were no open brawls between both sides and the supporters of both factions hardly ever went into a gunfight on their positions. Rather it was a battle of stamina and wits to see who could convince the people of Texas that they were the man best suited for the job. Lamar used his control of congress to bail out on the congressional session and traveled across Texas gathering support for his election. With a retinue of Texas Rangers for protection, Lamar went all across the frontier, visiting local farms, making speech at church sermons, conversing with the average merchant and the lowliest Tejano farmer. These actions earned Lamar much respect and love from the common people as they saw him as an honest politician who fought for the little man instead of the plantation aristocrats in the east. Lamar also took the effort to send party members west to Santa Fe and Monterrey in order to secure as many votes as possible from the new territories, as Texas's low population at the time necessitated for every vote to count. Since Houston had far more duties as President he was forced to stay behind in Austin, sending out close friends such as Robert Wilson and Anson Jones to campaign on his behalf to the Texan people. Despite Lamar's energetic campaign Houston was for the most part confident of his win. Both of his past elections had resulted in a resounding landslide that carried him to the President's mansion. The man was the leader and hero of the revolution, he could rely on votes from the newly enfranchised Indian citizens and the large amount of American immigrants east. While Houston's popularity was so high his inaction would come to be a major factor in the election as it gave Lamar increasing support while Houston's base was static. Perhaps the most important event of the campaign was the first ever Presidential debate which commenced on May 16th between both Houston and Lamar in San Antonio. Houston started to worry about Lamar's chances and sought to end his opposition by trumping against Lamar in front of the people against Texas in a debate that would prove all of Houston's successes. This move for Houston backfired as Lamar came to the debate prepared and spoke with a firey passion and knowledge of affairs that only later U.S President Abraham Lincoln could possibly match. Lamar was able to in front of a live audience of over 1000 people answer each and every question and fire back at Houston's retorts and criticisms. It was here that the public would learn of Houston's faults such as his refusal to initially receive California, continued refusals to expand the Navy and army until immense pressure for congress, and immense support for American immigration to Texas over other nations. It was the issue of annexation where Lamar firmly bested Houston where he continually demanded why Houston sought to enter the Union when Texas was doing fine on its own. Whenever Houston attempted to give a valid reason or could not find a valid counterargument the crowd quickly went against him. The most remembered part of the debates was Lamar's final attack against Houston's annexation desire, where he said "This the people of Texas, is a man who is willing to sell out his own country to a stronger nation for personal gain. A man who does not seek to make his country great but rather restrain it in its infancy. This man who you call president is but a disgrace to the office. Now I ask you once again ladies and gentlemen, who will you choose? A Judas for the Republic, or a man who will save it." Despite popular misconception that the debate ruined Houston's image (as he still had a strong following across the country with many finding logic in his arguments), the debate firmly put Lamar in the forefront and Houston under constant attack as the debate's contents was spread throughout the nation's newspaper system. For the next four months both men gave it their all for their campaign. Traveling all across the country seeking votes to grant them the highest office. The results of their work were revealed on September 6th, as with little more than 151 votes ahead, the closest election in the nation's history. Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was elected as the second President of Texas.
Mirabeau Lamar. 2nd President of the Republic of Texas
To say that the results of the election had deeply divided the country was quite the understatement. One half rose in celebration as they believed the Republic had been protected and their independence guaranteed for years to come. While the other half lamented in sorrow and with fear that immense change was about to come to Texas. Houston spent his last two months in power quickly trying to use every effort to get his final laws passed and his supporters placed in power of bureaucratic and judicial positions. Indian tribes who were previously in the middle of the process of citizenship rushed to get their approval finalized in fear of Lamar's wrath at inauguration. Americans chose to finalize their ties with the United States as there was no chance of Texas becoming a state any longer. Houston himself was in a state of shock as he was so sure of his victory and now found his biggest opponent soon holding an office that was his. While many were left paralyzed by the results others chose to take action. Doctor Anson Jones chose to call a meeting with various men of Houston's supporters on October 1st to formulate a plan to deal with the new government. There the men in similarity to Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans, vowed to undertake every effort to preserve the peace and advance of reforms so far that they had achieved in the last five years. These men vowed to oppose Lamar on all fronts and when the next election came in three years to unseat him from power. United they would stand and guide all of the west to liberty and prosperity. The Western Union Party was born.
Results of the 1841 Texas Presidential Election
Lamar/Burnett (R): 8972 50.4%
Houston/Wilson (I): 8821 49.6%
"God help our country now that the fool is in power."- President Sam Houston 1841
"For Freedom. For the Republic. For Texas."- Slogan of the Republican Party 1841
"We all know that with Lamar in charge the country will suffer greatly. Everything that we've worked for to this point will be for naught if those damn Republicans lead the nation to a path of ruin. So I say we start our own party. A united party that will stand together in defiance to protect our rights, our representation, and our liberty. The Western Union Party."- Doctor Anson Jones 1841
In the beginning of Texas during its time under Mexico as well as the first years of the Republic, there was little involvement or need for partisan politics. Most of the Tejano settlers in Texas had belonged to the liberal faction of Mexican politics and there was little opposition in Coahuila to the party's power. In addition most of the American settlers who had immigrated were former southern Democrats, who were all roughly in the same mindset fiscally and socially. Thus, the politics that went on in Texas mostly consisted of disputes, negotiations, and agreements between the men and women of the various counties who all vied for their common interests. This system would change after Texas's independence with the formation of two factions within the government, the nationalists and unionists. The nationalists led by Lamar largely represented the interests of the frontier settlers and would later be joined by the German, Catholics, and half of the Tejano population. The official policies of the nationalist layed upon full exploitation of the California territory, expulsion of hostile Indian tribes and extensive settlement of the west, protectionist trade, high spending on education, increased industrialization, and a large standing military. The Unionists meanwhile primarily advocated for statehood to the United States and were generally in the more liberal side of politics. There support was drawn from American immigrants, Native Americans, French, Mormons, New Mexico and California, and the liberal Tejanos. Their official policies were based upon annexation, peace with the Indians, large support for the agriculture industry, free trade, good relations with neighbors, and fiscal savings on the budget. At first the Unionists were in control of the government with many of the first congressmen being Americans who wanted a return to the United States as well as Revolution veterans who had served under Houston's command. Ironically for each law that the Unionist dominated congress passed that benefited Texas, the nationalists gained strength and popularity among the electorate. Citizens of Texas were beginning to become patriotic for their new land and with each domestic and foreign success that was achieved in Houston's two terms, the public began to become increasingly distant from the idea of annexation. When Van Buren was assassinated and the Whigs took power in the United States, it seemed that the issue of annexation would come to an end with politics eventually shifting towards a conservative vs. liberal divide. That was not the case though as President Sam Houston stubbornly refused to back down on his stance of annexation and continued to seek annexation. Many Texan historians over the years have attempted to find out the exact reason why Houston refused to fully support Texas independence. Some say that Houston wanted for Texas to be annexed so that he could gain political power to one day be President of the United States, others claimed that he wanted for Texas to enter the union so that slavery could extend to the Pacific, most however agree that Houston wanted for Texas to become a state out of fears of a future Mexican invasion and the desire to use federal support and the northern industry to give Texas an easier access to industrialization. Whatever the reason, as Houston continued to make speeches about the benefits of the Union many in Congress and the population began to worry. Most wondered why their President and war hero did not have faith in the successful republic and was ready to surrender sovereignty. Did he never believe in Texas all along? It was in these conditions that Lamar and the nationalists began to reach popularity as soon thousands of citizens all across the Republic pledged their allegiance to the nationalist cause. Using his newfound influence Lamar called a meeting of likeminded politicians in the beginning of July 1840 and called for the founding of a political party that would represent the interests of the Texas people first and foremost, defending their freedom and independence. After several days debating on party structure the Republican Party was born on July 14th, 1840. The Republicans named themselves as such due to their nationalist ideals in representing the Republic (and more importantly the state of Texas) first and foremost. At first Houston laughed at the party and called them a bunch of backwards idealists who would not stand a chance against his coalition. Houston soon found his worse fears to came true though as in the 1840 congressional elections through either direct election or induction to the party by incumbent politicians; the House of representatives now comprised of 2/3rds republicans (36/54) while the Republican party maintained a slight majority in the senate (15/25). The worst betrayal to Houston was when Senator Juan Seguin announced his intentions to join the Republican party, this defection caused Houston to lose the Tejano vote as the Mexican settlers of Texas would listen to the will of Seguin no matter what side he was on. On September 30th Lamar officially announced his candidacy for President of Texas with David Burnett as his running mate. Houston now found himself running in a battle against his vice-president, in an election that would nowhere be easy as his last one.
The Lone Star Bull. A popular symbol of the Republican party.
Despite the intense rivalry between the two candidates the 1841 Texas Presidential Elections were a rather civil affair. While both sides openly attacked each other in criticism and slander, with Lamar calling Houston a traitorous Judas and Houston calling Lamar a wild madman, there were no open brawls between both sides and the supporters of both factions hardly ever went into a gunfight on their positions. Rather it was a battle of stamina and wits to see who could convince the people of Texas that they were the man best suited for the job. Lamar used his control of congress to bail out on the congressional session and traveled across Texas gathering support for his election. With a retinue of Texas Rangers for protection, Lamar went all across the frontier, visiting local farms, making speech at church sermons, conversing with the average merchant and the lowliest Tejano farmer. These actions earned Lamar much respect and love from the common people as they saw him as an honest politician who fought for the little man instead of the plantation aristocrats in the east. Lamar also took the effort to send party members west to Santa Fe and Monterrey in order to secure as many votes as possible from the new territories, as Texas's low population at the time necessitated for every vote to count. Since Houston had far more duties as President he was forced to stay behind in Austin, sending out close friends such as Robert Wilson and Anson Jones to campaign on his behalf to the Texan people. Despite Lamar's energetic campaign Houston was for the most part confident of his win. Both of his past elections had resulted in a resounding landslide that carried him to the President's mansion. The man was the leader and hero of the revolution, he could rely on votes from the newly enfranchised Indian citizens and the large amount of American immigrants east. While Houston's popularity was so high his inaction would come to be a major factor in the election as it gave Lamar increasing support while Houston's base was static. Perhaps the most important event of the campaign was the first ever Presidential debate which commenced on May 16th between both Houston and Lamar in San Antonio. Houston started to worry about Lamar's chances and sought to end his opposition by trumping against Lamar in front of the people against Texas in a debate that would prove all of Houston's successes. This move for Houston backfired as Lamar came to the debate prepared and spoke with a firey passion and knowledge of affairs that only later U.S President Abraham Lincoln could possibly match. Lamar was able to in front of a live audience of over 1000 people answer each and every question and fire back at Houston's retorts and criticisms. It was here that the public would learn of Houston's faults such as his refusal to initially receive California, continued refusals to expand the Navy and army until immense pressure for congress, and immense support for American immigration to Texas over other nations. It was the issue of annexation where Lamar firmly bested Houston where he continually demanded why Houston sought to enter the Union when Texas was doing fine on its own. Whenever Houston attempted to give a valid reason or could not find a valid counterargument the crowd quickly went against him. The most remembered part of the debates was Lamar's final attack against Houston's annexation desire, where he said "This the people of Texas, is a man who is willing to sell out his own country to a stronger nation for personal gain. A man who does not seek to make his country great but rather restrain it in its infancy. This man who you call president is but a disgrace to the office. Now I ask you once again ladies and gentlemen, who will you choose? A Judas for the Republic, or a man who will save it." Despite popular misconception that the debate ruined Houston's image (as he still had a strong following across the country with many finding logic in his arguments), the debate firmly put Lamar in the forefront and Houston under constant attack as the debate's contents was spread throughout the nation's newspaper system. For the next four months both men gave it their all for their campaign. Traveling all across the country seeking votes to grant them the highest office. The results of their work were revealed on September 6th, as with little more than 151 votes ahead, the closest election in the nation's history. Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was elected as the second President of Texas.
Mirabeau Lamar. 2nd President of the Republic of Texas
To say that the results of the election had deeply divided the country was quite the understatement. One half rose in celebration as they believed the Republic had been protected and their independence guaranteed for years to come. While the other half lamented in sorrow and with fear that immense change was about to come to Texas. Houston spent his last two months in power quickly trying to use every effort to get his final laws passed and his supporters placed in power of bureaucratic and judicial positions. Indian tribes who were previously in the middle of the process of citizenship rushed to get their approval finalized in fear of Lamar's wrath at inauguration. Americans chose to finalize their ties with the United States as there was no chance of Texas becoming a state any longer. Houston himself was in a state of shock as he was so sure of his victory and now found his biggest opponent soon holding an office that was his. While many were left paralyzed by the results others chose to take action. Doctor Anson Jones chose to call a meeting with various men of Houston's supporters on October 1st to formulate a plan to deal with the new government. There the men in similarity to Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans, vowed to undertake every effort to preserve the peace and advance of reforms so far that they had achieved in the last five years. These men vowed to oppose Lamar on all fronts and when the next election came in three years to unseat him from power. United they would stand and guide all of the west to liberty and prosperity. The Western Union Party was born.
Results of the 1841 Texas Presidential Election
Lamar/Burnett (R): 8972 50.4%
Houston/Wilson (I): 8821 49.6%
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As I am sure many in TTL would say, I would love to have been able to watch the Houston-Lamar debate. Good update.