Mexican war, Geuatemala war, so many wars in Central America's future. And so many teasers for them.
Lone Star Republic
- Thread starter Kaiser Chris
- Start date
If your filled with anticipation for that then just wait until you see the shitstorm that i have planned for 1846, expect the 1848 revolutions with MAJOR divergences. By the way congrats on being my 100th reply! Here's a free cookie:
Will post an update later today.
Chapter 21 The Guatemala War
Chapter 21 The Guatemala War
"You see this is what a good ally does, actively conquer territories to increase your sphere of influence."- King Louis Phillipe I 1838.
"Defending freedom from coast to coast."- motto of the Texan Navy
"We are finally free! We are strong and mighty once more."- Doctor Diego Cortes 1838
The Guatemala War has been remembered throughout western history as one of the major turning points of geopolitics within Latin America. From this war two nations of Texas and Yucatan would emerge as regional powers that would become a force to reckon with for nearby nations who had hoped to encroach upon the new sovereign territories. Upon the great Mayan revolt of July 2nd, half of Central America became embroiled in war as the creole populations of the newly independent nations soon found themselves under siege from masses of Mayan rebels who fought fiercely to establish their own nation just as the separatists had weeks earlier. Within a few weeks both Los Altos and El Salvador had fallen to the rebels as these two countries had the lowest population and poorest armies compared to the others. Guatemala and Honduras had both put up a fierce fight due to the former being the old center of the USCA, and the latter having a smaller number of Mayans compared to the other nations. Notable battles of this time period include the assault on Guatemala City as the battle took place after a large assault by 2500 Mayans on the 6th, the battle ending a draw after 5 days due to intense fighting from both sides in the urban center, and the Battle of Copan in Honduras where the Honduran militia was able to drive the Mayan rebels out of the country and into Guatemala, unfortunately worsening the situation in Guatemala and giving the war its name with the majority of the fighting taking place there. For most of August, Guatemala became a land of attrition as a guerilla warfare raged throughout the countryside with the Mayans performing tense hit and run tactics on Guatemalan troops and supplies, then running back into the cover of the jungles when reinforcements came. It should be noted that atrocities were committed by both sides of the wars as the Mayan rebels would often target rich, creole landowners who had come to abuse their power against the natives over the years, often burning their fields and ransacking their houses for loot. Meanwhile, the Guatemalans would react violently to raids and would often commit massacres against native villages and execute rebel prisoners. By August 1st, the whole country was divided as the rebels held control of the countryside and rural villages, while the Guatemalans had managed to retain control of the capitol, the Guatemalan department, and the coast after fighting off waves of rebel attacks, only managing to win due to superior marksmanship. This would mark a stalemate for the rest of August as each side struggled to gain control of their territory while the Hondurans had marched into the nation after securing their borders and eliminating any large scale resistance.
This state of affairs would be broken as the Army of the Yucatan marched south on September 4th in order to "liberate" their oppressed brethren. In just two months alone the Yucatan had managed to secure an impressive 15,000 troops. All were veterans of the revolution in one way or another while a majority of the newly formed army was made up of Mayans who enlisted in droves to achieve their new desire of unification. The army would also be equipped with the latest in French weaponry as the local French garrison had been more then happy to lend their support to the cause, as well as King Louis having sent a ship full of arms to Merida after receiving a letter in June from Barbachano detailing their plans of conquest, most of these weapons were surplus from the Algerian expeditions anyways. As King Louis would say "we might as well allow our clients to expand and make a profit at it." The army which was led by General Santiago Iman, split into 3 groups; with army group south composed of 4000 men to consolidate the pacific, army group north of 3000 men who were ordered to block the Gulf, and army group central of 8000 men whose main mission was to head to Guatemala City and conquer the capitol. The tide of the war turned immediately as the battle proved veterans of the Yucatan were quick to overrun the poorly trained Guatemalan defenders. On September 10th, the siege of Guatemala commenced as the entirety of the capitol department laid under siege from the 10000 strong Yucatan army (2000 were from the rebel camp). For thirty days and nights the brave Guatemalan defenders held strong as they were under constant artillery bombardment by the Yucatan. This served to severely damage the city as the Yucatan made several raids during day and night time to severely destroy Guatemalan morale and eliminate any resources that they could use to withstand the siege. The purpose of holding a prolonged siege instead of immediate assaulting the capitol with their superior numbers was so that the remainder of the Yucatan army and rebels could swarm the rest of the country and cut off the capitol from the outside world. This strategy was able to work as the Yucatan army was able to reach the Honduran border on October 1st. From there they started the invasion of Honduras and were able to decisively defeat the Honduran army at the battle of Lake Isabel, where a 9000 strong Yucatan army was able to encircle and devastate the small 1500 strong Honduran army. Meanwhile with the populace of the capitol starving from the ongoing seige and disease starting to settle in, the Guatemalan government finally capitulated on October 10th directly to General Iman. Once word of this surrender spread to Honduras, President Jose Salinas surrendered on the 16th before the Yucatan army could reach the capitol and so the country could be saved. The treaty of Havana was later signed on November 11th, marking the end of the Guatemala War.
Siege of Guatemala
One important factor that lead to the defeat of the Central American Republics was the usage of the Texan Navy under Commodore Edwin Moore. The Navy had been originally founded during the Texan Revolution as a method of harassing the Mexican forces by hijacking supply ships and making quick hit and run tactics at the Mexican Navy. At the end of the war the Navy found no real enemies to fight with, with the exception of a few pirates in the Gulf. After the Texas Defense and Security Act was passed the Navy soon underwent a large construction program under the new leadership of Commodore Moore to prepare for the next possible war. They didn't have to wait long as President Houston pledged the support of the Texan Navy for the Guatemala War in order to meet the alliance and possibly gain a debt from Yucatan for future conflicts. With the opportunity to prove to the Texan people that their navy was necessary, Moore set sail from Galveston on July 20th with the entire fleet to achieve naval superiority for the conflict. Among the fleet was the schooners RTS Invincible, RTS Brutus, RTS Liberty, RTS Independence, RTS San Jacinto, RTS San Antonio, and RTS San Bernard; the brigs RTS Potomac and RTS Archer; and finally the flagship of the fleet the steamship RTS Zavala. The fleet would make its presence known on July 25h when it bombarded the small port town of Livingston, destroying the entire port as well as Guatemala's sole Atlantic schooner which was currently in dock at the time. For the next five days the Texan Navy would surround and raid the entire coastline, destroying and possible fishing and merchant boasts while bombarding all coastal defenses. On July 30th the fleet set sail east towards Honduras where they would repeat the same action. The only naval battle of the entire war would commence on August 10th when the RTS San Jacinto made contact with the only ships of the Honduran Navy off the coast of Islas de Bahia, one frigate and two schooners. After exchanging for thirty minutes fire the San Jacinto would then retreat westward, the Honduran Admiral Jose Martinez foolishly gave the order to chase under the assumption that San Jacinto was operating as a lone ship. This would be a trap however as the Honduran flotilla met the whole might of the Texan fleet after the San Jacinto retreated towards the fleets main positions. The Battle of Bahia would last a full 4 hours where after tireless chases and exchange fire between full sides, the entire Honduran fleet sank to the bottom of the ocean with less than 100 survivors being picked up by the Texan Navy. The San Jacinto would be badly damaged and forced to return to Galveston for the duration of the war while the Potomac and Brutus were lightly damaged. For the remainder of the war the Texan Navy would come to lay siege to the gulf coast of Guatemala and Honduras, often proving covering fire for the Yucatan forces or preventing any ships from escaping the miniature blockade. While most historians agree that the Texan Navy played little tactical overall in the war, their actions and victories against the enemy would soon give them full love and support from the entire republic, preventing any downsizing plans that would later be advocated by the Western Union Party. For Commodore Moore, the war was valuable experience in commanding a naval fleet that would prepare him for the Gulf campaign in the Mexican War.
Naval Jack of the Texas Navy (Right). RTS Zavala (Left)
When the Republic of the Yucatan laid out the terms of the Treaty of Havanna they were heavily severe. The short lived independence of Los Altos, El Salvador, and Guatemala would no longer exist as they were all annexed by the Yucatan. All of Honduras west of the Gulf de Fonseca would be annexed by the Yucatan. Yucatan would claim sovereignty over Belize. All Mayan civilian and property loss during the war would be payed by the guilty parties with a round of war tribunals for those who committed crimes against the Mayan rebels (though no such action would be taken against the wrongs committed by the Yucatan and Maya). The only benefit to this treaty for the defeated was the Yucatan paying $1 million Pesos for the Honduran territory. Back in Merida crowds gathered onto the streets with Iman and the veterans being celebrated as war heroes and liberators, while Barbachano was hailed as the great and wonderful El Presidente, securing his rule for most of the 1840's. While there would be some minor rebellions in the future by Mayan extremists who wanted full control of the country, for now the Mayan people rejoiced and celebrated as they finally had brought pride and strength back to their people. To this day Yucatan remains an remarkable cultural achievement in Latin America for being the only nation to have a Mestizo/Native majority yet become one of the most prosperous and stable nations on Earth. After the war Yucatan joined the ranks of the great nations and powers of the west. Most importantly, a strong alliance was born between a Lone Star Republic and the now nine star state.
Central America in the Aftermath of the Treaty of Havana
A/N: Map of Southwestern North America courtesy of Herricks.
"You see this is what a good ally does, actively conquer territories to increase your sphere of influence."- King Louis Phillipe I 1838.
"Defending freedom from coast to coast."- motto of the Texan Navy
"We are finally free! We are strong and mighty once more."- Doctor Diego Cortes 1838
The Guatemala War has been remembered throughout western history as one of the major turning points of geopolitics within Latin America. From this war two nations of Texas and Yucatan would emerge as regional powers that would become a force to reckon with for nearby nations who had hoped to encroach upon the new sovereign territories. Upon the great Mayan revolt of July 2nd, half of Central America became embroiled in war as the creole populations of the newly independent nations soon found themselves under siege from masses of Mayan rebels who fought fiercely to establish their own nation just as the separatists had weeks earlier. Within a few weeks both Los Altos and El Salvador had fallen to the rebels as these two countries had the lowest population and poorest armies compared to the others. Guatemala and Honduras had both put up a fierce fight due to the former being the old center of the USCA, and the latter having a smaller number of Mayans compared to the other nations. Notable battles of this time period include the assault on Guatemala City as the battle took place after a large assault by 2500 Mayans on the 6th, the battle ending a draw after 5 days due to intense fighting from both sides in the urban center, and the Battle of Copan in Honduras where the Honduran militia was able to drive the Mayan rebels out of the country and into Guatemala, unfortunately worsening the situation in Guatemala and giving the war its name with the majority of the fighting taking place there. For most of August, Guatemala became a land of attrition as a guerilla warfare raged throughout the countryside with the Mayans performing tense hit and run tactics on Guatemalan troops and supplies, then running back into the cover of the jungles when reinforcements came. It should be noted that atrocities were committed by both sides of the wars as the Mayan rebels would often target rich, creole landowners who had come to abuse their power against the natives over the years, often burning their fields and ransacking their houses for loot. Meanwhile, the Guatemalans would react violently to raids and would often commit massacres against native villages and execute rebel prisoners. By August 1st, the whole country was divided as the rebels held control of the countryside and rural villages, while the Guatemalans had managed to retain control of the capitol, the Guatemalan department, and the coast after fighting off waves of rebel attacks, only managing to win due to superior marksmanship. This would mark a stalemate for the rest of August as each side struggled to gain control of their territory while the Hondurans had marched into the nation after securing their borders and eliminating any large scale resistance.
This state of affairs would be broken as the Army of the Yucatan marched south on September 4th in order to "liberate" their oppressed brethren. In just two months alone the Yucatan had managed to secure an impressive 15,000 troops. All were veterans of the revolution in one way or another while a majority of the newly formed army was made up of Mayans who enlisted in droves to achieve their new desire of unification. The army would also be equipped with the latest in French weaponry as the local French garrison had been more then happy to lend their support to the cause, as well as King Louis having sent a ship full of arms to Merida after receiving a letter in June from Barbachano detailing their plans of conquest, most of these weapons were surplus from the Algerian expeditions anyways. As King Louis would say "we might as well allow our clients to expand and make a profit at it." The army which was led by General Santiago Iman, split into 3 groups; with army group south composed of 4000 men to consolidate the pacific, army group north of 3000 men who were ordered to block the Gulf, and army group central of 8000 men whose main mission was to head to Guatemala City and conquer the capitol. The tide of the war turned immediately as the battle proved veterans of the Yucatan were quick to overrun the poorly trained Guatemalan defenders. On September 10th, the siege of Guatemala commenced as the entirety of the capitol department laid under siege from the 10000 strong Yucatan army (2000 were from the rebel camp). For thirty days and nights the brave Guatemalan defenders held strong as they were under constant artillery bombardment by the Yucatan. This served to severely damage the city as the Yucatan made several raids during day and night time to severely destroy Guatemalan morale and eliminate any resources that they could use to withstand the siege. The purpose of holding a prolonged siege instead of immediate assaulting the capitol with their superior numbers was so that the remainder of the Yucatan army and rebels could swarm the rest of the country and cut off the capitol from the outside world. This strategy was able to work as the Yucatan army was able to reach the Honduran border on October 1st. From there they started the invasion of Honduras and were able to decisively defeat the Honduran army at the battle of Lake Isabel, where a 9000 strong Yucatan army was able to encircle and devastate the small 1500 strong Honduran army. Meanwhile with the populace of the capitol starving from the ongoing seige and disease starting to settle in, the Guatemalan government finally capitulated on October 10th directly to General Iman. Once word of this surrender spread to Honduras, President Jose Salinas surrendered on the 16th before the Yucatan army could reach the capitol and so the country could be saved. The treaty of Havana was later signed on November 11th, marking the end of the Guatemala War.
Siege of Guatemala
One important factor that lead to the defeat of the Central American Republics was the usage of the Texan Navy under Commodore Edwin Moore. The Navy had been originally founded during the Texan Revolution as a method of harassing the Mexican forces by hijacking supply ships and making quick hit and run tactics at the Mexican Navy. At the end of the war the Navy found no real enemies to fight with, with the exception of a few pirates in the Gulf. After the Texas Defense and Security Act was passed the Navy soon underwent a large construction program under the new leadership of Commodore Moore to prepare for the next possible war. They didn't have to wait long as President Houston pledged the support of the Texan Navy for the Guatemala War in order to meet the alliance and possibly gain a debt from Yucatan for future conflicts. With the opportunity to prove to the Texan people that their navy was necessary, Moore set sail from Galveston on July 20th with the entire fleet to achieve naval superiority for the conflict. Among the fleet was the schooners RTS Invincible, RTS Brutus, RTS Liberty, RTS Independence, RTS San Jacinto, RTS San Antonio, and RTS San Bernard; the brigs RTS Potomac and RTS Archer; and finally the flagship of the fleet the steamship RTS Zavala. The fleet would make its presence known on July 25h when it bombarded the small port town of Livingston, destroying the entire port as well as Guatemala's sole Atlantic schooner which was currently in dock at the time. For the next five days the Texan Navy would surround and raid the entire coastline, destroying and possible fishing and merchant boasts while bombarding all coastal defenses. On July 30th the fleet set sail east towards Honduras where they would repeat the same action. The only naval battle of the entire war would commence on August 10th when the RTS San Jacinto made contact with the only ships of the Honduran Navy off the coast of Islas de Bahia, one frigate and two schooners. After exchanging for thirty minutes fire the San Jacinto would then retreat westward, the Honduran Admiral Jose Martinez foolishly gave the order to chase under the assumption that San Jacinto was operating as a lone ship. This would be a trap however as the Honduran flotilla met the whole might of the Texan fleet after the San Jacinto retreated towards the fleets main positions. The Battle of Bahia would last a full 4 hours where after tireless chases and exchange fire between full sides, the entire Honduran fleet sank to the bottom of the ocean with less than 100 survivors being picked up by the Texan Navy. The San Jacinto would be badly damaged and forced to return to Galveston for the duration of the war while the Potomac and Brutus were lightly damaged. For the remainder of the war the Texan Navy would come to lay siege to the gulf coast of Guatemala and Honduras, often proving covering fire for the Yucatan forces or preventing any ships from escaping the miniature blockade. While most historians agree that the Texan Navy played little tactical overall in the war, their actions and victories against the enemy would soon give them full love and support from the entire republic, preventing any downsizing plans that would later be advocated by the Western Union Party. For Commodore Moore, the war was valuable experience in commanding a naval fleet that would prepare him for the Gulf campaign in the Mexican War.
Naval Jack of the Texas Navy (Right). RTS Zavala (Left)
When the Republic of the Yucatan laid out the terms of the Treaty of Havanna they were heavily severe. The short lived independence of Los Altos, El Salvador, and Guatemala would no longer exist as they were all annexed by the Yucatan. All of Honduras west of the Gulf de Fonseca would be annexed by the Yucatan. Yucatan would claim sovereignty over Belize. All Mayan civilian and property loss during the war would be payed by the guilty parties with a round of war tribunals for those who committed crimes against the Mayan rebels (though no such action would be taken against the wrongs committed by the Yucatan and Maya). The only benefit to this treaty for the defeated was the Yucatan paying $1 million Pesos for the Honduran territory. Back in Merida crowds gathered onto the streets with Iman and the veterans being celebrated as war heroes and liberators, while Barbachano was hailed as the great and wonderful El Presidente, securing his rule for most of the 1840's. While there would be some minor rebellions in the future by Mayan extremists who wanted full control of the country, for now the Mayan people rejoiced and celebrated as they finally had brought pride and strength back to their people. To this day Yucatan remains an remarkable cultural achievement in Latin America for being the only nation to have a Mestizo/Native majority yet become one of the most prosperous and stable nations on Earth. After the war Yucatan joined the ranks of the great nations and powers of the west. Most importantly, a strong alliance was born between a Lone Star Republic and the now nine star state.
Central America in the Aftermath of the Treaty of Havana
A/N: Map of Southwestern North America courtesy of Herricks.
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Britis Honduras was a unofficial "protectorate" until 1862 or thereabouts. Even today the south is still claimed by geuatemala.
The British will probably let them have it to avoid conflict with france, maybe they will demand a better trade agreement of some small momentary compensation but nothing major.
The map looks mutch better but still kinda sloppy, I would suggest using a Basemaps (like the ones on the wiki) with clear pixels beacuse that will edit way better. Nice update!
Herricks: I should probably explain some things about Belize. You see the area was until 1862 an unofficial protectorate of the British Empire where they maintained a small trading outpost and just claimed the area was theirs. It's not even a strong claim really as its just based off of a treaty with Spain in the 1700's where the British got logging and fishing rights to the area. Thus when the Guatemala War begins, Yucatan instantly claims the area as theirs as there is a ton of Mayan people living there. Britain doesn't freak out or declare war because of the fact that they never really had a strong presence in the territory, and the actions of the Mayan rebels proves that any British military action that would've been undertaken would be a long and bloody war of attrition over a worthless piece of land. Also like Cool-Eh said if they did anything it would've lead to war with Spain. So here is what officially happened. After the Guatemala War Britain enters into negotiations with the Yucatan where the are able to keep a Hong Kong style port in Belize and retain fishing and logging rights within the new state, in return Britain recognizes Yucatan's claim to the land.
Cool-Eh: Once again I'm deeply sorry for the poor quality map. It's just that I tried to use both GIMP and Inkscape from the map forum. I ran into problems where I couldn't understand how to install Inkscape at all and GIMP was just a bloody mess to work upon, even with help from the tutorials. I debated on whether or not to include a map or put a better quality one at a later date, but one thing that always gets me about TL's is when the author includes a grand and epic war with lots of territorial changes but doesn't bother to release any kind of world map to help the reader understand the changes. So i decided that a crap map is better than no map. If you have any suggestions for a good map program then feel free to tell me and I'll do my best to upload new maps with better quality. The problem is I have a Mac so the availability of programs to use is limited.
Thanks for commenting and stick around for future updates. Glory to the Republic!
I'm inclined to agree with sentiments as I always like having a visual. Anywho, don't let map talk get to you. In time you'll find yourself making good ones, sometimes in spite of the paint program you use. Just got to keep at it.
Brunaburh
Gone Fishin'
Interesting stuff.
Just a quick correction for anachronism, in your early post you have Santa Anna calling the English-speaking Texans "Anglos". You should really change that to "Norteamericanos", "Americans", "Ingleses" or "English". Or, of course, "gringos". Anglo is a concept and word that developed in 20th century US as a shorter form of "Anglo-American", if there are no Hispanic Americans, which there weren't in 1835, there is no need for the term.
Just a quick correction for anachronism, in your early post you have Santa Anna calling the English-speaking Texans "Anglos". You should really change that to "Norteamericanos", "Americans", "Ingleses" or "English". Or, of course, "gringos". Anglo is a concept and word that developed in 20th century US as a shorter form of "Anglo-American", if there are no Hispanic Americans, which there weren't in 1835, there is no need for the term.
Hello everyone. I'm going to be posting the next chapter tomorrow but I have an important question as it is in relation to the subject of Chapter 22, Indians in the Republic. And that is should i refer to Native Americans in my posts as Native Americans or Indians? I know the proper term is Native American but seeing as this is a Texas TL it might be appropriate to call them Indians. Also while i do have plans for Indian independence from Britain, I don't know if I want to call it India or some other alternate name such as Hindustan or Baluchistan. If i call India by an alternate term then that might make it okay to call Native Americans Indians. Also i don't know whether the term "Native American" would be appropriate in Texas since they're Texan, not American. Let me know your opinion in the comments so that way when i post Chapter 22 the terms will match in the long run and i won't offend anyone.
Call them Indian's. its the 19th Century and doesn't take as long to type out. or natives
I would second herricks reasponse except for in cases when you have mentioned actuall Indians at the same time, also my understanding is that "Native American" refers to the continent of America not the U.S.A specifically.
Chapter 22 Indians in the Republic
Chapter 22 Indians in the Republic
"We must undertake all effort to remove the Indian threat from our lands at once!"- Vice President Mirabeau B. Lamar 1838
"If Texas wants the bloody Indians then I say we let them have them."- President Richard Mentor Johnson 1838
"The White man speaks of freedom, yet he gives none to us."- Quannah Parker 1876
Due to the fact that the Republic of Texas entered as a nation with less than 50,000 settlers and inherited lands with tens of thousands of Indians, expansion and conflict was bound to happen at some point. Unlike the Untied States, Texas simply did not have the manpower or resources to go on a war for expansion and eliminate the power of the frontier tribes. Even the reinforcement of the French military's wasn't that much of a help as their past colonial experiences taught that it was more beneficial to live in peace and trade than to declare war, thus they would only respond to attacks against Texas citizens rather than go on the offense. Thus, Houston saw that the best solution to the Indian problem was for Texas to try its hand at diplomacy and at the very least get the various tribes to be put to good work as citizens of the Republic under the Indian Citizenship Initiative. To say that everyone on both sides were okay with the new proposal is a far cry from reality. Lamar and a significant portion of the Texas Congress were against any and all moves to citizenship that would grant the tribes equal rights in the nation. While many of the tribes, especially the Comanche and Apache, thought that it would be more honorable to die in combat against the white man rather than to submit their independence. Still, luckily for the nation there were people on both sides who did support the initiative. Many settlers in the frontier while not comfortable with the idea of Indian citizens, would rather see the motion go forward as it would guarantee for peaceful lives in the frontier and their property protected, while opening up many possible trade opportunities. While some among the Texas Indians saw this as the best choice they could have as there would be nowhere else to go with the United States and Mexico both having staunch anti native policies. This is the story of the various tribes of Texas.
Alabama-Coushatta: The Alabama-Coushatta are a dual tribe who as their name suggests come from the modern state of Alabama and were once an important tribe of the Creek Confederacy. When the British first expanded into the region after the Seven Years War the Alabama-Coushatta were the first tribe to leave the area, heading for the modern regions of Texas and Louisiana. The Texan group of the tribe would settle into Texas around the Trinity River and were active supporters of Texan Independence during the Revolution. In return for their loyal support to the Republic, Sam Houston gave the Alabama-Coushatta 6,000 acres of land to settle in East Texas. In later years the tribe would form a strong trade relationship with the growing city of Lamar and while the tribe's numbers have been reduced substantially, they are today one of the oldest living tribes within the Republic.
Apache: Unlike other Indian groups the Apache are to be best understood as not one single Indian tribe but rather a large and diverse culture with many different tribes spread out among the Southwest. The Apache were actually the largest Indian group within the Republic of Texas with the Comanche coming in at a close second. For many years the Apache have continuously fought against any form of Spanish colonization and have been known for their ferocity and efficiency in their raids, making them a large reason why the California and New Mexico territories were never largely colonized. In the aftermath of the Mexican Civil War, the Apache were able to thrive for several years, the reason being due to the immense chaos and instability within both Mexico and the Rio Grande, and the depletion of Mexico's military force during the war. During the 1840's the northern frontier of Sonora and Chihuahua were known to be hellholes to the Mexican citizens due to many families farms coming under raid from the Apache, forcing many to seek refuge within large towns or immigrate to Texas. Due to their ripe success in Mexico as well as Texas holding of little value, the Lipan Apache of Texas were more content to trade with the settlers and roam the plains in search of food rather than seek conflict. While their would be many skirmishes within Western Texas during the 1840's for the most part a general peace held with the help of French forts within the area. This small era of peace would be crushed as The California Gold Rush triggered a massive expansion west. With the rise of the railroads came the onset of the Apache Wars.
Apache Raiders
Caddo: For several centuries the Caddo Confederacy was the premier Indian power within the region. This large nation was made up of several tribes and lived a largely agricultural style as their people dominated the lands of the West Mississippi. The Caddo within Texas can primarily be found within East Texas near the United States border and until the 1800's had been living in near isolation due to the low amount of Spanish colonization in the region. When Mexico gained independence and formed the empressario system life changed for the Caddo as they found their ancestral lands being invaded by white settlers. Back east the situation was getting worse as American settlers filled the land with the creation of the states of Arkansas and Louisiana and sought to brutally drive out the Caddo to protect "their land". Lacking the warlike nature of the Comanche and the Apache, while being simultaneously devastated by disease, the Caddo sought the route of diplomacy with the Texas. When entering the Indian Citizenship Initiative the Caddo were given lands near the Sabine red rivers and soon formed profitable trading partnerships with French and American immigrants. Unfortunately the Caddo would be under intense pressure from assimilation and land speculators due to their presence in the most fertile and densely populated lands of Texas. Still though the Caddo have managed to persevere over the years and maintain the Caddo district near the Arkansas and Seqouyah border.
Caddo Nation Flag
Cherokee The Cherokee are perhaps one of the most well known Indian nations within North America due to their large history and status as one of the five civilized tribes. From the 1600's the Cherokee have had a long history of conflict with America as their lands occupied the southern region of the United States, with the Cherokee being one of the toughest opponents of the American colonists. Using tribal rivalries and help from the French, the Cherokee managed to stay independent for several decades only ceding small amounts of land to the British in major wars. Everything changed after the French and Indian War where the British arrived in full force and the new nation of the United States sought to completely decimate the Cherokee. In order to adapt the Cherokee adopted several aspects of western civilization and were willing to cooperate and live in peace with the United States. These dreams would be shattered in 1835 as President Jackson overrode the Supreme Court and kicked the Cherokee and other civilized tribes from their lands in the Southern United States, causing the Trail of Tears. When the Cherokee moved west many settled in Indian territory but others sought to travel to Texas as their were bands of Cherokee that had moved there in previous years to escape persecution. It was in Texas that the Cherokee would find their salvation as President Sam Houston was a former member of the Cherokee nation within Tennessee. Houston sought to save his Cherokee brethren from their fate of destruction and offered massive amounts of land to the Cherokee who were willing to settle in Texas. Indeed the Cherokee would be the most successful of the Indians as thousands would move to Texas where they would rebuild the Cherokee Nation and successfully integrate themselves within Texas society, playing prominent roles in the Mexican War and post-Mexican War settlement of the frontier. Conditions for the Cherokee would often be so good that Cherokee from Indian territory would often defect to Texas to seek a new life, something the Americans happily agreed to. Today the Cherokee are the largest Indian nation in Texas with 350,000 people and form a large role within the society of East and North Texas.
Flag of the Cherokee Nation
Comanche: The Comanche are perhaps the most infamous and popularized Indian Nation within Texas history. For years the Comanche had roamed the plains of West Texas where they were the dominant nation with their mastery of horseback riding and hunting, being given the nickname of the "Mongols of the West". So powerful where the Comanche that they had driven the Lipan Apache from their lands and for decades had prevented any form of settlement within Western Texas. They were truly a force to be reckoned with and were the long hated foes of the Texas Rangers. Naturally as expansion in Texas increased and the Indian Citizenship initiative was opened the people of Texas looked first to the Comanche to see their response. Surprisingly at the moment the Comanche were content. While they had no love for Texas the Comanche widely embraced the potential opportunities and power they now had in a nation that had far less power and control than Mexico. In most of the 1840's there was also little settlement of Western Texas which left the Comanche docile and had some formed trade with pioneers, though Comanche raids were still a common occurrence. When the ICI was announced many in the Comanche nation were split on the issue. Some saw the benefits that came with the program and thought that Comancheria could finally gain recognition as their territory within Texas. While other Comanche rejected any compromise with Texas and advocated a continuance of their current way of life. For now many Comanche were content to sign peace treaties with Austin and continue their buffalo hunts on the great plains. This fragile peace would soon be tested come the westward settlement in the 1850's and 1860's.
Map of Comancheria territory (Right) Image of Quannah Parker as leader of the Comanche in the game Civilization 5 (Left)
Lenape: The Lenape or Delaware Indians, are a tribe who unsurprisingly come from the state of Delaware. The Lenape were once a powerful nation in the eastern seaboard but over the centuries with British colonization and diseasae there numbers were severely reduced and their territory stripped for settlement by the Americans. Finding no hope within their homes in the east, the Lenape chose to head west and seek their fortunes in the frontier. The results of the Lenape migration would be mixed with many of the tribe playing vital roles in the settlement of Missouri and Kansas, though later being forced onto reservations within Seqouyah. The Lenape would find their best fortune within Texas as they would move to the area under the Spanish and would come to peacefully assimilate with the Spanish and later Mexican culture. When the Republic of Texas took charge the Lenape like the Alabama-Coushatta would welcome the new change peacefully. The Lenape would soon be appreciated in Texas as their people would often aid in settlement towards the west and were vital in the exploration of new lands in Texas. In fact for many decades Lenape scouts served alongside the Texas Rangers in keeping peace in the frontier and protecting settlers from hostile Indians. Benjamin McCulloh was even quoted as saying "I've fought many Indians over the years who I've always hated with a passion, the Lenape though have earned a place of respect for they are the true definition of a civilized man." Though the Lenapes numbers would gradually decrease over the years they are still beloved in Texas history and currently many reside within Lenape county outside the Houston area.
Wichita: The Wichita people are relatives to the Caddo who for years could be found within East Texas. They encompassed several tribes within the region including the Wichita, Keechi, Waco, Tavoyas, and Tawakoni. For many years the various Wichita tribes lived in peace on the frontier with their subsistence lifestyle and were so powerful that they received respect from the Comanche. In the latter part of the 18th century though the Wichita would come to find themselves under attack by disease and their numbers decreasing across the plains with increasing white expansion and conflicts with other tribes. This forced the Wichita to settle down in Texas where they made peace with the Spanish, overtime the grouping of the Wichita peoples together made them be known to outsiders as a single tribe of Wichita rather than a diverse group. The Wichita were willing to enter the ICI and established some settlements along the Brazos River and North Texas, the most famous of them being Wichita Falls, Texas.
Wichita Falls, Texas
Thanks to the unique position of Texas and the early peace movements by Houston, the Indians of Texas would overall find themselves in a better state compared to their American brethren. Unfortunately many Indian wars still raged on the frontier until the 1880's, though most of the Indian population were able to find a new home in Texas where they became civilized and were able to preserve their culture and territory within the Republic. The Indian Citizenship Initiative was so successful that even the American tribes of the Choctaw, Kiowani, and Chickasaw would want to migrate to Texas, with this movement being increased after the American Civil War. The Texan Indian has come to form a large role in the Southwestern identity of Texas with many Southwestern films depicting noble yet wild tribes of the frontier who were the first to settle the land. Today there are many Indian tribes and nations that can be found in Texas with each playing a prominent role in Southwestern culture as the Tejano or Southern groups.
A/N: This thread, IT'S ALIVE!!! Yeah everyone really sorry for not posting on Sunday like I promised, but writing this chapter was probably the hardest I've had to do and alot of IRL conflicts kept on getting in the way of me completing it. I'll try my best to get Chapters 23-25 completed on the weekend. By the way if anyone has any important non Texan/American events between 1836-1846 that they feel would change or be a good divergence in the TL please tell me and I'll see whether or not I shall include and change them before the 1846 Arc. Thanks once again for reading and loyally sticking around. Remember to comment down below and all input is welcome. Long live the Republic!
"We must undertake all effort to remove the Indian threat from our lands at once!"- Vice President Mirabeau B. Lamar 1838
"If Texas wants the bloody Indians then I say we let them have them."- President Richard Mentor Johnson 1838
"The White man speaks of freedom, yet he gives none to us."- Quannah Parker 1876
Due to the fact that the Republic of Texas entered as a nation with less than 50,000 settlers and inherited lands with tens of thousands of Indians, expansion and conflict was bound to happen at some point. Unlike the Untied States, Texas simply did not have the manpower or resources to go on a war for expansion and eliminate the power of the frontier tribes. Even the reinforcement of the French military's wasn't that much of a help as their past colonial experiences taught that it was more beneficial to live in peace and trade than to declare war, thus they would only respond to attacks against Texas citizens rather than go on the offense. Thus, Houston saw that the best solution to the Indian problem was for Texas to try its hand at diplomacy and at the very least get the various tribes to be put to good work as citizens of the Republic under the Indian Citizenship Initiative. To say that everyone on both sides were okay with the new proposal is a far cry from reality. Lamar and a significant portion of the Texas Congress were against any and all moves to citizenship that would grant the tribes equal rights in the nation. While many of the tribes, especially the Comanche and Apache, thought that it would be more honorable to die in combat against the white man rather than to submit their independence. Still, luckily for the nation there were people on both sides who did support the initiative. Many settlers in the frontier while not comfortable with the idea of Indian citizens, would rather see the motion go forward as it would guarantee for peaceful lives in the frontier and their property protected, while opening up many possible trade opportunities. While some among the Texas Indians saw this as the best choice they could have as there would be nowhere else to go with the United States and Mexico both having staunch anti native policies. This is the story of the various tribes of Texas.
Alabama-Coushatta: The Alabama-Coushatta are a dual tribe who as their name suggests come from the modern state of Alabama and were once an important tribe of the Creek Confederacy. When the British first expanded into the region after the Seven Years War the Alabama-Coushatta were the first tribe to leave the area, heading for the modern regions of Texas and Louisiana. The Texan group of the tribe would settle into Texas around the Trinity River and were active supporters of Texan Independence during the Revolution. In return for their loyal support to the Republic, Sam Houston gave the Alabama-Coushatta 6,000 acres of land to settle in East Texas. In later years the tribe would form a strong trade relationship with the growing city of Lamar and while the tribe's numbers have been reduced substantially, they are today one of the oldest living tribes within the Republic.
Apache: Unlike other Indian groups the Apache are to be best understood as not one single Indian tribe but rather a large and diverse culture with many different tribes spread out among the Southwest. The Apache were actually the largest Indian group within the Republic of Texas with the Comanche coming in at a close second. For many years the Apache have continuously fought against any form of Spanish colonization and have been known for their ferocity and efficiency in their raids, making them a large reason why the California and New Mexico territories were never largely colonized. In the aftermath of the Mexican Civil War, the Apache were able to thrive for several years, the reason being due to the immense chaos and instability within both Mexico and the Rio Grande, and the depletion of Mexico's military force during the war. During the 1840's the northern frontier of Sonora and Chihuahua were known to be hellholes to the Mexican citizens due to many families farms coming under raid from the Apache, forcing many to seek refuge within large towns or immigrate to Texas. Due to their ripe success in Mexico as well as Texas holding of little value, the Lipan Apache of Texas were more content to trade with the settlers and roam the plains in search of food rather than seek conflict. While their would be many skirmishes within Western Texas during the 1840's for the most part a general peace held with the help of French forts within the area. This small era of peace would be crushed as The California Gold Rush triggered a massive expansion west. With the rise of the railroads came the onset of the Apache Wars.
Apache Raiders
Caddo: For several centuries the Caddo Confederacy was the premier Indian power within the region. This large nation was made up of several tribes and lived a largely agricultural style as their people dominated the lands of the West Mississippi. The Caddo within Texas can primarily be found within East Texas near the United States border and until the 1800's had been living in near isolation due to the low amount of Spanish colonization in the region. When Mexico gained independence and formed the empressario system life changed for the Caddo as they found their ancestral lands being invaded by white settlers. Back east the situation was getting worse as American settlers filled the land with the creation of the states of Arkansas and Louisiana and sought to brutally drive out the Caddo to protect "their land". Lacking the warlike nature of the Comanche and the Apache, while being simultaneously devastated by disease, the Caddo sought the route of diplomacy with the Texas. When entering the Indian Citizenship Initiative the Caddo were given lands near the Sabine red rivers and soon formed profitable trading partnerships with French and American immigrants. Unfortunately the Caddo would be under intense pressure from assimilation and land speculators due to their presence in the most fertile and densely populated lands of Texas. Still though the Caddo have managed to persevere over the years and maintain the Caddo district near the Arkansas and Seqouyah border.
Caddo Nation Flag
Cherokee The Cherokee are perhaps one of the most well known Indian nations within North America due to their large history and status as one of the five civilized tribes. From the 1600's the Cherokee have had a long history of conflict with America as their lands occupied the southern region of the United States, with the Cherokee being one of the toughest opponents of the American colonists. Using tribal rivalries and help from the French, the Cherokee managed to stay independent for several decades only ceding small amounts of land to the British in major wars. Everything changed after the French and Indian War where the British arrived in full force and the new nation of the United States sought to completely decimate the Cherokee. In order to adapt the Cherokee adopted several aspects of western civilization and were willing to cooperate and live in peace with the United States. These dreams would be shattered in 1835 as President Jackson overrode the Supreme Court and kicked the Cherokee and other civilized tribes from their lands in the Southern United States, causing the Trail of Tears. When the Cherokee moved west many settled in Indian territory but others sought to travel to Texas as their were bands of Cherokee that had moved there in previous years to escape persecution. It was in Texas that the Cherokee would find their salvation as President Sam Houston was a former member of the Cherokee nation within Tennessee. Houston sought to save his Cherokee brethren from their fate of destruction and offered massive amounts of land to the Cherokee who were willing to settle in Texas. Indeed the Cherokee would be the most successful of the Indians as thousands would move to Texas where they would rebuild the Cherokee Nation and successfully integrate themselves within Texas society, playing prominent roles in the Mexican War and post-Mexican War settlement of the frontier. Conditions for the Cherokee would often be so good that Cherokee from Indian territory would often defect to Texas to seek a new life, something the Americans happily agreed to. Today the Cherokee are the largest Indian nation in Texas with 350,000 people and form a large role within the society of East and North Texas.
Flag of the Cherokee Nation
Comanche: The Comanche are perhaps the most infamous and popularized Indian Nation within Texas history. For years the Comanche had roamed the plains of West Texas where they were the dominant nation with their mastery of horseback riding and hunting, being given the nickname of the "Mongols of the West". So powerful where the Comanche that they had driven the Lipan Apache from their lands and for decades had prevented any form of settlement within Western Texas. They were truly a force to be reckoned with and were the long hated foes of the Texas Rangers. Naturally as expansion in Texas increased and the Indian Citizenship initiative was opened the people of Texas looked first to the Comanche to see their response. Surprisingly at the moment the Comanche were content. While they had no love for Texas the Comanche widely embraced the potential opportunities and power they now had in a nation that had far less power and control than Mexico. In most of the 1840's there was also little settlement of Western Texas which left the Comanche docile and had some formed trade with pioneers, though Comanche raids were still a common occurrence. When the ICI was announced many in the Comanche nation were split on the issue. Some saw the benefits that came with the program and thought that Comancheria could finally gain recognition as their territory within Texas. While other Comanche rejected any compromise with Texas and advocated a continuance of their current way of life. For now many Comanche were content to sign peace treaties with Austin and continue their buffalo hunts on the great plains. This fragile peace would soon be tested come the westward settlement in the 1850's and 1860's.
Map of Comancheria territory (Right) Image of Quannah Parker as leader of the Comanche in the game Civilization 5 (Left)
Lenape: The Lenape or Delaware Indians, are a tribe who unsurprisingly come from the state of Delaware. The Lenape were once a powerful nation in the eastern seaboard but over the centuries with British colonization and diseasae there numbers were severely reduced and their territory stripped for settlement by the Americans. Finding no hope within their homes in the east, the Lenape chose to head west and seek their fortunes in the frontier. The results of the Lenape migration would be mixed with many of the tribe playing vital roles in the settlement of Missouri and Kansas, though later being forced onto reservations within Seqouyah. The Lenape would find their best fortune within Texas as they would move to the area under the Spanish and would come to peacefully assimilate with the Spanish and later Mexican culture. When the Republic of Texas took charge the Lenape like the Alabama-Coushatta would welcome the new change peacefully. The Lenape would soon be appreciated in Texas as their people would often aid in settlement towards the west and were vital in the exploration of new lands in Texas. In fact for many decades Lenape scouts served alongside the Texas Rangers in keeping peace in the frontier and protecting settlers from hostile Indians. Benjamin McCulloh was even quoted as saying "I've fought many Indians over the years who I've always hated with a passion, the Lenape though have earned a place of respect for they are the true definition of a civilized man." Though the Lenapes numbers would gradually decrease over the years they are still beloved in Texas history and currently many reside within Lenape county outside the Houston area.
Wichita: The Wichita people are relatives to the Caddo who for years could be found within East Texas. They encompassed several tribes within the region including the Wichita, Keechi, Waco, Tavoyas, and Tawakoni. For many years the various Wichita tribes lived in peace on the frontier with their subsistence lifestyle and were so powerful that they received respect from the Comanche. In the latter part of the 18th century though the Wichita would come to find themselves under attack by disease and their numbers decreasing across the plains with increasing white expansion and conflicts with other tribes. This forced the Wichita to settle down in Texas where they made peace with the Spanish, overtime the grouping of the Wichita peoples together made them be known to outsiders as a single tribe of Wichita rather than a diverse group. The Wichita were willing to enter the ICI and established some settlements along the Brazos River and North Texas, the most famous of them being Wichita Falls, Texas.
Wichita Falls, Texas
Thanks to the unique position of Texas and the early peace movements by Houston, the Indians of Texas would overall find themselves in a better state compared to their American brethren. Unfortunately many Indian wars still raged on the frontier until the 1880's, though most of the Indian population were able to find a new home in Texas where they became civilized and were able to preserve their culture and territory within the Republic. The Indian Citizenship Initiative was so successful that even the American tribes of the Choctaw, Kiowani, and Chickasaw would want to migrate to Texas, with this movement being increased after the American Civil War. The Texan Indian has come to form a large role in the Southwestern identity of Texas with many Southwestern films depicting noble yet wild tribes of the frontier who were the first to settle the land. Today there are many Indian tribes and nations that can be found in Texas with each playing a prominent role in Southwestern culture as the Tejano or Southern groups.
A/N: This thread, IT'S ALIVE!!! Yeah everyone really sorry for not posting on Sunday like I promised, but writing this chapter was probably the hardest I've had to do and alot of IRL conflicts kept on getting in the way of me completing it. I'll try my best to get Chapters 23-25 completed on the weekend. By the way if anyone has any important non Texan/American events between 1836-1846 that they feel would change or be a good divergence in the TL please tell me and I'll see whether or not I shall include and change them before the 1846 Arc. Thanks once again for reading and loyally sticking around. Remember to comment down below and all input is welcome. Long live the Republic!
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I could see the Texan Army using the Indians as Scouts/Raiders and as the basis of the Special Forces.
With one big exception Texas is really doing well on civil rights. What remains to be seen (for now) is what happens when Texas is forced to deal with the issue of slavery and equality for its own citizens of African descent. Given the direction Texas seems to be going I hope it does better than the United States,* but if there is enough of a Southern exodus following the Civil War, and they gain enough clout in Texan politics there might be some sotrm clouds on Texas' horizon in the future. Anywho, good update.
*Which I half expect to have the same problems it did OTL, but Chris could always surprise us.
*Which I half expect to have the same problems it did OTL, but Chris could always surprise us.
Herricks: As a Texan I'll always strive to diversify the locations in my TL and show non-Texans that there's more to our state than just Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin.
Traveller76: The great part about this is that it was a completely OTL development. Even in the Mexican War there were some Comanche and Apache Indians who were scouts for the American Army. Unfortunately in Texas it came to an end when Lamar came to power and had his screw all the Indians policy. You know your comment actually gave me an idea to make a special forces unit for Texas in the 20th century that will probably be called the Comanche Raiders, I already have the a Texas Rangers specops unit in the works.
Pieman97495: The reason I posted Texas in this light is because of the fact the American population is low and Texas will have a ton of immigration from various countries and lots of potential conflicts with powerful tribes, there really won't be any time for bullshit racism. Thus many of the American Texans will have to suck it up and learn to live together with other races and ethnicities. Due to the fact that Texas will become very multicultural with no dominant people, the transition into coexistence will be much easier than OTL. I'm actually very surprised on how you managed to accurately predict the slavery issue and the future Southern Exodus. As of now I won't focus on slavery too much in the TL because Texas was never a large slave state and slavery won't really be suited for the new frontier. As for how the Southern Exodus and abolition of slavery turns out you'll just have to stay tuned and find out, next time on Lone Star Republic.
Here is the new 11 star flag for the Republic of Yucatan after the Guatemala War. Tell me your opinion of the design and if you have any constructive criticism on it.