WI: Sam Houston doesn’t run to be Texas’s first President

As the tin says, Sam Houston was a rather late entry into the race for First President of Texas. Originally, Stephen F Austin thought that he was a shoein to win the election until Houston entered right before Election Day and siphoned off most of the votes.

So, what if Houston didn’t run in the first election. Maybe he runs in the next one since the Texas constitution didn’t allow for consecutive terms and the winner of the first election would have to wait til the third to run again.

What about Austin, presuming he wins, what would his term look like?
 
Not very long lived given how Stephen would die of pneumonia soon after the election.

If he avoided it... not sure. I don’t know how he felt about Texas becoming a state.
 
Not very long lived given how Stephen would die of pneumonia soon after the election.

If he avoided it... not sure. I don’t know how he felt about Texas becoming a state.
If he wins the presidency the circumstances leading to Austin catching pneumonia would be butterflied most likely.

And he was fine with Texas joining the US, so long as slavery was permanently allowed.
 
If he wins the presidency the circumstances leading to Austin catching pneumonia would be butterflied most likely.

And he was fine with Texas joining the US, so long as slavery was permanently allowed.

So almost nothing would change then?
 
So almost nothing would change then?
I'm not sure of that, but IMO very little change would seem likely. The biggest difference is that Austin would have been more likely to support secession. But, since Texas seceded over Houston's objections anyway I don't know if even that would be a significant change. Austin wouldn't be run out of office though. And it is possible he lives that long, given he and Houston were born in the same year.
 
I'm not sure of that, but IMO very little change would seem likely. The biggest difference is that Austin would have been more likely to support secession. But, since Texas seceded over Houston's objections anyway I don't know if even that would be a significant change. Austin wouldn't be run out of office though. And it is possible he lives that long, given he and Houston were born in the same year.

That, or maybe he still gets sick or something still, and the sudden eelction year means whoever is his Vice President pick (as long as it is not Houston) becomes President and that could lead to change...
 
I'm not sure of that, but IMO very little change would seem likely. The biggest difference is that Austin would have been more likely to support secession. But, since Texas seceded over Houston's objections anyway I don't know if even that would be a significant change. Austin wouldn't be run out of office though. And it is possible he lives that long, given he and Houston were born in the same year.

If he more aggressively supports secession, could that lead to secessionist forces tangling with Lee (assuming officer assignments aren't butterflied) leading to a 'Lee at the Alamo' style POD?
 
And he was fine with Texas joining the US, so long as slavery was permanently allowed.
Would he require some kind of agreement assuring that?

Would Texas secede if they thought they had an iron clad agreement, or would they still have the same fears?
 
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