The Texas Move Toward Secession

The Mexican War (April 1846) (Polk’s War)

A. United States vs. Mexico
B. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

United States vs. Mexico

Over an issue of California
US was going after Mexican California

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

• Rio Grande: finally recognized as the official border of American Texas and Mexico

• U.S. assumption of debt: up to 5 million dollars.

• California and New Mexico: pay Mexico 15 million dollars for this land

Border Problems for Texas

A. Western Claims
B. Sectional crisis in U. S.

Western Claims

1. Organizing Santa Fe County (was going to be apart of Texas)
2. Wilmot Proviso
3. Santa Fe Convention

Wilmot Proviso

• Introduces in the House of Representatives.

• All the land acquired from Mexico should be mentioned without slavery.

Santa Fe Convention

• Ask that Mexico becomes a territory of America

• Wanted to become considered for statehood

Peter Hansborough Bell

an American military officer and politician who served as the third governor of Texas and represented the state for two terms

Sectional crisis in U. S.

1. Zachary Taylor
2. Texas Governor Peter Bell
a. Talk of secession
b. Special session of Legislature (1850)
3. Millard Fillmore
4. Compromise of 1850

Zachary Taylor

Southerner and slave owner
Inauguration address called for statehood as free states

Texas Governor Peter Bell

• Talk of secession: sends commissioners to help people become a part of Texas. Advocates succession to become its own nation once again.

• Special session of Legislature (1850): proposal was made that Texas would take the land by force.

Millard Fillmore

• Next president of the USA after serving as VP for Taylor

• Keeps us from starting the civil war for another 10 years

• Sponsored a series of agreements by Henry Clay

Compromise of 1850

Instead of claiming New Mexico we would renounce that claim when US offers us $10 million.
Establish its border as of present day.
Step down on the secessionist movement

Texas Democratic Politics

A. Elisha M. Pease
1. Education
2. Party politics
B. American Party
C. Gubernatorial Election of 1856
1. Sam Houston
2. Hardin Runnels
a. John Hemphill
b. Louis Wigfall

Elisha M. Pease

elected governor in 1853
moderate
education
party politics

Pease Education

would come back and attempt to establish a public school system for Texas. 1854 law he set aside $2 million as a permanent endowment. The legislature would run the endowment and pay for the public school system. Partly would endow state universities. BY 1866 that endowment would stand to $144,000. It would never get a start. The money would find itself in other general sources.

Pease Party Politics

first democratic election would be held. Democrats begin to form in 1855 as conservatives. Also in 1855 the Republican Party the party begins to form as the liberal party replacing the Whig party and is largely Midwestern.

American Party

largely east coast party anti-immigration and pro-union. Also known as the Know-Nothing party. Had managed to elect local officials in Galveston and San Antonio. It is an anti-Catholic party. It was a place for white Protestants to pull to. Force the Democrats to be much more organized.

Guberbatorial Election of 1856

sam houston
hardin runnels
john hemphill
louis wigfall

Sam Houston

has been in the US Senate. Voted to make Oregon a free state. In 1854 voted against the Kansas Nebraska Act. He's not popular with the political leaders of Texas. Decides to run for governor against Runnels as independent. This brought him into debate against Wigfall, not Runnels. Was a unionist.

Hardin Runnels

nominate for running. Was more like Peter Bells. He was a states rightest. In protecting the right of slave owners. Was a unionist. Wins election becomes Governor

John Hemphill

replaces Houston as Senator. Supporter of state's rights and slave owner rights

Louis Wigfall

emerged as the leader of those Calhoun democrats. Replaces Rusk as Senator.

Slavery and Societal Psychosis

A. Public discussion of Slavery taboo
B. Democrats in Texas increasingly extreme
C. Houston and the election of 1858
D. Texas implodes
1. Examples
2. “Texas Troubles” 1860

Democrats in Texas increasingly extreme

open up the international slave trade again. Would support an extra legal effort to acquire Cuba to expand the slave trade even if it means war. Re-nominate Runnels.

Houston and the election of 1858

Houston is able to defeat Runnels. The only independent elected governor of Texas.

Texas implodes

john brown raid
pick louis wigfall to stay in the senate
abraham lincoln
"texas troubles"

John Brown Raid

the abolitionists were armoring themselves and were willing to kill.

Abraham Lincoln

was the personification of everything of the Southerner as they knew it. The southerners hated Lincoln

Texas troubles

breakout of fires in the Dallas area one after the other. Masses of interrogation would occur. A Fort Worth white man was accused of messing with slaves and killed himself. The fires were more than likely caused by natural causes because it was a hot summer and the match had just been invented. On August 24 it rains and the fires stop. The lynching's stop.

Texas And Secession

A. presidential election of 1860
B. texas under influence of southern radicals
C. legislature moves to consider secession
D. explanation for sucession

the Presidential Election of 1860

Lincoln was not on the ballot of 10 southern states and was still elected the President of the United States.

Texas under influence of Southern Radicals

Louis Wigfall in the Senate
Knights of the Golden Circle: the Texas radicals. They don't have enough money for it to take off.
3Republicans and the "Texas Troubles" were blamed.

Legislature moves to consider secession

1. Oran Roberts and call for secession convention
2. Governor Houston calls special session of Legislature
3. Secession Convention and popular vote
4. Texas joins Confederacy on March 2, 1861
5. Sam Houston

Explanation for secession

1. Secession as an irrational act
2. Cultural and economic factors
3. Buenger article