Question

Presidents of the Republic of Texas Which president of the Republic of Texas—Houston or Lamar—was the most successful in solving problems facing the new government?
When Sam Houston became the first President of the Republic of Texas in 1836, the small nation struggled with many financial difficulties. The Republic of Texas had borrowed money from the United States to fight the Texas Revolution. It had difficulty finding ways to pay the money back. Houston planned to pay back the debt was with the sale of land to white settlers. To raise money and encourage more settlers to live in the Republic, land was offered at fifty cents an acre. A tariff, or a tax on imported goods, was also put in place. However, the government’s efforts to collect money was met with failure. By 1839, the debt had increased from $1.25 million to over $3 million.
Another issue during Houston’s presidency were Native American raids and attacks. President Houston did not want to anger Native Americans. He sent leaders to have friendly talks with Native Americans in an effort to get them to sign treaties and quietly give up their land. Houston worked with Chief Bowles, a Cherokee leader in Texas, and William Goyens, a free African American in Texas, to develop peace agreements between Texans and Native Americans.
In November 1836, Sam Houston released Santa Anna hoping to improve relations between Mexico and Texas. However, things did not work as Houston expected. For example, in 1838, a Tejano named Vincente Cordova led a small rebellion against the Anglos with Mexico’s help. This was known as the Cordova Rebellion. Then in 1842, during Sam Houston’s second term as President, about 1,500 Mexican troops seized San Antonio. This time, Houston ordered a group of Texas Rangers, led by Jack Coffee Hays, to fight the Mexican Army. Throughout Houston’s terms, troubles with Mexico remained an issue.
Lamar’s policies were very different from Sam Houston’s. However, Lamar’s own policies proved costly. Wars against the Native Americans, the rebuilding of the Texas Navy, and other expenditures cost millions of dollars. By the end of Lamar’s term, a Texas paper dollar was worth on 2 cents in some parts of Texas. The republic’s public debt had increased to $8 million by 1841.
While Sam Houston believed Texans and Native Americans could live in peace, President Lamar thought otherwise. He believed conflicts with Native Americans could be solved with force. Lamar took action with the Comanche in West Texas. Texas Rangers entered Comanche country in 1839 and fought several battles. In 1840, the Comanche requested a peace treaty. While trying to negotiate the treaty, a struggle began which left 7 Texans and 35 Comanche dead. This was known as the Council House Fight. Mary Maverick, a pioneer and writer, was an eye-witness to this event and recorded what she saw in her memoirs. Native Americans suffered greatly from Lamar’s policies and they failed to bring peace to Texas.

Lamar believed that having a strong military would force Mexico to recognize Texas independence. In 1839, he armed six ships to replace the ones lost during and after the Revolution. However, relations between Texas and Mexico grew worse when Lamar. In 1841, he sent Jose Antonio Navarro with more than 300 soldiers to invade Santa Fe. Along the way, Texans were stopped by Mexican troops and forced to surrender. The Santa Fe Expedition was a failure—costing Texas money and men’s lives.

Must Haves:
Thesis Statement:
_____ was the most successful in solving problems facing the new government.

Evidence:
List at least 3 pieces of evidence

Explanation of Evidence/ Reasoning:
Explain your 3 pieces of evidence (how do they support your thesis)

Summary Sentence: As a result…

Write this as rough draft of a 7th grader.

Answer 1

Thesis Statement:
Sam Houston was the most successful in solving problems facing the new government.

Evidence:
1. Houston tried to raise money and encourage settlers by selling land at fifty cents an acre and putting a tariff in place.
2. Houston worked for peace with Native Americans, negotiating treaties and working with leaders like Chief Bowles and William Goyens.
3. Lamar’s policies increased the republic’s debt to $8 million, caused a huge drop in the value of Texas paper money, and included costly failures like the Santa Fe Expedition.

Explanation of Evidence / Reasoning:
1. Money problems were one of the biggest issues for the new Republic. Houston tried practical solutions: selling land to bring in settlers and income and putting a tariff on imports to raise government money. Even though debt still rose, these plans showed he focused on peaceful, realistic ways to fix the economy instead of spending a lot on military projects. Lamar, on the other hand, spent large amounts rebuilding the navy and fighting wars, which made the financial situation much worse (debt rose to $8 million and money became almost worthless).

2. Native American attacks were another major problem. Houston tried to solve this by making peace—he sent leaders to talk with tribes and worked with people like Chief Bowles and William Goyens to make treaties. This approach tried to avoid expensive wars and keep settlers safer. Lamar used force against Native Americans (for example, fighting the Comanche and the Council House Fight), and these actions caused many deaths and did not create lasting peace. Because Houston tried diplomacy first, his approach was more likely to reduce long-term conflict and government costs.

3. Relations with Mexico and the threat of invasion were dangerous for Texas. Houston tried diplomacy with Mexico by releasing Santa Anna to improve relations, showing he preferred negotiation over expensive military campaigns. Lamar used military actions like the Santa Fe Expedition, which failed and cost lives and money. Houston’s diplomatic attempts were a less risky way to protect the new nation and prevent costly failures.

Summary Sentence:
As a result, Sam Houston was more successful at solving the Republic of Texas’s problems because he focused on diplomatic and cost-effective solutions that tried to stabilize the economy and avoid wasting money and lives.