Houston Regains Presidency

A Nagging Problem for Houston… Money When Houston took office for his second term, he realized that Texas’s debt problem had increased due to Lamar’s expensive projects. Houston eliminated dozens of government positions and cut the size of the army. He tried to sell navy ships, but angry citizens of Galveston prevented the sale. Despite his efforts, Houston could not reduce the debt.

Houston and the Natives Houston also tried to renew peaceful and fair dealings with Native Americans. He famously said of the Natives: “Neither the Indians nor the whites shall pass into the territory of the other without lawful permission…should a white man kill an Indian or commit a crime upon an Indian on his property…he shall be punished by the laws of the Republic.”

Invasion! Recall Lamar’s Santa Fe expedition. This expedition angered Mexico. In response, Mexico sent6 an army of 500 soldiers into Texas. The soldiers occupied San Antonio, Goliad, and Refugio.

The Archives War Although the Mexican army withdrew after a few days, many Texans panicked. President Houston declared an emergency and tried to save the government archives, or official documents, by moving them from Austin to Houston. Austin residents were suspicious that Houston would move the capital to Houston permanently. When government officials tried to take the archives, some Austin residents, led by Angelina Eberly, fired on them. This skirmish, called the Archives War, resulted in the archives – and the capital – remaining in Austin.

Woll Invasion In September of 1842, Mexican forces led by General Adrian Woll, invaded Texas again. Texas militia and Texas Rangers rushed to San Antonio to drive out the Mexican soldiers. The Texans suffered losses in the fighting. About 35 soldiers from Fayette county were killed. General Adrian Woll Monument Hill

The Mier Expedition As a response to the continued invasions by Mexico, Houston ordered a militia of about 750 to patrol the area from San Antonio to Laredo. Some Texans, still angry over the Woll Invasion, moved down the Rio Grande and attacked the Mexican town of Mier. Althout the Mexicans were outnumbered in the beginning, they quickly regained the upper hand when 900 reinforcements arrived. The Texans were outnumbered after this. After they ran out of supplies, the Texans surrendered to the Mexican forces.

The Black Bean Incident “Texians Drawing the Black Beans” Shooting the Decimated Texians The captured Texan troops were being marched to Mexico City. However, during the trip, Texan captives overpowered their guards and escaped. They lost their way in the mountains and some died of starvation and exposure. Mexican troops recaptured the survivors about a week later. As punishment, Santa Anna ordered the prisoners to draw beans from a mug. If a prisoner drew a black bean, they were shot. The remaining prisoners were marched to prison in Mexico City.

Feuds Lead to Unrest in East Texas- The Regulators and Moderators In east Texas, feuds began to arise over land titles. There were few local officials to keep the peace. Two groups formed to settle the land disputes. They were called the Regulators and the Moderators. The two groups became involved in frequent fights and battles. The situation worsened. People were killed and homes were burned. Settlers were driven off of their land. Houston sent 600 soldiers into the area to keep the peace. He also went to East Texas himself and reminded the settlers that they were all Texans and should not be fighting each other.

The End For now….