Editing Sam Houston (section)

==President of Texas==
[[File:Wpdms republic of texas.svg|thumb|The Republic of Texas after the [[Texas Revolution]]]]

Victory in the Battle of San Jacinto made Houston a hero to many Texans, and he won the [[1836 Republic of Texas presidential election|1836 Texas presidential election]], defeating Stephen F. Austin, who would receive the honor of having the city of [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] named after him, and [[Henry Smith (Texas governor)|Henry Smith]]. Houston took office on October 22, 1836, after interim president [[David G. Burnet]] resigned.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=163–165}} During the presidential election, the voters of Texas overwhelmingly indicated their desire for Texas to be annexed by the United States. Houston, meanwhile, faced the challenge of assembling a new government, putting the country's finances in order, and handling relations with Mexico. He selected [[Mirabeau Lamar]] as vice president, [[Thomas Jefferson Rusk]] as secretary of war, Smith as secretary of the treasury, [[Samuel Rhoads Fisher]] as secretary of the navy, [[James Collinsworth]] as attorney general, and Austin as secretary of state.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=166–169}}{{efn|After Austin died of an illness in December 1836, Houston ordered a month of mourning.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=175–176}}}} Houston sought normalized relations with Mexico, and despite some resistance from the legislature, arranged the release of Santa Anna.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=171–172}} Concerned about upsetting the balance between [[slave states and free states]], U.S. President Andrew Jackson refused to push for the annexation of Texas, but in his last official act in office he granted Texas diplomatic recognition.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=175, 190}} With the United States unwilling to annex Texas, Houston began courting British support; as part of this effort, he urged the end of the importation of slaves into Texas.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=189–190}}

In early 1837, the government moved to a new capital, the city of Houston, named after him as the country's first president.{{sfn|Haley|2002|p=186}} In 1838, Houston frequently clashed with Congress over issues such as a treaty with the Cherokee and a land-office act{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=201–202}} and was forced to put down the [[Córdova Rebellion]], a plot to allow Mexico to reclaim Texas with aid from the [[Kickapoo Indians]].<ref name=hbot /> The Texas constitution barred presidents from seeking a second term, so Houston did not stand for re-election in the [[1838 Republic of Texas presidential election|1838 election]] and left office in late 1838. He was succeeded by [[Mirabeau B. Lamar]], who, along with Burnet, led a faction of Texas politicians opposed to Houston.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=205–206}} The Lamar administration removed many of Houston's appointees, launched a [[Texas–Indian wars#Cherokee War: 1838–39|war against the Cherokee]], and established a new capital at Austin, Texas.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=213–215}} Meanwhile, Houston opened a legal practice and co-founded a land company with the intent of developing the town of [[Sabine Pass, Port Arthur, Texas|Sabine City]].{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=210–211}} In 1839, he was elected to represent San Augustine County in the Texas House of Representatives.{{sfn|Roberts|1993|pp=23–25, 38}}

Houston defeated Burnet in the [[1841 Republic of Texas presidential election|1841 Texas presidential election]], winning a large majority of the vote.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=226–227}} Houston appointed [[Anson Jones]] as secretary of state, [[Asa Brigham]] as secretary of the treasury, [[George Washington Hockley]] as secretary of war, and [[George Whitfield Terrell]] as attorney general.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=233–236}} The republic faced a difficult financial situation; at one point, Houston commandeered an American brig used to transport Texas soldiers because the government could not afford to pay the brig's captain.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=245–246}} The [[Texan Santa Fe Expedition|Santa Fe Expedition]] and other initiatives pursued by Lamar had stirred tensions with Mexico, and rumors frequently raised fears that Santa Anna would launch an invasion of Texas.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=238–242}} Houston continued to curry favor with Britain and France, partly in the hope that British and French influence in Texas would encourage the United States to annex Texas.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=262–263}} The [[Presidency of John Tyler|Tyler administration]] made the annexation of Texas its chief foreign policy priority, and in April 1844, Texas and the United States signed an annexation treaty. Annexation did not have sufficient support in Congress, and the United States Senate rejected the treaty in June.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=279–281, 286}}

[[Henry Clay]] and [[Martin Van Buren]], the respective front-runners for the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] and Democratic nominations in the [[1844 United States presidential election|1844 presidential election]], both opposed the annexation of Texas. However, Van Buren's opposition to annexation damaged his candidacy, and he was defeated by [[James K. Polk]], an acolyte of Jackson and an old friend of Houston, at the [[1844 Democratic National Convention]]. Polk defeated Clay in the general election, giving backers of annexation an [[Mandate (politics)|electoral mandate]]. Meanwhile, Houston's term ended in December 1844, and he was succeeded by Anson Jones, his secretary of state. In the waning days of his own presidency, Tyler used Polk's victory to convince Congress to approve of the [[annexation of Texas]]. Seeking Texas's immediate acceptance of annexation, Tyler made Texas a generous offer that allowed the state to retain control of its public lands, though it would be required to keep its public debt.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=285–287}} A Texas convention approved of the offer of annexation in July 1845, and Texas officially became the 28th U.S. state on December 29, 1845.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/annexation/timeline.html|title = Annexation Process: 1836-1845 a Summary Timeline &#124; TSLAC}}</ref>