republic · North America and Oceania
Republic of Texas
Origins
From the 1820s Mexico invited American settlers, led by empresarios such as Stephen F. Austin, into Coahuila y Tejas. Tension over centralist rule and slavery led to revolt in 1835. Independence was declared at Washington-on-the-Brazos on 2 March 1836; after the fall of the Alamo, Sam Houston defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto in April.
Rule and society
The republic had a president, congress and constitution modelled on the United States, and it protected slavery. Cotton farming expanded and settlers poured in with offers of free land. Mexico never recognised independence and raided San Antonio in 1842. Debts mounted, Mirabeau Lamar's ill-fated Santa Fe Expedition failed, and policy towards the Comanche swung between war and Houston's attempts at peace. Austin became the capital in 1839.
Decline and legacy
Most Texans wanted annexation, delayed in Washington by the slavery question. Congress approved it in 1845, and Texas became the 28th state in December. The annexation was a cause of the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848.
Lineage
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Republic of Texas. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-texas
- MLA
- “Republic of Texas.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-texas. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Republic of Texas.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-texas.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Republic of Texas’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-texas (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻