This is Episode 51 – Texas Politics as we start the 1850s

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Texas politics is a contact sport, and Texas Politics as we start the 1850s was almost a blood sport and today’s Texas politics and politicians often seem like they still are set in 200 years ago. What was Texas and America like in 1850? Frankly, it was a mess, the country was mired in controversy after controversy, especially when it came to the issue of slavery. Texas itself, after lowering the flag of the Republic in 1846 struggled to find its footing. After the war with Mexico in 1848 the state government was bound and determined to make the Rio Grande river, especially the far western part, the state’s boundary. Well, this meant that most of Eastern New Mexico, including an area that reached all the way to Santa Fe would become a part of Texas. In fact, in 1848 the state legislature declared that part of Eastern New Mexico to be named Santa Fe County and the governor, George T. Wood, sent Spruce Baird there to set up a county government.  Needless to say, the proud people of Santa Fe, refused to accept the Texans and with the help of federal troops forced Baird and the other Texans with him to depart. Baird was only able to stay until July 1849 at which time he left the region.

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C. a major controversy was brewing between legislators from the North and those from  the South. Of course, this was over the issue of slavery and especially if it was to be allowed in the newly acquired territories that had recently been acquired from Mexico in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which ended the Mexican-American war. This necessarily drew Texas into the dispute on the side of the South, remember the early Anglo settlers of Texas were mostly southerners and their allegiance was to the south and to the slave owners.

Why does this matter? Simple, because when President Zachary Taylor, took office in March of 1849,  he suggested that the  best way to handle adding the new territories of California and New Mexico would be to bring them in directly as states and just bypassing the whole you have to be a territory first thing.  While that sounds like an easy thing to do, not so fast, because most people knew that both California and New Mexico were most likely going to prohibit slavery. Well, this set off alarms in the South, Texas and the Anglo Texans. It also angered Texans  because it effectively stopped Texas from ever claiming Santa Fe and Eastern New Mexico and more importantly to the southern states, it would effectively stop the expansion of slavery at Texas.

Diehard southern slave holders vowed they would break up the union before they accepted President Taylor’s proposals.  Not only did they urge Texas to stand strong and demand the boundaries they wanted, but the Mississippi state legislature actually called for a convention to take place in Nashville in 1850 whose purpose was “to devise and adopt some means of resistance” to what they labeled as Northern aggression.

Needless to say, this was warmly greeted by the passionate Southern spokesmen in Texas, and they  took up the argument. They demanded that the state send delegates to Nashville to prove that Texas would not meekly submit to the union. As my mother used to say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease and in 1849 the Texas Legislature gave in to the pressure and passed an act that created new boundaries. Once again, they proposed to create Santa Fe County and this time they sent Robert Neighbors to organize the government.  Since this was a very active legislative group, they also declared that there would be an election in March of 1850 to send 8 delegates to the Nashville convention, so that they might provide “consultation and mutual action on the subject of slavery and Southern Rights.”

Neighbors, as Baird before him, discovered the residents of Santa Fe had no desire to be a part of Texas. Well, being the stubborn folks they were, the Texas government was ready to become aggressive and solve the matter by force. Luckily for all, calmer heads prevailed, and discussions were held in Washington, that resulted in the creation of a compromise.

Maryland Senator James A. Pearce proposed that the Texas – New Mexico boundary be a line that was drawn on the Eastern side from the Rio Grande along the 32d parallel to the 103d meridian, then north to 36°30′, and finally east again to the 100th meridian. This created the outline of Texas that you see today

Texas didn’t suffer from this and in fact, you could say the state profited nicely because in return for giving up its claims on New Mexico territory Texas received $10 million in United States bonds. Half of the funds received were to be held to help pay off the state’s public debt. Of course, some Texans, after all we are notoriously stubborn, bitterly opposed what they labeled the “Infamous Texas Bribery Bill.”  However, those who held the most extreme views were slowly being outvoted by more moderate citizens not only in Texas but also across the entire South.

One result of the crisis was that Texas hero and the most popular politician in the state Sam Houston was moved  to get involved. He poked fun at the idea of the Nashville Convention and an election to select delegates. Of those elected only former governor J. Pinckney Henderson actually attended the meeting in Tennessee.  On a side note, it was during this same election that Austin was chosen to be the permanent state capital.  Even the Nashville Convention, the original diehards against Texas giving up its claim, eventually adopted a much more moderate stance. Finally, during the elections held in November of 1850 Texans voted by a two-to-one margin to accept the Pearce Bill and the issue was resolved.

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At the time of this initial crisis in 1850, there was still a strong sentiment in favor of the Union, but one other thing that it also clearly demonstrated was how many, in fact the majority, of the Anglo citizens identified with the Old South. This would be tested in the upcoming years, and at this time a letter from Charles C. Mills of Harrison County to Governor Peter Bell, summarized this situation and the thinking of some, about why compromise was necessary  He was also very aware of how, even with a compromise the situations and feelings were still tense and dangerous, when he wrote “Texas having so recently come into the Union, should not be foremost to dissolve it, but I trust she will not waver, when the crisis shall come.” He was very much on target about a future crisis. The upcoming national compromise of 1850 would lay the groundwork for the future troubles, and Texas would play a role in then too. That’s going to do it for today – Texas Politics of the 1850s were pretty much as crazy and chaotic as they are today, but eventually folks come together and get things done.

Please subscribe to the podcast, I’m back and I’ll keep posting new episodes, sometimes though life gets in the way which is why there’s been a gap between episodes. If you want more information on Texas History, visit the website of the Texas State Historical Association. I also have four audiobooks on the Hidden History of Texas, The Spanish Bump Into Texas 1530s to 1820s,  Here Come The Anglos 1820s to 1830s, Years of Revolution 1830 to 1836. And, my latest A Failing Republic Becomes a State 1836-1850. You can find the books pretty much wherever you download or listen to audiobooks. Just do a search for the Hidden History of Texas by Hank Wilson and they’ll pop right up. Or visit my website https://arctx.org. By the way if you like audiobooks, visit my publisher’s website there’s an incredible selection of audiobooks there. In addition to mine you’ll find the classics, horror, science fiction, mental-health, and much more. Check it out visit https://ashbynavis.com

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