From
the day I began researching for my first manuscript set in Texas, I’ve been
fascinated by the history of Texas. [Those of you born in Texas know by that
statement that I wasn’t—though I got there as fast as I could!]
Much
has been said about the Republic of Texas - but did you know it only existed
for ten years? The Republic of Texas was a sovereign nation that existed from
1836 to 1846.
The
first Congress of the Republic of Texas convened in October 1836 at what is now
West Columbia. Stephen F. Austin, often referred to as the Father of Texas,
served as Secretary of State for the new Republic for only two months before
his death on December 27, 1836.
In
1836, five sites served as temporary capitals of Texas: Washington-on-the-Brazos,
Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco and Columbia before President Sam Houston moved
the capital to Houston in 1837. In 1839, the capital was moved again, this time
by President Mirabeau B. Lamar, to the new town of Austin, where it remains
today. And during the time of the Republic, Texas had embassies.
Technically
they were Legations, not embassies, since Texas was a Republic, not a
recognized country. There were Legations of the Republic of Texas in London,
Paris and Washington D.C., serving to improve diplomatic ties--and to beg for
loans.
In
19th-century diplomacy, a legation was a diplomatic representative office lower
than an embassy. Whereas an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was
headed by an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
The
Legation in France was housed at 1 Place Vendome 75001, rue de la Paix, Paris, where the famous Vendome Column, was erected in
1810, torn down in 1871, and rebuilt, with Napoleon again depicted as Caesar,
three years later. There’s a plaque there, showing its location.
The London Legation building was
at 3 St. James Street, near Buckingham Palace. The building now houses Berry
Brothers Wine Merchants, with a plaque recognizing its former tenants.
And according to Answer Man with
The Washington Post, the State Department’s
official register from the period does not list the addresses of diplomatic
missions, nor could he locate entries for the Texians in directories of the
period.
Ministers Plenipotentiary to Washington
William
H. Wharton-appointed in November, 1836
Memucan
Hunt- appointed in February 1837
Anson
Jones- appointed in August 1838
Richard
G. Dunlap- appointed in March 1839
Barnard
Elliott Bee, Sr.- appointed in April 1840
James
Reily- appointed in March 1842
Isaac
Van Zandt- appointed in August 1842
The Legations weren’t needed for long. After the annexation was approved by a joint resolution
of the U.S. Congress in February, 1845, the last president of the Republic of
Texas, Anson Jones, presented two propositions to the Congress of the Republic
of Texas: one for annexation to the U.S., the other for Mexican recognition of
the Republic provided annexation did not take place. The Texas Convention of
1845 chose annexation.
On October 13, 1845 a large
majority of voters in the Republic approved the annexation and The Lone Star State bypassed
the territorial phase to become the 28th U.S. state on December 29, 1845.
See you next month!
Tracy
www.Facebook.com/TracyGarrett.author
www.Twitter.com/TGarrett_Author
www.PrairieRosePublication.com
