President of the Republic of Texas

2025-10-02T21:07:49Z

134.173.192.76:

{{Short description|Head of state and head of government}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox official post
|post = President
|body = the Republic of Texas
|insignia = Seal of the Republic of Texas (colorized).svg
|insigniasize = 125px
|insigniacaption = '''Seal of The Republic of Texas (1839–45)'''
|image =
|imagesize = 125px
|imagecaption =
|style =
|residence =
|appointer =
|appointer_qualified =
|precursor = Political Chief ([[Centralist Republic of Mexico|Mexico]])
|termlength = Three years,
|termlength_qualified = renewable but not immediately
|formation = 16 March 1836 ([[Convention of 1836|Interim]]) 22 October 1836 ([[Constitution of the Republic of Texas|Constitutional]])
|first = [[Sam Houston]] ([[David G. Burnet]], Interim March–October 1836)
|last = [[Anson Jones]]
|succession = [[Governor of Texas]]
|salary =
}}
The '''president of the Republic of Texas''' ({{langx|es|Presidente de la República de Tejas}}) was the [[head of state]] and [[head of government]] while [[Texas]] was an [[Republic of Texas|independent republic]] between 1836 and 1845. The president served as the commander-in-chief of the [[Texas Military Forces]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Admin |first=Tarlton |title=Tarlton Law Library: Constitution of the Republic of Texas (1836): Article VI: President and Vice President |url=https://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/constitutions/republic-texas-1836/article-6-president-vice-president |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=tarlton.law.utexas.edu |language=en}}</ref>

==History and duties==
{{Texas History}}
{{multiple image
|align = right
|direction = horizontal
|header = Seals of the Republic of Texas
|header_align = center
|header_background =
|footer
|footer_align =
|footer_background =
|width =
|image1 = Seal of the Republic of Texas (1836).svg
|width1 = 120
|caption1 = (1837–1839)
|alt1 =
|image2 = Seal of the Republic of Texas (colorized).svg
|width2 = 120
|caption2 = (1839–1845)
|alt2 =
}}
The Republic of Texas was formed in 1836. In the midst of the [[Texas Revolution]], Texan settlers elected delegates to the [[Convention of 1836]], which issued the [[Texas Declaration of Independence]] and elected [[David G. Burnet]] as interim president of the new country. In May 1836 Burnet and Mexican dictator [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]], who was at the time a Texan prisoner-of-war, signed the [[Treaties of Velasco]] officially recognizing Texas's break from Mexico.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

The authority and responsibilities of the president were similar to that of the [[president of the United States]]: to serve the people of [[Texas]], and to serve as the head of the military and the state. These were detailed in the [[Constitution of the Republic of Texas]] of 1836. The Constitution specified a term of two years for the first elected president ([[Sam Houston]]) and terms of three years thereafter; the president could not succeed himself, but there were otherwise no term limits. The president was elected separately from the vice president, by popular vote, and there was no requirement to be native-born. A strict reading of the Constitution provided for [[women's suffrage]] (that is, both men and women were citizens and could vote for Congress, president, and other offices), but women and preachers or priests were not allowed to serve as president or in Congress. Indians and Africans and those of African descent could not be citizens.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

The president lived in different towns during the life of the Republic, as the capital was relocated, especially during and immediately after the Texas Revolution. [[Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas|Washington-on-the-Brazos]] was Texas' first capital in 1836 (provisional), followed quickly by [[Harrisburg, Houston|Harrisburg]] 1836 (provisional), [[Galveston, Texas|Galveston]] 1836 (provisional), [[Velasco, Texas|Velasco]] 1836 (provisional), [[West Columbia, Texas|Columbia]] 1836–37, [[Houston]], 1837–39, and finally [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], the modern capital, 1839–46.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

The position was abolished with the [[Texas annexation|annexation of Texas]], largely due to President [[Anson Jones]], who received the nickname "The architect of Annexation" and served only one year and three months. The amount of power wielded by occupants of the office varied tremendously during the nine years of Texas' independence. Particularly in the beginning, there was a larger military need than in the 1840s, and the president therefore had considerably more power and influence than during years of relative peace. No record is known, however, of any president violating or changing the Texas Constitution.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}}

As the [[United States]] and other countries such as [[France]] recognized Texan independence, presidential power functioned without interference from the outside world, although the Republic generally allied itself informally with the United States. Several presidents supported annexation of the republic by the United States, with direct admission as a state.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

Under the Constitution the vice president was to succeed the president in the event of the latter's death, resignation or removal by impeachment, but this never happened. The vice president was also the president of the Senate, and had a casting vote in the event of a tie.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

==Oath of office==
The [[oath of office|oath or affirmation of office]] for the president was established in the Constitution of the Republic of Texas and was mandatory for a president 'before entering upon the duties' of the office. The wording, very similar to that of the [[Oath of office of the President of the United States|United States' version]], was prescribed by Article VI of the Constitution, as follows:<ref name=":0" />{{blockquote|"I, ''A. B.'', President of the Republic of Texas, do solemnly and sincerely swear [or affirm, as the case may be] that I will faithfully execute the duties of my office, and to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Republic."}}

==List of presidents and vice presidents==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! {{abbr|No.|Number}}
! class=unsortable | Portrait
! Name {{small|(birth–death)}}
! class=unsortable | Term
! class=unsortable | Election
! class=unsortable | Prior office
! Vice President
|-
! scope=row | –
| [[File:Davidgburnet2.jpg|upright|120px]]
| data-sort-value="Burnet, David G." | '''[[David G. Burnet]]''' {{small|(1788–1870)}}
| {{dts|1836|03|16}} – {{dts|1836|10|22}}
| –
| Delegate to the [[Convention of 1833]]
| {{sortname|Lorenzo de|Zavala}}
|-
! scope=row | 1
| [[File:SHouston 2.jpg|upright|120px]]
| data-sort-value="Houston, Sam" | '''[[Sam Houston]]''' {{small|(1793–1863)}}
| {{dts|1836|10|22}} – {{dts|1838|12|10}}
| [[1836 Republic of Texas presidential election|1836]]
| Commander-in-chief of the [[Texian Army]]
| {{sortname|Mirabeau B.|Lamar}}
|-
! scope=row | 2
| [[File:Mirabeaulamar 2.jpg|upright|120px]]
| data-sort-value="Lamar, Mirabeau B." | '''[[Mirabeau B. Lamar]]''' {{small|1798–1859}}
| {{dts|1838|12|10}} – {{dts|1841|12|13}}
| [[1838 Republic of Texas presidential election|1838]]
| 1st vice president of the Republic of Texas
| {{sortname|David G.|Burnet}}
|-
! scope=row | 3
| [[File:SHouston 2.jpg|upright|120px]]
| data-sort-value="Houston, Sam" | '''[[Sam Houston]]''' {{small|(1793–1863)}}
| {{dts|1841|12|13}} – {{dts|1844|12|09}}
| [[1841 Republic of Texas presidential election|1841]]
| 1st president of the Republic of Texas
| {{sortname|Edward|Burleson}}
|-
! scope=row | 4
| [[File:Anson jones.png|upright|120px]]
| data-sort-value="Jones, Anson" | '''[[Anson Jones]]''' {{small|(1798–1858)}}
| {{dts|1844|12|09}} – {{dts|1846|12|19}}
| [[1844 Republic of Texas presidential election|1844]]
| 11th [[List of secretaries of state of Texas|secretary of state of the Republic of Texas]]
| {{sortname|Kenneth Lewis|Anderson}}<hr />''Vacant after July 3, 1845''
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090304153639/http://texashistory.unt.edu/widgets/pager.php?object_id=meta-pth-5872&recno=1077&path=%2Fdata%2FUNT%2FGLT%2Fmeta-pth-5872.tkl Constitution of the Republic, 1836] from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160302110342/http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5872/ Gammel's Laws of Texas, Vol. I.] hosted by the [http://texashistory.unt.edu/ Portal to Texas History].

{{DEFAULTSORT:President of the Republic of Texas}}
[[Category:Presidents of the Republic of Texas| ]]
[[Category:Lists of Texas politicians]]
[[Category:Republic of Texas]]
[[Category:Texas history-related lists]]

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President of the Republic of Texas