Leaders In Texas History: Presidents of The Republic & Governors of Texas

Pre-State of Texas questions, all Texans should know :

Did you, know that there was only one President of The Territories of Texas, during the War for Independence from Mexico (1835-1836), and 3 post War Presidents?

Did you, know of the three (3) Presidents of The Republic of Texas, two (2) of them were General Sam Houston; due to a Constitutional restriction? [he could not have a successive term in office via Constitutional Restrictions]

Did you know; Sam Houston served in the US. Congress (elected in 1823) for Tennessee, then became the Governor of Tennessee in 1827 only to resign in 1829, supposedly, after his wife left him? [at which time he left for The Arkansas Territory, now Oklahoma, to live with the Cherokee tribes]

Did you know; that the only reason Sam Houston left Oklahoma in 1836, to come to Texas, was to check on some Cherokee tribes? [only to walk into an impending war with Mexico, when Texas Enlisted him as the General of the Army, and giving him a mission to raise an army.]

PRESIDENTS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS: (1836-1846)

David G. Burnet 1836, Under The Provisional Government Declaration of 1835-1836

Sam Houston 1836-1838. 1st President of the Republic of Texas, after Independence
[Note: After the Adopted Constitution & Declaration of Independence (1836).
"The Constitution of the Republic of Texas (1836), restricted The President from succeeding himself", hence Houston's 'split terms', though 'his houstonian following' could have re-elected him.]

Mirabeau B. Lamar 1838-1841, 2nd President of the Republic of Texas
Sam Houston 1841-1844, 3rd President of the Republic of Texas, made Statehood possible through The Congress of The United States and negotiated the Texas Constitution.

Anson Jones 1844-1846, 4th and final President of the Republic of Texas, Transitioned to a State under the Union of the Several States.

1st US. SENATOR OF TEXAS AFTER JOINING THE UNION of STATES:

Sam Houston (1846-1859), served following Texas' acceptance into the Union, then moved to the Governors' Office in 1859 until impeached.

Questions Texans should know about Governors' & Politics in Texas after Statehood, The Civil War, Reconstruction Era and Rejoining the Union:

Did you know that; of 'all' of the Governors elected, two (2) have not been either Republican or Democrat, and Sam Houston was the only Independent Governor, elected under no party banner?

Did you know of all six (6) of the Republican Governors, only four (4) have been Governors since the Post Reconstruction Era (1865 and later)?

Do you know what Political Party, Elisha M. Pease was from? {hint the designations is (U)}

Did you know that Elisha M, Pease was the 1st Governor from the Republican Party, on his 2nd term? [Serving from 1867-1869, during the Reconstruction Era as a Republican, and resigned when Texas was readmitted to the Union of the Several States, as a State.]

Did you know that Sam Houston was the 1st Governor to be impeached? [for not seceding from the Union]

Did you know l James W. Thorkmorton (D) was removed form office (1867), Elisha M. Peace (R) resigned at the end of reconstruction era (1869) and James E. (Pa) Ferguson (D) was impeached & convicted (1917)? [only to have his wife (Miriam A. Ferguson) win two (2) nonconsecutive elections as Governor.]

Did you know that, of the 12 years of female Governorship in Texas, only two women have been elected as Governors? [Miriam "Ma" Ferguson (2 separate terms as a Democrat) and Ann W. Richards (R) serving one term.]

GOVERNORS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: (1846 to 2008)

After Independance

J. Pinckney Henderson (D) 1846-1847
George T. Wood (D) 1847-1849
Peter Hansbrough Bell (D) 1849-1853
J. W. Henderson (D) 1853-1853
Elisha M. Pease (U) 1853-1857
Hardin R. Runnels (D) 1857-1859
Sam Houston (I) 1859-1861, impeached, disapproving of cession from the Union
Confederate State Era: 1861-1865

Edward Clark (D) 1861 , 1st Governor of the State of Texas of the Confederate States
Francis R. Lubbock (D) 1861-1863
Pendleton Murrah (D) 1863-1865
Fletcher Stockdale (D) 1865
Reconstruction Era:
Andrew J. Hamilton (D) 1865-1866
James W. Throckmorton (D) 1866-1867, removed
Elisha M. Pease (R) 1867-1869, resigned, Post Reconstruction Constitution of 1869

Post Reconstruction Era:
Edmund J. Davis (R) 1870-1874
Richard Coke (D) 1874-1876
Richard B. Hubbard (D) 1876-1879
Oran M. Roberts (D) 1879-1883
John Ireland (D) 1883-1887
Lawrence Sullivan Ross (D) 1887-1891
James Stephen Hogg (D) 1891-1895
Charles A. Culberson (D) 1895-1899
Joseph D. Sayers (D) 1899-1903
S.W.T. Lanham (D) 1903-1907
Thomas Mitchell Campbell (D) 1907-1911
Oscar Branch Colquitt (D) 1911-1915
James E. "Pa" Ferguson (D) 1915-1917, impeached & convicted (married to Miriam A. Ferguson, a two term Gov.)
William Pettus Hobby (D) 1917-1921
Pat Morris Neff (D) 1921-1925
Miriam A. "Ma" Ferguson (D) 1925-1927, 1st female Gov. (husband James Ferguson noted)
Dan Moody (D) 1927-1931
Ross S. Sterling (D) 1931-1933
Miriam A. "Ma" Ferguson (D) 1933-1935 (2nd term as Gov.)
James V. Allred (D) 1935-1939
W. Lee O'Daniel (D) 1939-1941
Coke R. Stevenson (D) 1941-1947
Beauford H. Jester (D) 1947-1949
Allan Shivers (D) 1949-1957
Price Daniel (D) 1957-1963
John Connally (D) 1963-1969
Preston Smith (D) 1969-1973
Dolph Briscoe (D) 1973-1979
William P. Clements (R) 1979-1983
Mark White (D) 1983-1987
William P. Clements (R) 1987-1991
Ann W. Richards (D) 1991-1995
George W. Bush (R) 1995-2000 (served one and a quarter terms as Gov, 43rd President 2 terms)

James Richard (Rick) Perry (R) 2000- present {current term - 2010} (replaced G.W. Bush during the 2nd term, who won the Presidency in 1999)


Researched & Written By:

Albert Andis