For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America," famed author John Steinbeck wrote in his 1962 travelogue, "Travels with Charley: In Search of America."

"Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study and the passionate possession of all Texans."

As I recall, the Republic of Texas was in a terrible financial situation.

Relevant to this topic how?

https://texags.com/forums/16/topics/3352591/replies/63964791

https://texags.com/forums/16/topics/3352591/replies/63964791

dead said:

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Relevant to this topic how?

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Because this country was found on a capitalist principles where people could make for themselves instead of giving the government more and more powers over them.

Like you and your leftists friends want.

Yup we were land rich and cash poor. Had to pay our debts somehow.

This topic isn't about the founding of the United States.

dead said:

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As I recall, the Republic of Texas was in a terrible financial situation.

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We would have grown the economy out of it!

Not if the growing economy depended on cotton

Dan Scott said:

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If Texas kept its original boundaries, we'd be so rich with all that oil. And there was a push to expand west and take California. Damn Mexicans and Indians

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Or sell some of that territory to the US like the precedent of the Louisiana Purchase from France and then later the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.

I bet there would have been some pushback from Mexico if Texas tried to sell anything to the United States

And financial.

In a perfect world, the Lamar faction wins out and convinces Houston faction to stay independent and push West. Also France and GB recognize us. Shortly after conquering California, gold is discovered which settles all debt. Texas stays neutral and lets the US destroy itself with the civil war. While the US is rebuilding, Texas is expanding with discovery oil. By 1900 Republic of Texas would be a superpower.

Texas would have similar challenges like what to do with slavery and free blacks, but they'd be a much smaller population compared to the South maybe won't be as big an issue. Also Indians after conquering the Southwest.

Yeah, because Lamar's stint as president was such a resounding success.

The only was the Republic could have survived was to become a British Protectorate. I wish we had chosen that option.

dead said:

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I bet there would have been some pushback from Mexico if Texas tried to sell anything to the United States

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What? We DID sell to the US.

in other words Texas tells the US you are our *****

You can play the game Victoria 3 and play out scenarios where TX tries to stay independent.

The alternate history question no one asks is if we would have been better off in the long run by taking the entirety of Mexico following with Mexican-American War which solidified the US claim on all the lands of Texas and a huge chunk of the southwest.

Instead of a land border stretching for thousands of miles it could have been drawn down at Veracruz and been 150 miles wide.

ntxVol said:

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Yeah, because Lamar's stint as president was such a resounding success.

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It wasn't. He had no support, drove up the debt, and Houston took over again. If Lamar were successful it could have played out that way.

Dan Scott said:

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If Texas kept its original boundaries, we'd be so rich with all that oil. And there was a push to expand west and take California. Damn Mexicans and Indians

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Claiming territory and keeping territory are two different things. Remember it took almost 40 years to secure West Texas from the Comanche.