Republic of Texas (Canton Madness)

The Republic of Texas is an independant nation bordering the United States and Mexico, founded in 1836 by American colonists. From 1842 until the late 1850s, the Republic of Texas waged war in some form against Mexico.

Founding and the Annexation Question
Texas was founded in 1836 out of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas as a result of the Texas Revolution. After several provisional capitals, Austin was selected as the final (and current) capital of the Republic.

Since its founding, the question of Annexation into the United States had played through Texan legislature. Texas was founded largely by American colonists and volunteers. Despite multiple propositions, the annexation was always shot down in the Texan Congress; finally, in 1846, the United States itself refused to accept annexation by the Texans.

The Dying Time in Texas
Until late 1842, Canton Madness did not directly affect Texas. The appearance of the plague in southern Mexico in 1841 drew much of the Mexican Army away from the rebellious northern border regions. As the infection spread, Texas President Sam Houston mobilized the Army of the Republic of Texas fully (partial mobilization had already occured that March against a Mexican Expeditionary Force) and deployed them along the Mexico-Texas border in anticipation of the invasion. Interestingly, the Texan government formed an alliance with the Comanche Indians, promising to give the Comanches partial citizenship in return for aid against the plague.