| |
The
Republic's First President
by
Archie P. McDonald | |
Usually,
the argument about who first served as president of the Republic of Texas involves
David G. Burnet, who was appointed interim president by the Consultation that
declared Texas independent on March 2, 1836, and Sam Houston, first elected president
in September. Maybe Richard Ellis has a claim, too.
Ellis, a distant relative
of Martha Custis Washington and Dolly Madison, was born in the "tidewater" area
of Virginia in 1771. He "read for the law" with the firm of Wit and Wickham and
opened his own practice in 1806. By 1817 Ellis had established a successful plantation
in Alabama and became a prominent figure in the area's public affairs. He served
in the Alabama Constitutional Convention, as a circuit court judge, and helped
establish Franklin College, evidence of considerable investment in the future
of the area.
Then Ellis moved to Texas. He first visited Texas, as did
Thomas Jefferson Rusk, in pursuit of debtors; both caught the "Texas Fever" on
contact. In Texas at the time of the Fredonia Rebellion in 1826, Ellis was among
those who tried unsuccessfully to convince its leader, Haden Edwards, to give
up his effort for the good of other empresarios and settlers before the arrival
of Mexican troops.
Ellis obtained a grant of a league of land located
in the Pecan Point area in what became Bowie County-but at the time its ownership
was disputed by the United States-not to mention Texas and Arkansas. As a result,
in 1836, Ellis was elected to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention AND to the
Texas Consultation meeting in Washington-on-the-Brazos
in March 1836. He did not join the Arkansas meeting, but he did attend the Texas
convention and was elected its president.
Ellis presided, then, while
the Consultation adopted George Childress' draft of a declaration of independence
of Texas from Mexico on March 2, 1836, and continued to preside during the drafting
of a constitution for the new republic, approved on March 17. Does this mean that
Ellis served as president of the Republic of Texas for fifteen days from March
2 until March 17?
It does if you want it to do so.
© Archie
P. McDonald
All
Things Historical
June 4, 2007 column
A syndicated column in over 70 East Texas newspapers
This column is provided as a public service by the East Texas Historical Association.
Archie P. McDonald is director of the Association and author of more than 20 books
on Texas |
Books by Archie
P. McDonald
Order Here | |
|
| Primary Source
Accounts of the Civil War | |
|
| | |
|
