Texas History Test Communication & Stakeholder Relations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Texas newspaper, founded in 1842, became one of the most influential voices shaping public opinion during the Republic of Texas era?
- The Texas State Gazette
- The Telegraph and Texas Register (Correct answer)
- The Austin City Gazette
- The Galveston Daily News
Correct answer: The Telegraph and Texas Register
The Telegraph and Texas Register was the most prominent newspaper of the Republic era, reporting on government affairs and shaping settler opinion.
Question 2: Stephen F. Austin's primary method of managing relations between Anglo colonists and the Mexican government was to act as what?
- A military commander
- An intermediary and diplomatic representative (Correct answer)
- A religious leader
- A land surveyor
Correct answer: An intermediary and diplomatic representative
Austin served as a diplomatic go-between, communicating colonists' grievances to Mexican officials while enforcing Mexican law among settlers.
Question 3: The 1836 Texas Constitution required that government proceedings be published in which languages to reach all stakeholders?
- English only
- Spanish only
- English and Spanish (Correct answer)
- English, Spanish, and French
Correct answer: English and Spanish
The Republic of Texas Constitution mandated that laws and official documents be published in both English and Spanish to serve all residents.
Question 4: Mirabeau Lamar's administration (1838–1841) took a notably hostile approach to which major stakeholder group compared to Sam Houston's policies?
- European immigrants
- Native American tribes (Correct answer)
- Catholic settlers
- Mexican Texans
Correct answer: Native American tribes
Lamar pursued aggressive removal and military campaigns against Native American tribes, reversing Houston's more diplomatic approach.
Question 5: When Texas sought international recognition as an independent republic, which country was the FIRST to officially recognize the Republic of Texas?
- France
- Great Britain
- The United States (Correct answer)
- Mexico
Correct answer: The United States
The United States officially recognized the Republic of Texas on March 3, 1837, one day before Andrew Jackson left office.
Question 6: The Council House Fight of 1840 was a catastrophic breakdown in communication and negotiations between Texas officials and which group?
- Mexican diplomats
- Comanche leaders (Correct answer)
- Cherokee chiefs
- Spanish missionaries
Correct answer: Comanche leaders
Texas commissioners and Comanche chiefs met to exchange prisoners, but the negotiation collapsed into violence, killing 35 Comanche leaders and damaging relations for years.
Question 7: Empresario contracts were fundamentally communication agreements because they required land grant recipients to do what?
- Build telegraph lines
- Recruit and settle a specified number of colonist families (Correct answer)
- Publish a local newspaper
- Establish a postal route
Correct answer: Recruit and settle a specified number of colonist families
Empresarios like Austin agreed to bring a set number of Catholic, law-abiding families to Texas, acting as the liaison between Mexico and incoming settlers.
Which Texas newspaper, founded in 1842, became one of the most influential voices shaping public opinion during the Republic of Texas era?