Who served as President of the Republic of Texas immediately after Sam Houston's second term?

• A. James K. Polk
• B. Sam Houston
• C. Anson Jones
• D. Mirabeau B. Lamar

Answer: (C)

When you study the Republic of Texas, knowing who headed the country in order helps you see how events fit together. After Sam Houston's second term ended in 1844, the next president was Anson Jones. He became the last President of the Republic of Texas and guided Texas through the final steps toward joining the United States. Texas entered the United States in 1845, ending the Republic era. The other figures listed were not the immediate successor: Mirabeau B. Lamar served earlier, Sam Houston had just finished his second term, and James K. Polk was a later United States president, not a president of the Republic of Texas.