Plantation owners had a great deal of influence over the politics and government of Texas before the Civil War. Using the
information you learned in your lectures, speculate why plantation owners had so much power and influence, especially on
laws regarding slavery.

Plantation owners gained a lot of influence in Texas before the civil war because they became wealthy and controlled a lot of land. They filled representative positions in local governments and used their wealth to influence policies on slavery.

Explanation:

Slavery in Texas grew in the 1830s through the 1850s as more Anglo-American settlers from states in the southeast came to Texas, bringing their slaves with them as well. After the Revolution in Texas in 1836, slavery was made legal. When Texas was under Mexican control there was tension on the slavery issue because slavery was outlawed in Mexico.  Legislation was passed that assured slavery would endure. Most of the slaves worked plantations in East Texas where they grew crops like cotton.  These plantation owners held most of the wealth in Texas and thus they dominated many levels of government in the state.  

Texas plantation owners created the upper class of Texas. Slaves were very expensive to purchase, so only people who had money to begin with or were able to make a lot of money could afford to purchase slaves. Plantation owners made a great deal of money from their crops, producing 90% of the cotton in Texas at this time. There were only a few plantations in Texas, and these few, wealthy people wanted to maintain their wealth and position in society. They needed slaves to do so. They made sure that they had positions of authority that would allow slavery to continue in Texas. These people used their position and money to influence laws that would sustain their way of life and the overall prosperity of Texas.

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c) they were beaten and fired from their jobs.