Houston: The Frugal Founding Father?
Hold your horses, history buffs! Before we dive into the financial wizardry (or lack thereof) of Sam Houston's second term, let's get one thing straight: there was no Mount Rushmore, no White House, and definitely no Twitter beef back then. So, the idea of calculating Houston's presidential spending is a bit like trying to figure out how many unicorns lived in Atlantis – a fun thought experiment, but not exactly grounded in reality.
Texas-Sized Budget? Nah, More Like a Pocketful of Change
Texas, back in the day, was its own little republic, and its finances were, let's say, cozy. Think of it like running a small business on a shoestring budget – except instead of quarterly reports, you're dealing with Comanche raids and land disputes.
Houston, our frugal founding father (or so the legend goes), was tasked with tightening the belt. He cut costs like a boss, slashing government salaries and downsizing the army. It was basically the political equivalent of eating ramen noodles and skipping cable.
But here's the kicker: Even with all the penny-pinching, there aren't any concrete numbers floating around about Houston's exact spending. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is made of old, yellowed parchment and the needle is a dollar sign that probably looks more like a squiggle.
The Price of Independence
So, while we can't give you a precise figure on Houston's second-term spending, we can tell you this: running a new country ain't cheap. From defense to diplomacy, the bills added up. And let's not forget those pesky land disputes and Native American relations – that stuff ain't free, folks.
Bottom line: Houston was more focused on survival than spreadsheets. He was busy fighting fires, both literal and figurative, and balancing the budget probably took a backseat to bigger issues.
How to Become a Frugal Founding Father (or at Least Pretend To)
- How to cut government spending: Start with the office coffee machine.
- How to balance a budget without numbers: Just say "trust me."
- How to deal with unexpected expenses (like Comanche raids): Build a really good fort.
- How to negotiate a treaty: Bring cookies. Everyone loves cookies.
- How to handle a country's finances when you're more of a "people person": Hire a really good accountant. Or just wing it.