Sam Houston was elected as the first president of the newly independent Republic of Texas in 1836. While many were pleased given his role in their victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, others were disappointed that the capital was established in the small town of Houston, which lacked proper infrastructure at the time. Relations between Texas and Mexico remained tense, especially after Santa Ana was released and later re-elected president of Mexico. By 1841, most Texans supported re-electing Houston as they felt annexation by the United States offered the best path forward.