New Mexico

Utah

Oregon

Texas

California

Why they

went there

Key events that brought theterritory into the United States

Types of people

who traveled there

400 CHAPTER 13

MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW TERMS & NAMES

22

The Texas Revolution

American and Tejano citizens led

Texas to independence from Mexico.

The diverse culture of Texas has

developed from the contributions

of many different groups.

Stephen Austin

Tejano

Antonio López de Santa Anna

Sam Houston

William Travis

Juan Seguín

Battle of the Alamo

Lone Star Republic

ONE AMERICAN’S STORYSon of a bankrupt Missouri mine owner, Stephen Austin read his mother’s

letter, written in 1821, in stunned silence. His father, Moses Austin, was

dead. In his last moments, she told her son, “He called me to his bedside, . . .

he begged me to tell you to take his place . . . to go on . . . in the same way

he would have done.”

Stephen knew what that meant. Moses Austin had spent the last

years of his life chasing a crazy dream. He had hoped to found a colony for

Americans in Spanish Texas. A week after his father’s death, Stephen Austin

was standing on Texas soil. His father’s dream would become his destiny.

This section explains how Stephen Austin, along with others, worked

hard to make the lands of Texas a good place to live.

Spanish TexasThe Spanish land called Tejas (Tay•HAHS) bordered the United States ter-ritory called Louisiana. The land was rich and desirable. It had forests in theeast, rich soil for growing corn and cotton, and great grassy plains for graz-ing animals. It also had rivers leading to natural ports on the Gulf of Mexico.It was home to Plains and Pueblo Native Americans. Even though Tejas wasa state in the Spanish colony of New Spain, it had few Spanish settlers. TheSpanish mission system you learned about in Chapter 2 was still common.Missions raised crops and livestock, traded with other missions, and werelargely self-sufficient. Around 1819, Spanish soldiers drove off Americanstrying to claim those lands as a part of the Louisiana Purchase.

In 1821, only about 4,000 Tejanos (Tay•HAH•nohs) lived in Texas.Tejanos are people of Spanish heritage who consider Texas their home. TheComanche, Apache, and other tribes fought fiercely against Spanish settle-ment of Texas. Also, the mission system began to decline. The Spanish offi-cials wanted many more settlers to move to Texas. They hoped that newcolonists would help to defend against Native Americans and Americanswho illegally sneaked into Texas.

Taking Notes

Use your chart totake notes aboutTexas.

CALIFORNIA STANDARDS

8.5.2 Know the changing bound-aries of the United States anddescribe the relationships the coun-try had with its neighbors (currentMexico and Canada) and Europe,including the influence of theMonroe Doctrine, and how thoserelationships influenced westwardexpansion and the Mexican-American War.

8.8.5 Discuss Mexican settlementsand their locations, cultural tradi-tions, attitudes toward slavery, land-grant system, and economies.

8.8.6 Describe the Texas War forIndependence and the Mexican-American War, including territorialsettlements, the aftermath of thewars, and the effects the wars hadon the lives of Americans, includingMexican Americans today.

CST1 Students explain how majorevents are related to one another intime.

Manifest Destiny 401

To attract more people to Texas, the Spanishgovernment offered huge tracts of land to empre-sarios. But they were unable to attract Spanish settlers. So, when Moses Austin asked for per-mission to start a colony in Texas, Spain agreed.Austin was promised a large section of land. Hehad to agree that settlers on his land had to follow Spanish laws.

Mexican Independence Changes TexasShortly after Stephen Austin arrived in Texas in1821, Mexico successfully gained its independencefrom Spain. Tejas was now a part of Mexico. Withthe change in government, the Spanish land grantgiven to Austin’s father was worthless. Stephen Austintraveled to Mexico City to persuade the new Mexican gov-ernment to let him start his colony. It took him almost ayear to get permission. And the Mexican government wouldconsent only if the new settlers agreed to become Mexicancitizens and members of the Roman Catholic Church.

Between 1821 and 1827, Austin attracted 297 families tohis new settlement. These original Texas settler families areknown as the “Old Three Hundred.” He demanded evidence that eachfamily head was moral, worked hard, and did not drink. So law-abidingwere his colonists that Austin could write to a new settler, “You will beastonished to see all our houses with no other fastening than a woodenpin or door latch.”

The success of Austin’s colony attracted more land speculators andsettlers to Texas from the United States. Some were looking for a newlife, some were escaping from the law, and others were looking for achance to grow rich. By 1830, the population had swelled to about30,000, with Americans outnumbering the Tejanos six to one.

Rising Tensions in TexasAs more and more Americans settled in Texas, tensions between themand the Tejanos increased. Used to governing themselves, Americansresented following Mexican laws. Since few Americans spoke Spanish,they were unhappy that all official documents had to be in that language.Slave owners were especially upset when Mexico outlawed slavery in1829. They wanted to maintain slavery so they could grow cotton. Austinpersuaded the government to allow slave owners to keep their slaves.

On the other hand, the Tejanos found the Americans difficult to livewith, too. Tejanos thought that the Americans believed they were supe-rior and deserved special privileges. The Americans seemed unwilling toadapt to Mexican laws, and few converted to Catholicism.

Vocabularyempresarios:individuals whoagreed to recruitsettlers for theland

Posters such as the one aboveencouragedAmericans fromthe East to settlein Texas. Somepeople scrawledG.T.T. on theirdoors to indicatethey had “gone to Texas.”A. Answer

Americans hadproblems adapt-ing to Mexicanlaws, speakingSpanish, and theywanted slavery tocontinue.

A. AnalyzingCauses Why wasthere growingtension betweenAmericans andTejanos?

Gulf ofMexico

M E X I C O

COAHUILA ANDTEXAS(1824)

U N I T E DS T A T E S

The Mexican government sent an official to Texas to investigate the ten-sions. He was not happy with what he found. In 1829, he reported to hisgovernment, “I am warning you to take timely measures . . . Texas couldthrow this whole nation into revolution.” His advice turned out to be right.

Responding to the warnings, the Mexican government cracked downon Texas. First, it closed the state to further American immigration.Next, it required Texans to pay taxes for the first time. Finally, to enforcethese new laws, the government sent more Mexican troops to Texas.

Texans Revolt Against MexicoThese actions caused angry protests. Some Texans even talked of break-ing away from Mexico. Most, however, listened to Austin, who remainedloyal to Mexico. In 1833, Austin set off for Mexico City with a petition.This document listed reforms supported by both Americans and Tejanos.The most important request was that Texas become a self-governingstate within Mexico.

In Mexico City, Austin met General Antonio Lópezde Santa Anna, the Mexican president. At first, thegeneral agreed to most of the reforms in Austin’s peti-tion. But then Santa Anna learned of a letter Austin hadwritten. The letter said that if the changes weren’tapproved Austin would support breaking away fromMexican rule. This was rebellion! The general hadAustin jailed for an entire year. The Texans were furiousand ready to rebel.

Santa Anna’s answer to talk of rebellion was to sendmore troops to Texas. In late September 1835, Mexicansoldiers marched to the town of Gonzales. They hadorders to seize a cannon used by the Texans for protec-tion against Native Americans. Texas volunteers hadhung a flag on the big gun that said, “Come and Take It.”

The Mexican troops failed to capture the cannon.Two months later, Texans drove Mexican troops out ofan old mission in San Antonio that was used as afortress. It was called the Alamo. Among the Texas vol-unteers were free African Americans such as HendrickArnold and Greenbury Logan. Angered by theseinsults, Santa Anna and 6,000 troops headed for Texas.

The Fight for the AlamoOn March 1–2, 1836, Texans met at a settlement calledWashington-on-the-Brazos to decide what to do aboutSanta Anna’s troops. They believed they could do onlyone thing: to declare Texas a free and independentrepublic. Sam Houston, the only man at the meetingwith military experience, was placed in command of theTexas army.

402 CHAPTER 13

REMEMBER THE ALAMO!

Today the Alamo, shown below,is again under siege. Moistureseeps into the limestone wallsand causes them to crumble.Many people view the missionas a memorial to Americans’willingness to fight for freedom,so a Texas group has begunattempts to preserve the Alamofrom further damage. The Alamolooks quite different from the

battle site of 1836. Thefamous bell-

shaped frontwas added inthe 1850s.

B. SummarizingWhat threeactions did theMexican govern-ment take tocontrol Texas?B. Answer TheMexican govern-ment stoppedAmerican immi-gration, leviedtaxes, and senttroops to Texas.

C. AnalyzingCauses WhatTexan actionsmoved SantaAnna to headtoward Texas?C. AnswerAmerican resist-ance at Gonzalesand at SanAntonio

The Texas army hardly existed. At that moment,there were two small forces ready to stand up to SantaAnna’s army. One was a company of 420 men, led byJames Fannin, stationed at Goliad, a fort in southeast Texas. The secondwas a company of 183 volunteers at the Alamo. Headed by WilliamTravis, this small force included such famous frontiersmen as DavyCrockett and Jim Bowie. In addition, Juan Seguín (wahn seh•GEEN)led a band of 25 Tejanos in support of revolt.

On February 23, 1836, Santa Anna’s troops surrounded San Antonio.The next day, Mexicans began their siege of the Alamo. Two nights later,Travis scrawled a message to the world.

A VOICE FROM THE PAST

The enemy has demanded a surrender. . . . I have answered the demand witha cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall neversurrender or retreat.

William Travis, “To the People of Texas and all the Americans in the World”

Because Juan Seguín spoke Spanish, he was chosen to carry the pleathrough enemy lines. Seguín got the message through to other Texasdefenders. But when he returned, he saw the Alamo in flames.

The Alamo’s defenders held off the Mexican attack for12 violent days. Travis and the defenders stubbornlyrefused to surrender. On the 13th day, Santa Annaordered more than 1,800 men to storm the fortress. TheTexans met the attackers with a hailstorm of cannon andgun fire. Then suddenly it became strangely quiet. TheTexans had run out of ammunition. At day’s end, all butfive Texans were dead. The Battle of the Alamo was over.

“Rememberthe Alamo!”

a Texan soldier

403

D. MakingInferences Whywould WilliamTravis address hismessage to allAmericans?D. PossibleResponse Traviswanted to rallysupport for Texasfrom allAmericans.

The Battle of the Alamo wasso intense that Davy Crockettdid not have time to reload hisgun, which he called “Betsy.”He used it as a club. This printis by a 20th-century illustrator,Frederick Yohn.

What does the print revealabout the battle?

404 CHAPTER 13

Those men who had not died in the fighting were executed at SantaAnna’s command. A total of 183 Alamo defenders died. A few womenand children were not killed. Susanna Dickinson, one of the survivors,was ordered by Santa Anna to tell the story of the Alamo to otherTexans. He hoped the story would discourage more rebellion. Theslaughter at the Alamo shocked Texans—and showed them how hardthey would have to fight for their freedom from Mexico.

Victory at San JacintoWith Santa Anna on the attack, Texans—both soldiers and settlers—fledeastward. Houston sent a message to the men at Goliad, ordering them toretreat. They were captured by Mexican forces, who executed more than300. The Texans would not soon forget the massacre at Goliad. But evenin retreat and defeat, Houston’s army doubled. Now it was a fighting forceof 800 angry men. It included Tejanos, American settlers, volunteers fromthe United States, and many free and enslaved African Americans.

In late April, Santa Anna caught up with Houston near the SanJacinto (san juh•SIN•toh) River. Late in the afternoon of April 21, 1836,the Texans advanced on the Mexican army “with the stillness of death.”When close to Santa Anna’s camp, they raced forward, rifles ready,screaming “Remember the Alamo!” “Remember Goliad!”

In just 18 minutes, the Texans killed more than half of the Mexicanarmy. Santa Anna was forced to sign a treaty giving Texas its freedom.With the Battle of San Jacinto, Texas was now independent.

E. Reading a MapUse the map onpage 405 to seewhere battles were taking place.

In what ways did the experiences of Seguín and Houston differ?

JUAN SEGUÍN

1806–1890

Juan Seguín was aTejano hero of theTexas Revolution. It was Seguín who dashedthrough enemy lines at the Alamo with a lastdesperate attempt foraid.

And after the war, itwas Seguín who arrangedfor the remains of the

Alamo defenders to be buried withfull military honors.

Newcomers to Texas who dislikedall Tejanos falsely accused Sequín of planning rebellion. Fearing for his life, he fled to Mexico in 1842,there “to seek a refuge amongst my enemies.”

SAM HOUSTON

1793–1863

Raised by a widowedmother, Sam Houstongrew up in Tennessee.He lived with theCherokee for about three years.Later, he served in the U.S. Army,in Congress, and as the governorof Tennessee.

“I was a General without an army,”wrote Houston, after takingcommand of the Texas forces in 1836.Yet by the time the war was over, heand his troops had defeated SantaAnna’s larger army.

Houston was elected the firstpresident of the Republic of Texas.When Texas became a state, he served as a U.S. senator.

Manifest Destiny 405

Lone Star RepublicIn September 1836, Texans raised aflag with a single star. They adopted anickname—Lone Star Republic—and proclaimed Texas an independentnation. The new nation set up its ownarmy and navy. Sam Houston waselected president of the Lone StarRepublic by a landslide.

Many Texans did not want Texas toremain independent for long. Theyconsidered themselves Americans andwanted to be a part of the UnitedStates. In 1836, the Texas governmentasked Congress to annex Texas to theUnion.

Many Northerners objected. Theyargued that Texas would become aslave state, and they opposed anyexpansion of slavery. If Texas joinedthe Union, slave states would outnum-ber free states and have a votingadvantage in Congress. Other peoplefeared that annexing Texas would leadto war with Mexico.

In response, Congress voted againstannexation. Texas remained an inde-pendent republic for almost ten years. In the next section, you will learnthat the question of annexing Texas did lead to a war between the UnitedStates and Mexico.

Texan forcesMexican forcesTexan victoryMexican victoryModern Texas border0

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100 Miles

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25°N

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100°W30°N

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Land disputedby Texas

and Mexico

Matagorda

Brazoria

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Washington-on-the-Brazos

Refugio,Mar. 14, 1836

Goliad,Mar. 20, 1836

San Antonio,Dec. 10, 1835

Gonzales,Oct. 2, 1835

San Jacinto,Apr. 21, 1836

Alamo,Mar. 6, 1836 Urrea

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BoundaryClaim

ed by Texas

Boundary Claimed by Mexico

S abine R iver

Red R i ver

Trinity River

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G u l f o fM e x i c o

2. Using GraphicsUse a diagram like the oneshown to review events thatled to Texan independenceand put them in order. (CST2)

3. Main Ideasa. Why did Americans wantto move to Texas? (HI2)

b. How did the Mexican government respond to the Texas rebellion? (HI2)

c. Why did Congress refuseto annex Texas? (HI2)

4. Critical ThinkingRecognizing Effects Howdid losing the Battle of theAlamo help the Texans wintheir independence? (CST1)

THINK ABOUT• the Texans’ and Americans’

shock over the loss of thebattle to the Mexicans

• the need to recruit moreforces to fight with theTexas army

1. Terms & NamesExplain the

significance of:• Stephen Austin• Tejano• Antonio López de

Santa Anna• Sam Houston• William Travis• Juan Seguín• Battle of the Alamo• Lone Star Republic

Section Assessment

ACTIVITY OPTIONS

ARTTECHNOLOGY

Research a figure from the Texas Revolution. Create a trading card or design thatperson’s Web page for the Internet. (HI1)

Event 3

Event 2Event 1

TexanIndependence

Vocabularyannex: to jointerritory to anexisting country

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER Interpreting Maps1. Movement About how many total miles did Santa

Anna travel from Mexico to San Jacinto?2. Movement Look at the distances traveled by

Mexican forces and those traveled by the Texans.Which side do you think had an advantage? Explain.

2

The Texas Revolution, 1836

F. Answer Someworried about theslavery issue andothers about awar with Mexico.

F. AnalyzingCauses Whydidn’t Congressannex Texas?

SkillbuilderAnswers1. about 500 miles2. The Texansprobably had theadvantage.Mexican forcestraveled muchfurther, whichprobably causedsupply and communication problems.