The Texas Revolution

Spanish Texas• Mexico was controlled by Spain

from 1519 until the early 1800s.• It had an unprotected border

that ran from eastern Texas to northern California.

• They were concerned about being attacked by neighbors and from inside Mexico itself.

• A Mexican priest - Father Miguel Hidalgo y Castillo led a revolt in September 1810.

• His followers were poor Indians and Mestizos (people of Indian and Spanish descent)

• The revolt failed, but the rebellion grew.

• Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821.

This area was claimed by Spain, Britain, Russia and the U.S.

Changing Texas

-In December 1820, a persistent, Moses Austin received a large land grant from the Spanish Governor, for 300 families to move into Tejas or Texas as long as they followed Spanish laws.

-Moses died on his journey back to Missouri, so his son, Stephen Fuller Austin took his place.

-Stephen moved to Texas in 1821. -When he arrived there were only 4000 Tejanos (people of

Spanish heritage who considered Texas their home) -Shortly after Austin arrived in Texas, Mexico won its

independence from Spain, making Stephen’s land grant from Spain obsolete(no good or null and void).

Moses AustinStephen F. Austin

Changing Texas-He went to Mexico City and after a

year received permission to start a colony on the Colorado River.

-He became one of many empresarios or agents who were paid in land by the Mexican government to bring settlers to their new country.

-They had to promise to become Mexican citizens and join the Roman Catholic Church.

-Austin brought 297 families to Texas between 1821-1827 and they are known as the “Old Three Hundred.”

-His success led to more empresarios and by 1830, the Texas population grew to about 30,000 with Americans outnumbering Tejanos SIX to ONE!

Changing Texas-These new settlers did NOT follow the

rules of Mexico. -Slavery was illegal in Mexico, but the

new Americans still brought slaves.-They didn’t like that all documents

were written in Spanish. -Tejanos didn’t like living with the

Americans either, because they believed the Americans thought they were superior and that they deserved special treatment.

-Finally in 1830, Mexico banned any further settlement by Americans.

-Many Americans living in Texas began to think about breaking away from Mexico.

-Austin convinced the people to remain loyal to Mexico and took a list of reforms to Mexico City in 1833 to meet with their leader.

Changing Texas-Mexico’s new President was General

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.-At first, Santa Anna agreed to most of the

reforms until he heard that Austin had written a letter saying that he would support breaking away from Mexico if the reforms were turned down.

-He had Austin put in jail for an entire year from December 1833-December 1834 and would not let him leave Mexico City until Feb. 1835.

-Santa Anna suspended Mexico’s Republican Constitution and sent more Mexican troops into Texas.

-The first shots of the Texas Revolution took place October 2, 1835 when the Mexican army tried to take a cannon from the town of Gonzalez.

-The Texas volunteers put up a flag that said, “Come and Take It”, meaning the cannon.

-The Mexican Army could NOT take it and were driven back.

-Two months later, Texan volunteers drove the Mexican Army out of an old mission in San Antonio that was used as fortress.

-It was called the Alamo.-This angered Santa Anna

and he and 6,000 troops headed for Texas.

TEXAS INDEPENDENCE-Texas leaders met at

Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 1-2, 1836 to decide what to do about the advancing Mexican Army.

-They declared Texas a free and independent republic separate from Mexico on March 2, 1836.

-Sam Houston was put in charge of the Texas army.

-It wasn’t much of an army and Austin went to the U.S. for money and troops.

BATTLE AT THE ALAMO-Volunteers took up at the

town of San Antonio and decided to hold up at the Alamo.

-Colonel William Barret Travis and Colonel Jim Bowie were in charge of the volunteers.

General Sam Houstonfrom Virginia.

William B. Travisfrom S. Carolina

Jim Bowie from Logan County, KY

-Davy Crockett, a frontiersman and former congressman arrived with a group of Tennessee volunteers.

-They had about 65 men to take the total number at the Alamo to about 200.

-They hoped to delay Santa Anna and the Mexican Army of about 1800 men to give General Sam Houston and Colonel James Fannin time to organize a stronger army.

-The Mexican Army under Santa Anna began their attack on February 23.

Davy Crockett of Eastern Tennessee

-They did so relentlessly for 12 days and finally they broke through on March 6 into the Alamo.

-All of the Texas fighters and volunteers were killed in the 90 minute final attack.

-A few women and children were allowed to live to tell about the attack hoping to stop more rebellion.

-Santa Anna had his soldiers stack and burn the bodies to ashes later in the evening.

-Other soldiers and settlers moved eastward.

-Forces near Goliad under the command of Colonel Fannin were told to retreat in a letter from General Houston.

-They were captured on March 20 and held at Goliad.

-On March 27, one week later, about 300 soldiers were executed, piled up and burned just like they had at the Alamo.

-Fannin was the last to be executed.

-As an officer he asked for three things - for his personal possessions to be sent to his family, to be shot in his heart and NOT his face, and to be given a Christian burial.

-The soldiers took his belongings, shot him in his face, and burned Fannin's body.

-Texans were very angry and wanted revenge.

BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO-Sam Houston and his forces were on

the run with Santa Anna chasing.-Houston’s army was growing even

in retreat to about 800 angry men.-Houston and his men took up camp

at the San Jacinto River near Galveston Bay.

-His army consisted of Tejanos, American settlers, volunteers from the U.S. as wells as freed and enslaved blacks.

-Santa Anna was a little careless in choosing his site for camp, due to his overconfidence in victory.

-Houston’s forces surprised Santa Anna’s troops, who were resting on the afternoon of April 21, 1836.

-Houston’s soldiers rushed the camp yelling, “Remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad!”

-Fighting lasted about 18 minutes - NINE Americans dead – 630 dead and 730 wounded Mexican soldiers.

-Santa Anna was captured and forced to sign a treaty giving Texas its independence from Mexico.

AN INDEPENDENT NATION

-The capital was named Houston after the new President of Texas Sam Houston.

-Stephen F. Austin was named the Secretary of State.

-Texas offered land grants to encourage settlers to move in.

-Many from Southern states did, bringing slaves to help grow and harvest cotton.

-Most Texans wanted to become part of the United States – they were hoping to be annexed or added.

-Most of the U.S. Congress also wanted to annex Texas.

-President Jackson and some Northerners were against it because it would create an imbalance in slave and free states.

-Jackson also feared war with Mexico over Texas.

-Eventually Jackson recognized Texas as an independent nation.

-France did so in 1839 and Britain followed in 1840.

-Mexico did NOT recognize the treaty that Santa Anna was forced to sign giving over the land of Texas.

-The Texas Rangers were formed in 1837 to protect the Texas border against Native Americans and Mexican attacks.

-In 1844, a treaty is signed between the U.S. and Mexico over Texas.

Capt. John "Jack" Coffee Hays