Caleb SlinkardDue 11/30/06Texas History

Texas History: The Revolution1835- 1836

Section 1: The Seed of War Texas has always been a disputed territory. Originally explored by Spanish adventurers, France laid

a claim to part of Texas in the late 1600's (although their attempts to settle their claim ended in dismal

failure). Spain, sparked into action by the French colonization attempt, began to build forts and

missions throughout Texas in hope of solidifying their claim to the area. This strategy of strengthening

Spanish control over Texas was known as the mission-presidio1 system. The goal of this system was to

transform the Native Americans into “Christians” and thus loyal Spanish subjects. Unfortunately, the

Indians were exploited by the Spaniards, who also introduced devastating diseases to the area. The

Indians had trouble adjusting to the Spanish style of government as well. Soon the Indians in East

Texas grew hostile to the Spaniards, who were forced to move west. Later, the Spaniards attempted to

make peace with the Indians.

Following the Louisiana Purchase (1803) the United States' interest in Texas grew, but to the

disappointment of many Americans the U.S. government relinquished any claim on Texas to Spain. In

return, Spain recognized the U.S.' ownership of Florida.

Section 1.1: The Mexican Revolution

Meanwhile, the relationship between the Spanish government and the people of New Spain

(Mexico) was growing strained. The people of New Spain resented the fact that they had to pay taxes

1 The presidio was a fort that guarded the mission

to support Spain in its many wars. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars turned Spain's

attention away from their colony, much to the distaste of the colonists. They began to long to be self-

governed.

Another major problem in New Spain was the issue of class. The Spaniards born in Spain, known

as peninsulares, occupied the highest class in society. A step below them were the criollos, who were

Spaniards that were born in America. Those who were of mixed Spanish and Native American

heritage made up third class, the mestizos. The fourth and final class consisted of the Indians. These

were generally very poor and ill-treated.

Neither the criollos, mestizos or Indians enjoyed their status. They disliked being looked down

upon and having to settle for lesser jobs. These sentiments pushed the country towards revolution.

In 1811, a Spanish priest by the name of Francisco Hildago began a rebellion against the Spanish

government. Although his rebellion failed, it jump-started a process that eventually led to the

independence of Mexico.

Section 1.2: Texas Colonization

Following independence , Mexico faced a population problem in Texas. Few Mexicans settled

there, and the Native Indian population far exceeded their own. Clashes between the Indians and the

Mexicans were common. In 1806 the U.S. and Mexican governments decided on a neutral ground

between Louisiana and Texas. Unfortunately, criminals and filibusters2 used this neutral ground as a

headquarters for their activities. Mexico quickly saw that they needed Texas colonized by steady,

reliable settlers.

2 A filibuster is a person who wages an unofficial war on a country

In 1823 and 1824 the Mexican government passed new colonization laws. In order to substantiate

their claim to Texas and to introduce more settlers into the area, the Mexican government began

allowing U.S. citizens to settle in Texas under the condition that they would become Mexican citizens.

Spain had colonized Louisiana in much the same way.

The key factor to successful early colonization was the empresarios. The empresarios acted as

land agents in cooperation with the Mexican government. Stephen F. Austin was the most successful

empresario. Following his father's plan, Austin brought 300 families to settle Texas. Although the first

few years were hard, the settlers persevered. Later, Austin received three more contracts that called for

the settlement of 900 more families. It was through land grants like these that Texas was settled.

Section 1.3: Conflict Begins

Mexican control over Texas in the early 1800's was very weak. The government was worried that

their next door neighbor, the United States, might want take over Texas. The large population of US

colonists in Texas led them to feel very uneasy. In 1827 the Mexican government sent General Don

Manuel de Mier y Terán to Texas to asses the situation. He reported back that the Texans held a low

opinion of the Mexican government and that “Texas could throw the whole nation into revolution.” In

response to his report, Mexico abolished slavery in Texas (although Mexico did not enforce this ban

because of a lack of troops and influence in the area). In 1830 the Mexican government also passed a

law outlawing immigration and canceled almost all of the empresario contracts. This stopped the legal

immigrants from coming into Texas but did nothing to prohibit the illegal immigrants, which was the

point of the law. The law also outlawed the transportation of slaves into Texas. These moves, coupled

with new taxation laws and the increase of Mexican troops in Texas, outraged the settlers.

The government sent troops into the area in order to enforce its laws. Many of the soldiers were

convicted criminals who had taken the option to serve in the army instead of going to prison.

The United States had tried to buy Texas from Mexico in 1827 and 1829, but was rejected. In

1829 Spain attempted to retake her former territory but was swiftly defeated by General Santa Anna.

Section 2: Revolution

Between 1829 and 1832 the Mexican government underwent a sequence of coups in which a series

of its presidents were killed. The government was now divided between two major groups: the

Conservatives, who favored centralized monarchical government; and the Liberals, who were for a

democratic government. In 1833 Santa Anna ran for president as a Liberal and won. He then allowed

his vice president to run the country while he retired to his ranch for a little r&r. The vice president

worked hard to root out corruption in the government, which earned him many political enemies. Santa

Anna then assumed control of the government and revoked all of the laws passed during his absence.

He also nullified the constitution of 1824, which angered many Mexican citizens. Mexico was now

under the control of a dictator.

Many different Mexican states rebelled against Santa Anna. He brutally put down all of these

rebellions. Santa Anna then sent his brother into Texas in order to end disturbances there against his

government.

Section 2.1: The “Battle” of Gonzales3

In this highly charged scene, it would take little excuse for the Texians (as the Texas settlers called

themselves) to revolt against the now unconstitutional Mexican government. Their excuse came in

3 Also known as the “Lexington of Texas”

September of 1835 when the government ordered the cannon at Gonzales to be returned. The

Mexicans had given the cannon to the settlers there in order that they might defend themselves against

Indian attacks. Now the government, knowing the settlers sentiments, wanted it back in their

possession.

Lieutenant Francisco Castaneda was sent to Gonzales to retrieve the cannon. His request was met

with stubborn refusal. When he was met with armed resistance he left with his troops as his orders

specified. The “Battle” of Gonzales was little more than a shoving match that resulted in one or two

Mexican casualties and a Texan with a bloody nose. It was, however, politically significant. Settlers

all around Texas rallied to the “cause” (which, incidentally, was still undefined at this time). Some

wanted independence from Mexico, others the reinstatement of the Constitution of 1824, others just a

good fight.

Section 2.2: The Road to the Alamo

The “victory” at Gonzales soon led to the rebels taking two Centralist strongholds: Goliad and

Lipantitlan. The rebels then laid siege to Bexar de San Antonio and later captured it. But despite these

victories, the future for the Texas colonists seemed very bleak, due to their limited resources and lack

of focused leadership.

To begin with, the Texans were unorganized and untrained. Although many were excellent shots,

often better than their Mexican counterparts, the Texans lacked the proper supplies to carry on a full-

scale war. The Mexicans, on the other hand, were led by a brutal dictator who was known as the

“Napoleon of the West” for his strategic genius.

As he entered Texas to quell the rebellion, Santa Anna made it clear that his goal was to remove all

Anglo-Saxon settlers from the territory. One of his first moves was to lay siege to Bexar de San

Antonio and its presidio, the Alamo, on February 23. The Alamo was defended by about 185 men

commanded jointly by William Travis and Jim Bowie. Few would survive the siege, which lasted until

March 6. During the 13 day siege 600-1000 Mexican troops were killed, as well as all of the defenders.

The Alamo remains one of the most important events in Texas history. Although the Texans lost,

their sacrifice and heroic defense spurred their comrades on towards eventual victory (see Appendix B

for further details).

Following the Alamo Santa Anna split his forces into two columns and sent them north towards the

Texans' army and it's new commander, General Sam Houston. Anna hoped to force a decisive battle to

quickly end the war by trapping the rebels between his two armies.

Section 2.3: The Road to San Jacinto

General Jose Urrea marched north through Texas from Matamoros along the Texas coastline,

preventing foreign aid and opening up a Mexican supply line. At Goliad Urrea caught up to Texan

Colonel James Fannin. Although Fannin charged the Mexicans three times, inflicting heavy losses, in

the end he had to surrender to the superior Mexican force. About 340 Texans captured during Urrea's

Goliad campaign were executed a week later according to direct orders from Santa Anna. The Goliad

Massacre, as it came to be known, joined the Alamo as a rallying cry for the remaining Texans.

Santa Anna's campaign through Texas caused a panic among the settlers known as the --. As Santa

Anna moved through Texas, the settlers set fire to their towns and crops, refusing to supply the

Mexican Army. Only the swollen rivers paused Anna's approach, giving Houston time to retreat and

drill his army. Anger at both the Mexicans and Houston rose high as the Texans saw their years of

hard work go up in flames.

Santa Anna then divided his own column and raced to Galveston, where members of the Provisional

Government had fled (see section 2.4). Houston's men turned to meet him despite Houston's wish to

retreat. The two armies met at the San Jacinto River on April 20th. The Texans had around 900 men.

At the time Santa Anna had only 700. The two armies skirmished slightly, but it was of no

consequence. Then reinforcements arrived, swelling Santa Anna's army to 1,200 men. The Texans,

angered at the lost opportunity to attack Anna, attacked early the next morning. The Mexicans were

unprepared, as Santa Anna had not expected the Texans to attack his superior force. As the Texans

forced their way into the Mexican camp, an 18-minute battle ensued; but in the end Houston's men had

either killed or captured the entire Mexican force. Santa Anna was captured a day later and forced to

sign the Treaty of Velasco, which recognized Texas' independence. It wasn't until the Mexican-

American War (1846) that Texas became free from Mexico's attempts at retaking it.

Section 2.4: Texas Governments

Following the Battle of Gonzales the Texans created a provisional government that was not

separate from Mexico but opposed to Santa Anna and the Centralists. Henry Smith was elected as

Governor and Sam Houston as Commander-in-Chief. Later, on March 2, 1836, a convention of

delegates4 signed the Texas Declaration of Independence at a little town by the name of Washington-

on-the-Brazos. Following the battle of San Jacinto Sam Houston was elected President. Ten years

later Texas was annexed into the United States as the 28th state.

4 See Appendix C for a complete list of delegates who signed the 1836 Texas Constitution

Appendix A: Important Dates In Texas History1519: Spanish adventurer Alonso Alvarez de Pineda explores and maps the Texas Coastline

1528: Cabeza de Vaca is shipwrecked on what is believed to be Galveston Island. He later explored portions of the Texas mainland

1540-1542: Francisco Vasquez de Coronado leads an expedition across northern Texas

1682: French explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle lays claim to the land that drained into the Mississippi, which included part of Texas, thus creating the vast territory of Louisiana. He later accidentally fortified Matagorda Bay in Texas, thinking it near the Mississippi.

1803: France sells Louisiana to the United States of America, which some think includes parts of Texas. Spain holds the rest of present-day Texas.

1810: Mexico declares its independence from Spain

1819: The US relinquishes its claims to Texas in return for Spanish agreement over the ownership of Florida in the Adams-Onis Treaty. The treaty set the border between the United States and Spanish Texas along the Sabine River.

1819: Dr. James Long leads a force into Spanish Texas in hopes of creating an independent state. His forces capture Nacogdoces but are eventually destroyed by Spanish troops. 1823: Moses Austin is given permission to settle 300 families in Texas

1824: The Constitution of 1824 establishes a Federal Republic in Mexico

1833: Santa Anna is elected president

1835: The Texas Revolution begins

1836: Texas wins its independence

1845: Texas attains statehood, becoming the 28th state in the United States of America

1861: The Secession Convention approves an ordinance withdrawing Texas from Union; the action is ratified by the voters on Feb. 23 in a referendum vote. Secession is official on March 2. The Secession Convention approves an ordinance accepting Confederate statehood. Sam Houston resigns as governor in protest against secession.

1865: The Battle of Palmito Ranch is fought near Brownsville, after the official end of the Civil War, because word of the war's end at Appomattox on April 9 has not yet reached troops in Texas.

1866: The Constitutional Convention approves an ordinance to nullify the actions of the Secession Convention. President Andrew Johnson issues a proclamation of peace between the United States and Texas. Cattle drives, which had been occasional in the 1830s, sporadic during the 1840s and 1850s, and almost nonexistent during the Civil War, begin in earnest, mostly to markets and railheads in

Midwest. They are at their peak for only about 20 years, until the proliferation of railroads makes them unnecessary.

1867-1870: Congressional (or Military) Reconstruction replaces Presidential Reconstruction.

1868: Large-scale irrigation begins in Texas when canals are built in the vicinity of Del Rio.

1869: Nov. 30 – Texas voters approve a new state constitution.

1870: March 30 – President Grant signs the act readmitting Texas to Congressional representation.

1870: Edmund J. Davis becomes the first Republican governor of Texas.

1871: May – Seven men in a wagon train are massacred at Salt Creek, about 20 miles west of Jacksboro, by Kiowas and Comanches led by chiefs Satanta, Big Tree, Satank and Eagle Heart.

1872: Oct. – Construction begins on the Texas & Pacific Railway; the 125-mile stretch between Longview and Dallas opens for service on July 1, 1873.

1873: Black "Buffalo Soldiers" are first posted to Texas, eventually serving at virtually every frontier fort in West Texas from the Rio Grande to the Panhandle, as well as in other states.

1873: The Houston and Texas Central Railway reaches the Red River, connecting there with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad and creating the first all-rail route from Texas to St. Louis and the East.

1874: Jan. 17 – The inauguration of Democrat Richard Coke as governor marks the end of Reconstruction in Texas.

1874: Sept. 28 – Col. Ranald Mackenzie leads the 4th U.S. Cavalry in the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon, south of present-day Amarillo, an encounter that ends with the confinement of southern Plains Indians in reservations in Indian Territory. This makes possible the wholesale settlement of the western part of the state.

1876: Feb. 15 – The present state constitution is adopted.

1876: Oct. 4 – The Agricultural and Mechanical College, later Texas A&M University, opens at College Station, becoming the first public institution of higher learning in the state.

1876: Charles Goodnight establishes the JA Ranch in Palo Duro Canyon, the first cattle ranch located in the Panhandle.

1877: Sept. – The El Paso Salt War is the culmination of a long dispute caused by Anglos' attempts to take over salt-mining rights at the foot of Guadalupe Peak, a traditionally Mexican-American salt source.

1881: Dec. 16 – The Texas & Pacific Railway reaches Sierra Blanca in West Texas, about 90 miles east of El Paso.

1884: Fence-cutting wars prompt the Texas Legislature to pass a law making fence-cutting a felony.

1894: June 9 – Oil is discovered at Corsicana by workers drilling for water; a commercial field opens in 1896, becoming the first small step in Texas' rise as a major oil producer.

1898: May 16 – Teddy Roosevelt arrives in San Antonio to recruit and train "Rough Riders" for the First Volunteer Cavalry to fight in the Spanish-American War in Cuba.

1898-1899 Texas experiences its coldest winter on record statewide.

1900: Sept. 8 – The "Great Hurricane," the greatest natural disaster in human terms ever to strike North America, destroys much of Galveston and kills 6,000 people there.

1901: A gusher drilled by mining engineer Capt. A.F. Lucas at Spindletop near Beaumont catapults Texas into the petroleum age.

1902: The poll tax becomes a requirement for voting.

1906: For the first time, Texans can vote for U.S. senator in the Democratic primary. Although the Texas legislature retains ultimate appointment authority, primary voters can express their preferences. Not until 1916 are Texas voters able to directly elect U.S. senators.

1910: Lt. Benjamin D. Foulois makes the first military air flight in a Wright brothers plane at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. The seven-and-a-half-minute flight marks the shaky beginnings of U.S. Air Force.

1911-1920: The Mexican civil war spills across the border, as refugees seek safety, combatants seek each other, and Texas settlements are raided for supplies by all sides in the fighting. Pancho Villa and his followers are active along the border during some of this time.

1917-1918: The United States participates in World War I.

1918: Texas women win the right to vote in primary elections. Annie Webb Blanton becomes the first woman elected to a statewide office when she is elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

1919: Texans adopt a prohibition amendment to the state constitution.

1920: Large-scale agricultural irrigation begins in the High Plains.

1925: Miriam "Ma" Ferguson becomes Texas' first woman governor, serving as a figurehead for her husband, former Gov. James E. Ferguson. Texas Tech University begins classes in Lubbock as Texas Technological College.

1930: The Daisy Bradford #3 well, drilled near Turnertown in Rusk County by wildcatter C.M. (Dad) Joiner, blows in, heralding the discovery of the huge East Texas Oil Field.

1935: Two years after federal prohibition was repealed, Texas voters ratify the repeal of the state's prohibition law.

1936: The Texas Centennial Exposition opens at Dallas' Fair Park; it runs until Nov. 29.

1937: A massive explosion, blamed on a natural-gas leak beneath the London Consolidated School building in Rusk County, kills an estimated 296 students and teachers. Subsequent deaths of people injured in the explosion bring the death count to 311. As a result, the Texas legislature requires that a malodorant be added to the odorless gas so that leaks can be more easily detected.

1941-1945: The United States participates in World War II.

1943: A race riot in Beaumont leads to a declaration of martial law.

1947: The French-owned SS Grandcamp, carrying ammonium nitrate, explodes in the Texas City harbor, followed the next morning by the explosion of the SS High Flyer. The disaster kills almost 600 and injures at least 4,000 more. The concussion is felt 75 miles away in Port Arthur, and the force creates a 15-foot tidal wave.

1948: Lyndon B. Johnson beats Coke Stevenson in the U.S. Senate race by 87 votes. The winning margin in the disputed primary is registered in Ballot Box No. 13 in Jim Wells County.

1953: Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the first Texas-born President of the United States. A tornado kills 114, injures 597 at Waco; 150 homes and 185 other buildings are destroyed. The Tidelands Bill is signed by Pres. Eisenhower, giving Texas the rights to its offshore oil.

1954: Texas women gain the right to serve on juries.

1958: The integrated circuit, developed by Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments, Dallas, is successfully tested, ushering in the semiconductor and electronics age.

1961: John Tower wins a special election for U.S. Senate, becoming the first Republican senator from Texas since Reconstruction.

1962: NASA opens the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. The center moves to a new campus-like building complex in 1964. It is renamed Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center on Aug. 17, 1973.

1963: President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas; vice president Lyndon B. Johnson succeeds to the office, becoming the 36th U.S. president.

1964: The poll tax is abolished by the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a requirement for voting for federal offices. It is retained in Texas, however, for state and local offices.

1965: The Texas Legislature is reapportioned on the principle of one person, one vote. San Antonio native Ed White becomes the first American to walk in space.

1966: Barbara Jordan of Houston becomes the first black woman elected to the Texas Senate. Charles Whitman kills 17 people, shooting them from the observation deck of the main-building tower on The University of Texas campus in Austin.

1969: Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong transmits the first words from the surface of the moon: "Houston, the Eagle has landed."

1971: The Securities and Exchange Commission investigates illegal manipulation of stock transactions involving Frank Sharp and his Sharpstown State Bank of Houston. The Sharpstown Scandal results in the conviction of House speaker Gus Mutscher and two associates for conspiracy and bribery in 1972.

1974: A Constitutional Convention meets to attempt to write a new state constitution. However, the delegates, comprising the membership of the 63rd Legislature, become mired in divisive politics, and the convention adjourns on July 30, 1974, without a document.

1978: William Clements becomes the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction.

1979: Several tornadoes kill 53 in West Texas, including 42 in Wichita Falls, and cause $400 million in damages.

1988: Houstonian George Bush is elected president of the United States.

1990: Democrat Ann Richards becomes the first woman governor of Texas in her own right.

1993: Ending a siege that began on Feb. 28, federal agents storm the compound called Mount Carmel near Waco, where cult leader David Koresh and his followers, called Branch Davidians, had reportedly been storing a large cache of assault weapons. The assault and ensuing fire kill four agents and 86 Branch Davidians.

1993: Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison becomes the first woman to serve as U.S. Senator from Texas.

2000: Former Texas Gov. George W. Bush is elected President of the United States.

Appendix B: A Chronology of Events Concerning the Alamo

● October 9, 1835 - General Martín Perfecto de Cos arrives at San Antonio de Béxar, bringing the number of Centralist forces in the town to approximately 1,200

●

● October-November 1835 - Texian forces gather outside San Antonio de Béxar - Centralist troops fortify the town, including the Alamo

● October 28, 1835 - Texians defeat Centralists in skirmish near Mission Concepcion

● November 26, 1835 - Texians capture pack train bringing forage for Cos' cavalry

● December 4, 1835 - Colonel Benjamin R. Milam rallies Texians for an assault on Cos' garrison in San Antonio de Béxar

● December 5-10, 1835 - Battle of Béxar rages as Texians fight their way into town - Cos surrenders his army, which is then paroled

● December 21, 1835 - Colonel James C. Neill receives orders to take command at San Antonio de Béxar - garrison consists of about 100 men

● January 19, 1836 - Colonel James Bowie arrives to investigate the military situation for governor Henry Smith and General Sam Houston

● February 2, 1836 - Bowie and Neill vow ". . . we will rather die in these ditches than give it up to the enemy." Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis arrives with 30 men

● February 8, 1836 - Former Congressman David Crockett arrives in San Antonio de Béxar with 12 volunteers

● February 14, 1836 - Travis and Bowie agree to share command at San Antonio de Béxar after Colonel Neill received a temporary leave of absence

● February 23, 1836 - Antonio López de Santa Anna and the Centralist forces arrive and the Siege of the Alamo begins

● March 6, 1836 - The Alamo falls in a predawn assault

● March-May 1836 - The Alamo reoccupied by Centralist forces

● May-June1836 - Centralist forces are ordered out of Texas following Santa Anna's capture at the Battle of San Jacinto - the Alamo's fortifications are destroyed by the Centralist garrison

Appendix C: Signers of the Texas Constitution

1. C. B. Stewart2. Matthew Caldwell. 3. James Collinswort4. William Motley, 5. Edwin Waller6. Lorenzo de Zavala, 7. A. Brigham 8. George W. Smyth, 9. John S. D. Byrom10. Stephen H. Everett, 11. Francis Ruis12. Elijah Stepp, 13. J. Antonio Navarro14. Claiborne West, 15. William D. Lacy16. John S. Roberts17. William Menufee 18. Robert Hamilton, 19. John Fisher20. Collin McKinney, 21. A. H. Latimore22. Thomas J. Gazley, 23. James Power. R. M. Coleman 24. Sam. Houston25. Sterling C. Robertson, 26. Edward Conrad27. George C. Childress, 28. Martin Palmer29. Baily Hardiman, 30. James Gaines31. Robert Potter, 32. William Clark, jun.33. Charles Taylor, 34. Sydney O. Pennington35. George W. Barnet, 36. Samuel P. Carson37. Jesse Grimes, 38. Thomas J. Rusk39. E. O. Legrand, 40. William C. Crawford 41. David Thomas, 42. John Turner43. S. Rhoads Fisher, 44. Benjamin Briggs Goodrich45. John W. Bower, 46. Jumes G. Swisher47. J. B. Woods, 48. William B. Leates

49. Andrew Briscoe, 50. M. B.Menard51. Thomas Barnett, 52. A. B. Hardin53. Jesse B. Badgett, 54. John W. Bunton55. Stephen W. Blount.