The Texas Revolution

TEXAS LEGENDS

The Texas Revolution

By Eleanor E. Riggs in 1916

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Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835-April 21, 1836)

When the United States purchased Florida from Spain in 1819, the boundary between the Spanish and American line on the southwest was fixed by the Sabine River. Just across this line was the district of Texas, then, then a province of Mexico called Coahuila y Tejas. The Spanish government, anxious to develop this state, offered large tracts of land to anyone who would settle a certain number of families within a definite area. Many Americans took advantage of this offer. Among the earliest immigrants was Moses Austin, of Missouri, who led a colony of families into the fertile region. It was not long after this that Mexico revolted from Spain and became an independent republic. The government was very unstable, and most of the early presidents were tyrannical and usurped many privileges.

Battle of the Alamo, Mexicans and Texans fight to the death.

Painting by Percy Moran

Among the most successful of these dictators was Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. He succeeded in controlling all of the local state governments except Texas, and made himself so unpopular that many of his enemies moved into the province of Texas.

The new laws were unpopular throughout Mexico, leading to violence in several states, including Coahuila y Tejas. Making matters worse for the Texans, Santa Anna removed the capitol of Texas from San Antonio to Saltillo, a town in a neighboring state. This caused so much inconvenience that in April, 1833 the Texans called a convention to discuss proposed changes in immigration, judicial, and other political policies. The delegates also advocated separate statehood for Tejas and elected Stephen Austin, son of the early pioneer, to carry a proposed state constitution to Mexico City. The new Mexican President, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, approved many of the proposals, but refused to agree to separate statehood.

Austin returned to Texas, but, wrote a letter in October that advocated Texans to act unilaterallly on statehood. As a result, he was arrested for treason and taken back to Mexico and imprisoned, where he would stay for the next year and a half.

In the meantime, the of Americans and Mexican immigrants entering Tejas was quickly escalating, inspiring Santa Anna to believe that the influx of American immigrants to Texas was part of a plot by the U.S. to take over the region. In 1834, because of perceived troubles within the Mexican government, Santa Anna went through a process of dissolving state legislatures, disarming state militias, and abolishing the Constitution of 1824.

The Texans were so indignant over these changes and the imprisonment of Stephen Austin, that they met again making plans for a revolt. Hearing of this, a garrison of Mexican soldiers attempted to seize a cannon belonging to the defense of Gonzales, Texas on October 2, 1835. Though the Texans resisted and forced the Mexicans to leave the field., this was the first official battle of the Texas Revolution.

Continued hostilities then began that continued for three months. During this time the citizens of Texas met, formally declared war against Mexico, and elected General Samuel Houston commander of the army.

Soon Santa Anna ordered his troops to march upon upon San Antonio. When William B. Travis, in command of about 150 Texas troops, heard of Santa Anna's approach, leading some 1,500 soldiers, he and his men took refuge at a fortified convent, known as the Alamo. He also published a message to the people declaring that he was surrounded by an army far outnumbering his own, and that Santa Anna was demanding unconditional surrender.

David Crockett Unfortunately, though Travis wrote multiple letters pleading for more men and supplies, fewer than 100 reinforcements arrived. Travis along with other famous names such as Davy Crockett and James Bowie, resisted the attack that began on February 23^rd and lasted for the next 12 days. A number of skirmishes occurred as Travis and his men desperately waited for help that would never come.

In the early morning hours of March 6, the full force of the Mexican Army advanced on the Alamo. As the Texas soldiers fought valiantly, they were able to repulse two attacks, however, when a third came, they were unable to resist. In the end, every last man within the Alamo would die – estimated to have been between 182 and 250 Texans.

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