Texas Independence

I. Colonizing Texas In 1820, Texas included a handful of Americans and about 3,000 Tejanos. 1. Tejanos are people of Mexican heritage who consider Texas their home.

B. Most of Texas belonged to Native American tribes like the Comanche and Apache.

C. The First Texas Empresarios 1. The Spanish in the early 1800’s offered large tracts of land to empresarios-people who agreed to recruit settlers. 2. Moses Austin, a Missouri businessman got Spain to grant him a huge tract of land along the Brazos River. a. In return Austin would bring 300 families with him.

3. Moses Austin died, so Stephen F 3. Moses Austin died, so Stephen F. Austin carried out his father’s plans in 1821. 4. About this time, Mexico wins its independence from Spain. a. Mexico gives more land to Austin.

D. American Colonists in Texas The Mexican Government granted each settler in Texas large tracts of land. In return, the colonists promised to: a. Become citizens of Mexico b. Obey Mexico’s laws c. Accept the Roman Catholic Faith

E. Growing Conflict 1. Thousands of U.S. settlers moved into Texas without Mexico’s permission. 2. Colonists on the Brazos were using slaves to grow cotton in 1829 when the Mexican government prohibited slavery. a. Slaveholders balked at the idea that the government might deprive them of their human “property.”

3. American settlers wanted to have the same voice in government that they enjoyed in the U.S. a. Mexican officials, however, insisted on tight political control.

F. Mexican Fears By 1830, more than 5 times as many Anglos, or US settlers, lived in Texas as Tejanos. In 1830, Mexican Congress banned further immigration.

3. Anglos protested furiously and Stephen F 3. Anglos protested furiously and Stephen F. Austin went to Mexico City with a petition for reforms. a. Many people began talking about splitting Texas off from Mexico.

II. The Fight For Independence General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna became the new head of the Mexican government. 1. Santa Anna, “The Napoleon of the West,” suspended the Mexican Constitution and assumed the powers of dictator.

2. Many Texans believed the time had come to break away from Mexico.

B. “COME AND TAKE IT!” When news of unrest reached Santa Anna, he ordered soldiers to seize a cannon in the town of Gonzalez. Texas volunteers defiantly hung a flag over the canon that read “Come and Take it.”

3. After brief fighting, the Mexican soldiers left without the cannon. a. “The Lexington of Texas” 4. Texas volunteers drove Mexican soldiers out of San Antonio. The Texas Revolution had begun.

C. Remember the Alamo The Alamo was a Spanish mission built in the mid 1700’s. a. Surrounded by 12 feet high, 5 feet thick walls.

2. Texas defenders were ill-equipped to fight. a. low supplies of ammunition. b. little medicine. c. Many had only blankets to protect themselves from the cold. d. Had only 187 men to fight against 6,000 Mexican troops.

3. William Travis commanded the Texas soldiers. a. Volunteers inside included the famous frontiersmen Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. 1. Several Tejanos families, two Texas women, and two male slaves were also present.

4. “Victory or Death!” February 23rd, 1836- lookouts spotted the Mexican Army. 1. The first shots took the Mexicans by surprise. William Travis had the soldiers place 3-4 rifles near them for quick firing.

b. February 24th, 1836 “Fellow Citizens and Compatriots - I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual bombardment for 24 hours and have not lost a man. The enemy have demanded a surrender…I have answered the demand with a cannon shot and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender or retreat.

“I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism, and of everything dear to the American character to come to our aid with all dispatch. The enemy are receiving reinforcements daily…If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his honor or that of his country. VICTORY OR DEATH!” -- W. Barret Travis

c. About 60 men were able to come sneak through, but no large scale force ever arrived.

5. The Final Siege For 12 days the defenders held off Santa Anna’s troops. On March 6, 1836, Mexican cannons broke through the wall. Mexican soldiers poured through the wall. c.182 Texans and 600 Mexicans lay dead. 1. The 5 survivors, including Davy Crockett, were promptly executed. d. This, plus the slaughter of several hundred Texas soldiers at Goliad, caused Sam Houston’s army to grow much larger.

D. Texan Independence Sam Houston continued to build up his army. On April 21, 1836, Houston decided that the moment to attack had come. Santa Anna was camped near the San Jacinto River. 4. With cries of “Remember the Alamo” the Texans charged and surprised the Mexicans. 5. The battle only lasted 18 minutes. 6. Texans killed 630 Mexicans, and captured 700 more.

7. The next day, Texans captured Santa Anna himself, and forced him to sign a treaty granting Texas its independence.

E. The Lone Star Republic 1. Nicknamed Texas the Lone Star Republic, after the flag Texans carried into battle.

2. Problems for the Republic Mexico refused to accept the treaty. Texas was bankrupt. Texans wanted to join the U.S.

3. Americans were divided on the Texas issue. a. White Southerners wanted to annex Texas. b. Many Northerners were against it because anti-slavery feeling was growing in the north. c. President Jackson also worried that annexing Texas would lead to war with Mexico.