Ch. 9 Part 3 Tensions Mount

The Law of April 6, 1830 The law: 1. Outlawed immigration from the US –No more Americans could come to TX 2. Canceled all Empresario contracts that were not fulfilled. –Empresarios lost the right to bring Americans into TX 3. Encouraged Mexican and European settlement of Texas –Balance out the Americans living in TX 4. Slaves could not be brought to Texas –Texians thought this would hurt the cotton industry and the economy of TX 5. Customs duties (Taxes) were placed on goods from the U.S. –Caused the price of American goods to go up in TX

Problems with government officials In 1832 American Juan (John) Bradburn was sent to Texas as a Mexican Army Colonel to strictly enforce Mexican laws on immigration. He used Mexican soldiers to dismantle an illegal squatter town named liberty. He followed the April 6 law so closely that he upset many Texians.

Excavations of the Anahuac walls. He also forced Texians to provide free labor to build a new fort named Anahuac (ah-na-walk) near Galveston. The fort was used to collect taxes

Texians did not like Anahauc because it was far out of the way from Galveston

Disturbance at Anahuac In May of 1832 an American named William Logan came to the Anahuac to retrieve two runaway slaves. Bradburn would not release the slaves without proof of ownership. Logan hired a 22 year old lawyer name William Barrett Travis to help him while Logan returned to Louisiana to get proof of ownership. Likeness of William Barrett Travis (supposedly)

Travis started spreading rumors that a large armed group of vigilantes was coming to free the slaves. Bradburn had Travis and another attorney named Patrick Jack thrown into jail. Jack’s Brother showed up with an small group of about 150 settlers demanding their freedom.

Bradburn said if they would leave, Travis and Jack would be released. The settlers left but Bradburn lied and didn’t release them. The settlers then gathered at Turtle Bayou just to the south of Anahuac.

There they pledged their allegiance to the constitution of They also said their actions were against Bradburn, not Mexico. This was called the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. Turtle Bayou Resolutions

At Turtle Bayou, the settlers sent John Austin (may have been a relative of Stephen F.) to Brazoria to get a cannon and reinforcements. On his way back Mexican forces stopped them at Velasco.

The two sides fought the brief Battle of Velasco. The Mexicans ran out of ammunition and had to surrender to the Texians. 10 Texians and 5 Mexicans were killed The soldiers were ordered to return to Mexico and the Texians went to Anahauc. Battle of Velasco

When the settler army arrived at Anahauc they found that Bradburn had been fired and Travis and Jack were released. Tensions cooled off for a while. Travis became a revolutionary celebrity.

The Texians call a convention The Texians called a convention together in 1832 and 1833 to address grievances they still had with the Mexican Government. In 1833 they held a convention in San Felipe and drafted a resolution to separate Texas from Coahuila. They elected Stephen F. Austin to take the resolution to Mexico City.

Austin in Mexico Austin arrived in Mexico City to find a chaotic scene. Santa Anna was now president but had stepped aside to recover and rest from a “health problem” and let V.P. Valentin Gomez Farias run the country. There was also a huge outbreak of cholera and an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people died.

Austin had to wait over a month for Farias to reply to his request for an audience. He grew impatient and wrote a letter back to Texas telling the convention they should arrange for a state government, with or without Mexico’s approval. Valentin Gomez Farias

Austin finally got an audience with Santa Anna and the President agreed to the lift the immigration ban and to consider reforms in the administration of Texas. Santa Anna did not agree however on separate statehood for Texas.

On his way back to Texas, Austin was arrested in Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila y Texas. His letter about separate statehood had been intercepted by the Mexican government. Austin was escorted back to Mexico City where he was thrown in Jail, with no trial or bail. Austin thrown in Jail

Back in Texas…War or Peace? After Austin’s arrest Texians became divided into two parties a “War Party” and a “Peace Party” War Party: Wanted to fight for Independence from Mexico Peace Party: Wanted diplomatic solution to problems with Mexico

Sam Houston comes to Texas Born in Virginia, raised in Tennessee, he ran away in his teens to live with the Cherokee Indians who he adored. Served in the Creek (Indian) Wars under Andrew Jackson where he almost died at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Afterwards became a protégé to Jackson

Sam Houston was elected to Congress and then served as the Governor of Tennessee in 1827 His young wife, Eliza Allen, left the Governor under mysterious circumstances which ended his political career in Tennessee. He resigned from office and spent time with the Cherokee again. Came to Texas in 1832 and immediately got involved in the “War Party” Houston later in life Houston with the Cherokee