The Road to Revolution

Let’s Review… 1821 September 16, 1821: Mexico is free from Spanish control after 300 years as a Spanish colony and 11 years of revolution Mexico passes the General Colonization Law, which opened Texas to colonization. Mexico gave empresario grants to individuals, like Stephen F. Austin, and the idea was to encourage settlement and economic growth in the remote Mexican territory of Texas.

Now,…you’ll learn about events that led Texas to seek independence from Mexico. Main Idea: Not long after colonization began in Texas, conflicts erupted between the Mexican government and the colonists. Even though Mexican officials attempted to control the conflicts, their efforts angered and unify the colonists Clashes between Texas colonists and Mexican leaders over states rights led Texans to petition for a separate state. When Santa Ana gained control of the Mexican government, he sent Mexican troops into Texas once again. His actions convinced many Texans that independence was the only solution.

Constitution of 1824 Mexico’s Constitution of 1824 established what was called a “states’ rights government” Texans supported this type of government because it gave them more local control. Some Mexican nationalists were concerned that too many settlers from the U.S. were moving to Texas. They feared that a growing population of settlers from the U.S. and a strong state government might encourage colonists to seize Texas and join the U.S.

Fredonian Rebellion Edwards Brothers vs. Squatters Haden Edwards and his brother, Benjamin, were empresarios and received a land grant from Mexico to settle 800 families near Nacogdoches in This was a large grant of land in East Texas and the idea was to close the border between Mexico and the U.S. When the Edwards brothers arrived with their settlers, there were already several hundred families living in the area. These people were squatters- people who have been on the land for several generations, but do not have a title to the land they consider theirs Edwards brothers demanded that the squatters show ownership to the land, if they couldn’t then they demanded payment for the land. The squatters appealed to the Mexican government and the government sided with the squatters. The Edwards brothers were furious.

Fredonian Rebellion In 1826, Benjamin Edwards organized a revolt and took over the Old Stone Fort in Nacogdoches. He started the Republic of Fredonia and declared independence from Mexico. The revolt had no support from most Texans, and the Mexicans sent troops to put a stop to the revolt. The Fredonians fled and the revolt was over. Although a minor event, the Fredonian Revolt attracted the attention of the Mexican government. Concerned about the Texas situation, the Mexican government would later send a group to investigate conditions in Texas. “Old Stone Fort” Nacogdoches, TX

An Attempt to Purchase Texas Because so many people from the United States had come to Texas, Mexican officials feared that settlers had secret ties with the United States government. Fears increased when the United States offered to purchase Texas in U.S. president, John Quincy Adams, sent Joel Poinsett to Mexico with an offer to pay up to $1 million dollars for all or part of Texas. Mexican officials were offended that the U.S. thought they would sell Texas. This further raised their suspicions… Texas Tidbit: Joel Poinsett brought back a botanical treasure from his visit to Mexico. He found a shrub with large red leaves growing on the hillsides. He took specimens and brought them back to his greenhouse in S.C. He is most often remembered as introducing the Poinsettia to the nation.

The Mier y Téran Report The increase in U.S. settlers, the Fredonian rebellion, the offer to buy Texas fueled concerns of Mexican nationalists. So, General Mier y Teran was sent to investigate the conditions in Texas. After spending almost 2 years in Texas, he reported that the Mexican influence in Texas was decreasing. He claimed that Anglos outnumbered the Mexicans 10 to 1, and that many colonists were ignoring laws against trading with the U.S. Teran expressed his concerns and even said that Texas could throw all of Mexico into revolution if something wasn’t done to get control of Texas. His findings alarmed the Mexican government. Mexico made a dramatic change toward Texas… Since most of the Anglo Texans held most of the slaves owned in Mexico, they abolished slavery in 1829 in hopes of making Texas less attractive to future colonists.

Law of April 6, 1830 Outlawed immigration to Texas from the U.S. and cancelled all empresarial grants that had not been fulfilled. However the government still allowed Mexican and European settlers to relocate to Texas. Outlawed importing of slaves. Placed custom duties (taxes) on goods brought into Texas from U.S. Sent Mexican troops to Texas this new law Instead of resolving the crisis, the new law angered colonists because it violated the Constitution of 1824 and increased tensions between colonists and the Mexican government. In further efforts to control Texans and prevent possible independence, Mexican officials passed the “Law of April 6, 1830”

Unrest in Texas The Law of April 6, 1830, marked a turning point in the relationship between Texas colonists and the Mexican government. The most obvious sign of this strained relationship was the sending of Mexican soldiers into Texas. The Texans resented the presence of the Mexican troops. They not only disliked the show of military force by Mexico, but were upset about having to pay new taxes.

Santa Anna’s Rise President Anastasio Bustamante set up a strong national government and ignored the Constitution of 1824 that let the states exercise local control. Mexican citizens were upset, like the Texans, that the Constitution was being ignored. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna launched a revolution against Bustamante in 1832 and posed as a supporter of the 1824 Constitution. Texans, including Stephen F. Austin, supported Santa Anna’s revolution. Texans would soon find out that Santa Anna wanted all power in his government (centralist government)

The Disturbance at Anahuac W.T. Logan hires a young attorney named William Barret Travis to help him retrieve 2 slaves that ran away to Texas. John Bradburn, an Anglo Mexican official was sheltering the 2 slaves and refused to release them. In May 1832, William B. Travis is arrested after embarrassing John Bradburn. 150 Texas settlers march towards Anahuac to demand Travis’s release. Bradburn says he will release Travis if the group retreats but once they do, he refuses. The colonists camp between Anahuac and Liberty at Turtle Bayou Meanwhile, Bradburn takes the opportunity to reinforce his troops and prepare for a fight. Bradburn Travis

Turtle Bayou Resolutions The settlers camped at Turtle Bayou send John Austin to Brazoria to bring back a cannon. In the meantime, they draft a statement known as the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. In the resolutions, the colonists pledge loyalty to Mexico and support for Santa Anna because he claimed to support the constitution of 1824 A Mexican official from Nacogdoches learns of the trouble and releases Travis and dismisses Bradburn from his command. Turtle Bayou document

Convention of 1832 Pledged support for Constitution of 1824 and asked for immigration from U.S. and repeal of custom duties. (Law of April 6, 1830) Also, requested protection from Indians and public schools. Finally, asked that the state of Coahuila y Tejas be divided so each has it’s own government. However, the resolution was refused by Mexico… The Convention of 1832 was the first political gathering of colonists in Mexican Texas 56 delegates met in San Felipe in Oct to draft resolutions.

Convention of 1833 April 1, 1833, delegates met to draft same proposals but this time drafted a constitution for the new Mexican state of Texas. The steps taken by the members were similar to those taken by the Americans when developing new states of the U.S. Mexican officials and Mexican government supporters took this as defiance of government.

Stephen F. Austin Arrested July 1833, SFA travels to Mexico City to deliver the Texas resolution to Mexican officials. The trip takes nearly 3 months. When he reached Mexico City, it was in turmoil after a successful revolution led by Santa Anna to rid Mexico of President Bustamante While waiting for a meeting with Santa Anna, Austin sends a letter back to Texas suggesting they create new resolutions that made Texas and Coahuila separate states. SFA meets with Santa Anna, and he agrees to many of Texans resolutions (except separate statehood). When returning, Austin was arrested and accused of treason after Mexicans intercepted the letter he wrote. He would spend a year in prison and months more under house arrest in Mexico City. He was allowed to return home in SFA was convinced now that independence was the only resolve.

Convention of 1836 Based primarily on the writings of Thomas Jefferson and the U.S. Declaration, the Texas Declaration proclaimed that the Mexican government "ceased to protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived" and complained about "arbitrary acts of oppression and tyranny". The declaration officially established the Republic of Texas Began meeting on March 1 st, 1836 at Washington on the Brazos and immediately organized a committee to draft a declaration of Independence Texas Declaration of Independence was written by George Childress and approved on March 2 nd with no debate.