1. The Causes for Independence Objective: Understand why Texans wanted to be a nation separate from Mexico

2. Introduction  Many American settlers and Tejanos, or Mexicans who lived in Texas, wanted to break away from Mexico. They did not like laws made by Santa Anna, Mexico’s president. The Tejanos and Texans decided to fight for Independence. In 1836, Santa Anna took an army to San Antonio to take a fort called the Alamo.

3. Top 5 Causes/Grievances  1. Religion:  The Mexican government forces Texans to join the national religion(Catholicism) and does not let Texans choose what religion they want to follow.  2. No Constitution:  The Mexican government promised us a constitution, but Santa Anna refuses to acknowledgeable the constitution he showed us and ordered us to either leave Texas, or stay and tolerate his military and religious dictatorship.

4. Top 5 Causes/Grievances  3. Rights to bare arms:  The Mexican government forced Texans to give up their weapons, so that they would not be able to defend themselves  4. Language Barrier and Law making :  The Mexican government made Coahuila the boss of Texas. The capital was too far from Texas. Texans wanted a reasonable say in the laws they were to live by but they were not given a voice.  There was a huge language barrier as laws were written and posted in Spanish.

5. Top 5 Grievances/Causes  5. Slavery:  Texans depended on slavery. Texans were afraid the Mexican government would try to end slavery in the territory Unhappy with Mexican rule, Texans created a list of changes they want from the Mexican government. The government rejects those changes, which includes the attempt by Texas to create their own constitution.

6. Battles to Independence  October 1835:Battle of Gonzalez. The first shots of the revolution are fired  Mexican soldiers were sent to Gonzales, Texas, to take a cannon  Texans did not let the soldiers into town and fired on them, beginning the Texan revolution  During the battle, the Texans taunted the Mexican troops by decorating the front of cannon with a white flag that read “Come and Take It.”  Texans drove back the Mexican troops. Texans considered this to be the first fight of the Texan revolution

7. Battle of San Antonio  December 1835: San Antonio  Still outnumber 2 to 1, Texans army attacks Mexican troops at what is known as San Antonio today.  Texans scored a victory by liberating the city of San Antonio  After this victory, many Texans went home thinking the war was over  Texans should have been making preparations to face Santa Anna but little was being done

8. Texans Declare Independence from Mexico  Convention of 1836: Texans write declaration of Independent and the Constitution of the Republic of Texas.  San Houston is named the commander of the Texas military

9. Battle of the Alamo  March 1836: Battle of the Alamo  After a 13-day attack on the Alamo Missions near San Antonio, Mexican soldiers kill all 189 Texans trying to defend the Alamo.  The cruelty of the soldiers leads many Texans to join the army to fight Mexico.

10. Constitution  Independence: During the siege of the Alamo, Texan leaders were meeting in Washington-on-the-Brazos, where they were drawing up a constitution (four days before the fall of the Alamo).  American settlers and Tejanos firmly declared independence form Mexico and established the Republic of Texas  Texas became a country and a neighbor to the United States  With Mexican troops in Texas it was not possible to hold elections in Texas to ratify the constitution  They set up a temporary government and placed David Burnet as president, Lorenzo de Zavala as VP, and Sam Houston as commander in Chief of armed forces.

11. Goliad Massacre  March 1836: Goliad Massacre  After 400 Texans surrender at the Battle of Goliad Mexican General Santa Ana orders their execution  The killing outraged Texans. Texans rally even more for their independence

12. The Battle of San Jacinto  March 1836: Texans win the Battle of San Jacinto and their independence  Texans launched a surprised attack on the Mexican camp shouting, “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!’  600 Mexican soldiers were killed and 700 were captured  Led by Sam Houston, the Texas army defeats the troops of Santa Anna at the Battle of Jacinto  The win is the victory that Texans needed to finally gain its independence from Mexico

13. Treaties  May 1836: Treaties of Velasco  Santa Anna signed the Velasco Treaties; which ends the revolution  The Mexican government argues that Santa Anna did not have the right to sign the treaties and never agrees to the treaties