1. Warm-up
Why do you think that the Spanish colonists wanted to break away from Spain?

2. Unrest and Revolution

3. Colonists Grow Unhappy with Spain
As the small colonies grew into towns, the settlers worked together to solve their own problems.
The settlers couldn’t wait for Spain to direct them.
The settlers felt that the king lived too far away to truly understand their needs.

4. In the last decades of the 1700’s Spain became involved in huge problems in Europe.
Conflicts with England and France took up most of Spain’s time and money.

5. Spain didn't have
enough money
to spend on the
new towns in
current-day Texas.

6. How was Spain going to get money to fight the conflicts with England and France?
Spain placed HEAVY TAXES on the settlers in Texas.
Spain forced the settlers in Texas to donate money to pay for European wars.

7. Would you be upset like the Spanish Texas settlers?
How would you like to work hard all week and have to give the Spanish King and Queen take most of your income/money in taxes?
What you had left, they tried to make you “donate” to Spain to pay for their European Wars.
Would you be upset like the Spanish Texas settlers?

8. By 1800, the settlers were feeling dissatisfied.
Colonists were unhappy with the Spanish rulers.
Colonists wanted to make their own rules.

9. The Enlightenment Movement
People tried to apply reason and science to all aspects of society, including government.
This movement challenged the idea that kings had a God-given right to rule.
A government should support the people’s nature rights and interests. (If a government does not do this, it should be replaced.)

10. Father Hidalgo Calls for Independence
Father Hidalgo believed strongly in the ideals of the Enlightenment.
Father Hidalgo worked among Mexican farming families for years just north of Mexico City. He saw how these families struggled and how Spain’s crown neglected to help them.

11. (liberation – the act of becoming free)
Father Hidalgo knew that as long as the king was in charge, conditions for these Mexican families would never change.
Father Hidalgo called for the liberation of the Mexican people from Spain.
(liberation – the act of becoming free)

12. conspiring – to join in a secret agreement
When the king and queen of Spain heard that Father Hidalgo was conspiring to overthrow the Spanish government, they decided to ARREST HIM.
Hidalgo heard about this beforehand and knew he had three choices:
stay in Dolores (small town north of Mexico City)
hide out and hope not to get caught
begin a revolution
conspiring – to join in a secret agreement

13. What will
Father Hidalgo
do?

14. Grito de Dolores Cry of Dolores
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On September 16, 1810, Father Hidalgo gave a speech titled “Grito de Dolores”. (Remember Dolores was the city he was in, just north of Mexico City.)
In the speech, Hidalgo called for Mexican citizens to rise up and fight for independence.

15. Father Hidalgo is killed.
On his was to meet up with his supporters, Hidalgo was seized by Spanish authorities and executed.
Although Father Hidalgo did not live to see Mexican independence from Spain, he had a great effect on the future of Mexico and Texas.

16. Warm-Up
Compare Father Hidalgo’s speech to the Declaration of Independence. How are they similar and how are they different?

17. Hidalgo’s Supporters Rebel Against Spain
A group of rebels led by Juan Bautista de las Casas overthrew the Spanish government in San Antonio.
They named Las Casas governor and then took control of La Bahia and Nacogdoches.
On January 22, 1811, Las Casas declared the Mexican state of Texas independent of Spain.

18. Mexican Unrest Continues
Even though the rebellions led by Hidalgo and Las Casas failed, people began opening their eyes to the possibility of freedom from Spanish control.
They believed that with the right army, the colonists could “win” their independence.

19. Jose Bernardo Gutierrez
Gutierrez and his army commander, Augustus Magee, marched back to Texas and briefly took control from Spain. (They were defeated shortly thereafter.)

20. Meanwhile in Spain
A group of liberals staged a successful revolt in 1820.
This revolt forced the king of Spain to make changes.
The conservatives in Spain started to think twice about all of its choices.
Many conservatives joined with Father Hidalgo’s followers to defeat Spanish forces.

21. August 24, 1821
A treaty was signed, making Mexico independent from Spain.
Texas then became the new Republic of Mexico.

22. Spanish Influence Lives On
Spaniards explored Texas, built towns, established missions, and developed missions for hundreds of years.
Spanish culture, language, customs, beliefs, etc. heavily impacted life in Texas.
Even though Spain lost political control of Texas, Spanish influence has remained strong throughout history.

23. MEXICO AFTER INDEPENDENCE, 1821

24. Spanish Rule Ends in Mexico

25. Mexico Wins Independence
After the death of Father Hidalgo and Father Pavon (two leaders of Mexican Independence), the revolution seemed at an end.
In 1820 political changes in Spain weakened the government and breathed new life into the revolt.
Agustin de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero led an army that defeated Spain and Mexico won it’s independence.

26. Now What…
This war of independence took a great toll on both Mexico and Texas. Indian attacks on settlements increased and little man-power remained for defense. The loss of livestock and crops due to the war destroyed the economy.
By 1821 only about ½ of the population of tejanos remained (near 30,000 Indians still remained however).
About 1,500 tejanos lived in San Antonio and around 1,000 lived in La Bahia (renamed Goliad in 1829)
Nacogdoches was deserted.

27. Causes and Effects of Mexican Independence
Wide economic and social divisions between the rich and poor in New Spain
Political corruption in Spain
Examples of other revolutions, including the American Revolution and those occurring in Latin America
Father Hidlago’s Grito de Dolores
Effects
Creation of Mexico as an independent republic
Economic ruin and loss of life in Mexico, including Texas.
Political instability in Mexico
Attempts to increase the Texas population with immigrants from Europe and the United States

28. Tejano Ranchers
Several ranches began to pop up and thrive around the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo. Livestock included cattle, horses and sheep.
Martin de Leon was a famous tejano rancher who helped to establish the cattle industry in Texas
Ranching also became a huge economy booster around the San Antonio area as well setting up trade with Louisiana and trading posts in Mexico
Many of the wealthiest tejanos lived and worked on ranches in Texas.

29. Mexican Policies in Texas
Now that Mexico was an independent republic, they had to decide which Spanish policies to continue in Texas.
THE MISSION SYSTEM:
Spain has begun to secularize the remaining mission beginning in 1793 (moving from religious to civil control)
San Antonio de Valero was the first to be secularized and housed a military unit called San Jose y Santiago del Alamo de Parras.
All Texas missions were secularized by 1831 and most of the Native Americans began to settle among the Spanish

30. More Mexican Policies in Texas
Mexico was concerned about the low population in Texas. Too much land and too few Tejanos… defense??
Few Mexicans wanted to live in the unsettled Texas frontier
Right before the independence of Mexico, Spain had offered open immigration to the U.S.
Would Mexico honor this offer??…

31. What did you learn… Answer the following based on the powerpoint…
Under Spain, and then Mexico, what happened to the Mission System in Texas?
It was secularized beginning in 1793 under Spain and finishing in 1831 under Mexico
2. How did the Mexican Independence affect Texas?
It made Texas part of the independent nation of Mexico; ruined the economy and drained the resources; greatly decreased the Tejano population; worsened Indian relations in Texas

32. To Review…