1. CH. 9-2 TEXAS INDEPENDENCE
AMERICAN HISTORY

2. THE SPANISH SETTLE TEXAS
Original inhabitants were Native Americans
First Europeans to visit Texas were Spanish in 1500s
Spanish claimed the land but made little attempt to settle because the land had little wealth
Spanish found destroyed French fort and worried about the French taking over so they came up with a plan to settle Texas

3. THE MISSION SYSTEM
The Spanish attempted to settle Texas by building missions
MISSIONS—small settlements designed to convert Native Americans to Catholicism
Missions were accompanied by PRESIDIOS (forts) for protection
Late 1600s-Late 1700s—Spanish built about 2 dozen missions and presidios
They also built cities—San Antonio & Nacogdoches
Missions failed and the towns never flourished

4. THE MISSION SYSTEM ENDS
1762—Spain no longer faced a threat from France
Spanish failed to convert many Native Americans to Christianity
By 1800 Spain still claimed Texas but had only 3 settlements in the entire region

5. AMERICANS MOVE INTO TEXAS
1820—Moses Austin, former banker from Missouri, approached Spanish officials with plan called THE TEXAS VENTURE
If Spain would give Austin land, he would build a colony in Texas
Spanish agreed
Moses Austin died before the colony could be built but his last wishes were that his son, Stephan F. Austin, would carry out the plan

6. AUSTIN’S COLONY
1823—Austin’s colony officially established
1824—about 300 families lived on farms and ranches throughout the colony
The population was 1,800 including 400 enslaved African-Americans
MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE
Mexico used to be part of New Spain
Mexico becomes independent in 1821

7. THE EMPRESARIOS
New Mexican government wanted Texas settled
Mexico offered land to people in exchange for becoming loyal Mexican citizens
EMPRESARIOS—contractors who recruited settlers and established colonies
1830s—more than a dozen colonies in Texas (about 30,000 settlers)
Includes several thousand slaves and 4,000 TEJANOS (Texans of Mexican heritage)

8. THE TEXAS REVOLUTION
American settlers had to agree to certain Mexican conditions to get land in Texas:
1) surrender American citizenship
2) swear allegiance to Mexico
3) adopt the Roman Catholic religion
4) hold the land for 7 years
In reality most settlers didn’t follow the conditions
They brought in large numbers of slaves after Mexico outlawed slavery

9. TENSIONS IN TEXAS
1827-Mexico sent a fact-finding mission to Texas to assess situation
Report indicated that more authority was needed
Mexico passed a law that canceled most empresario contracts and discouraged trade
Mexican government sent troops to enforce the ban on emigration and collect taxes
These actions placed emphasis on the fact that settlers needed to obey Mexican law

10. INTERNATIONAL TENSION
Mexican officials suspected that the USA wanted to grow more by acquiring Texas
USA offered to buy a large part of Texas for $1 million but Mexico refused
THE TEXAS REVOLUTION BEGINS
1832—Texas confront Mexican official because they said 2 people were wrongly imprisoned
1832 & 1833—Texans hold conventions to discuss best course of action

11. Mexico elects new President—Antonia Lopez de Santa Ana
He was initially for Mexican states rights but switched to strong central government after election
The Battle of Gonzales—October 2, 1835— The first battle of the Texas Revolution
Texans met to set up a government
Sam Houston was given the task of raising an army

12. FROM THE ALAMO TO INDEPENDENCE
December 1835—rebel Texas forces capture San Antonio which was home to the Alamo
Santa Ana sends a force of 6,000 to punish the rebels on February 23, 1836
Texans under William Travis refuse to surrender
For 12 days the Mexicans fire cannons at the Alamo
March 6, 1836—1,800 Mexicans storm the fort
Within 4 hours nearly all of the fort’s 200 defenders had been killed
“Remember the Alamo”

13. Texas Declaration of Independence—March 2, 1836—A Constitution followed
GOLIAD AND THE RUNAWAY SCRAPE
March 26—more than 340 prisoners of war executed by Santa Anna’s men.
TEXANS VICTORIOUS
Texas becomes separate nation “Republic of Texas”
Texas revolution was over but not the fighting over Texas
The End