Untitled Lesson

Road to
Revolution

Tensions
and events
leading to
the Texas
Revolution

Differences Cause Tension

1820s- Federalists held power in Mexico,
colonists were left alone

1829- Centralists came to power and put an end
to their independence and issued strict rules.

Differences between Mexicans and Anglos:

•Religion: Catholic vs. Protestant
•Language: Spanish vs. English
•Culture: laid back vs. stressed

Multiple Choice

Identify the difference between the Anglos and the Mexicans.

• different religion: Catholic vs Protestant

• different language:

  English vs Spanish

• different Culture: Laid back vs stressed

• all of the above.

Trouble in East Texas

Haden Edwards, an

empresario was permitted

to settle 800 families in

the Nacogdoches area but
was told to leave the “Old

Settlers” alone

When he arrived, there

were people already living

on his lands.

Haden and his brother,
Benjamin told them to
move or buy a land title

from them

Letters of protest were

written to Governor

Saucedo in San Antonio

and he

repealed Edward’s
empresario contract

Haden Edwards

Fredonian Revolt

Some of the Fredonians were captured, but most fled across the Sabine

River.

SFA and the US refused to help the Edwards brothers. SFA was even
willing to volunteer militia from his colony to assist Colonel Piedras.

He led a small group of 15 to 30 men and captured the Old Stone Fort
in Nacogdoches and flew a red and white flag that said “Independence,
Liberty, and Justice” (ILJ) proclaiming the creation of the Republic of

Fredonia

Benjamin Edwards, Haden’s brother, believed their problem could only

be solved by declaring their colony independent from Mexico

Old Stone Fort

Mier y Terán Investigates

•Several presidents had previously offered to purchase Texas

The Fredonian Revolt

worried Mexican officials-
they thought it was part of

a scheme for the U.S. to

acquire Texas

200 Mexican soldiers, led

by Colonel Jose de las
Piedras, were sent to

Nacogdoches to prevent

more uprisings.

•He noted:

•The Anglo influence in East Texas was strong- Anglos outnumbered Mexicans

by at least 10 to 1

•He was worried about the growing American influence in Texas
•He believed if the government did not take action right away, Texas would be

“lost forever”

General Mier y Terán was

told to go to Texas and

report what could be done

to make sure Texas

remained part of Mexico

Mier y Terán

Multiple Choice

What was the purpose of the Mier y Teran report?

• Figure out what can be done to keep Texas part of Mexico.

• Create a census of the population of Anglos and Natives.

• Survey territory boundaries.

• A survey of the wildlife of Texas.

Multiple Choice

What was Mexico's response to the Mier y Teran report?

• Established Missions and Presidios.

• Encouraged Mexican emigration to Texas

• Attacked Anglo settlements

• Enacted the Law of April 6, 1830

• In 1829, the president of Mexico issues a decree abolishing

slavery
 Texas tried to persuade them to exempt Texas from this decree
 While this worked, Texas were afraid it was only a matter of

time before the decree applied to them too

Decree of April 6, 1830

• On April 6, 1830 the Centralist

government issued a law based on
many of Mier y Terán’s
recommendations:
 Suspend all empresario contracts
 No more immigration from the

United States

 No new slaves allowed to move

into Texas

 More Mexican soldiers
 Encourage and allow more

immigration from Europe and
Mexico

 Discouraged trade with the U.S.

through customs duties. This was
the turning point between Anglos
and Mexicans

Suspend all
Empresario

contracts

Decree

of

April 6,

1830

Discouraged
trade through
Customs duties

(taxes)

No more

U.S.

immigration

More

Mexican
soldiers

No
new
slaves

More

European

settlers

Multiple Choice

Law of April 6, 1830 included

• Suspends all Empresario contracts

• No more immagration form the US

• No new Slaves

• More Mexican Soldiers

• All of the Above

Settlers Protest at Anahuac

Bradburn also believed in the strict enforcement of
Mexican laws and the tax collector tried to collect

customs duties on goods imported into Mexico from the
United States (Remember: Texas was a part of Mexico)

Bradburn upsets the colonists because of these

things: 1. Suspended the ayuntamiento (town meetings)

in Liberty, 2. Puts in martial law, 3. Used supplies
without paying, 4. Refused to return runaway slaves

First serious conflict over Mexico’s actions occur at a

Mexican garrison in the port town of Anahuac when the
commander, John Davis Bradburn quarreled with the

colonists

John Davis
Bradburn

Settlers Protest at Anahuac

May 1832- Bradburn arrested and
imprisoned two lawyers, William B.

Travis and Patrick C. Jack for

interfering in his efforts to enforce the

laws

 160-200 settlers marched to Anahuac

demanding their release

 A small fight breaks out skirmish between

the colonists from Brazoria led by Patrick
Jack’s brother, William Jack.

 and he agreed to release Travis and Jack if

the settlers retreated and left- only some did,
so he refused and called in more troops

 Settlers set up camp at Turtle Bayou and

sent John Austin to Brazoria to bring back a
cannon

William B. Travis

Turtle Bayou Resolutions

• While the colonists wait for John

Austin to return with the cannon,
they wrote a number of statements
known as the Turtle Bayou
Resolutions where the colonists
stated:
 We are loyal to Mexico
 We support the Constitution of

1824

 We support Santa Anna over

current president Bustamante

• Colonel Jose de las Piedras arrives at

Anahuac and sees they are
outnumbered so he releases Travis
and Jack and removes Bradburn
from command. Bradburn resigns
and leaves Texas.

Multiple Choice

What statements were made in the Turtle Bayous Resolutions?

• Texans want slavery abolished.

• We are loyal to Mexico and support the Constitution of 1824

• Texas should be independent

• The Catholic Church should be in control of the government

Clash at Velasco

• John Austin, returning from Brazoria, sails

past Velasco where Colonel Ugartechea sees
them as rebels and would not let them pass

• Fighting breaks out between the Texans and

Mexican troops, both sides suffer losses

• Ugartechea runs out of ammo and has to

surrender

• Austin sails back to Anahuac only to find

Travis and Jack have been released

• A civil Santa Anna is elected President of

Mexico when Bustamante resigned after a
civil war (VW). Most Texans were pleased
because they thought Santa Anna would
support Texas

Convention of 1832

• Convention of 1832

 Texans meet at San Felipe de Austin to

discuss changes needed in Texas

 Stephen F. Austin is president of the

convention

 The convention agreed they wanted the

Mexican government to provide the
following:
 Schools for children in Texas
 Protection from Native Americans
 Land Commissioner to issue land titles in East

Texas

 Immigration from the United States allowed
 Taxes (customs duties) reduced
 Split Coahuila y Tejas

Multiple Choice

At the Convention of 1832 Texans request Mexico provide (pick 3)

• Schools for Texas kids

• Protection from Native Americans

• Welfare benefits

• Reduced taxes (customs and duties)

Convention of 1833

New delegate, Sam Houston representing
Nacogdoches

Similar resolutions to 1832 Convention
but added a constitution- as a separate
state within Mexico

Stephen F. Austin, Dr. James B. Miller,
and Erasmo Seguín were chosen to deliver
them to Mexico City, but Stephen F.
Austin ends up having to go alone

Sam Houston

Austin’s Mission is

Stalled

• Austin arrives in Mexico City 3

months later, Santa Anna is away

• Santa Anna’s government is not

yet organized and chaotic

• A cholera epidemic rages

through Mexico city

• Austin is discouraged and writes

a letter to the ayuntamiento in
San Antonio encouraging Texans
to form their own government

Austin

Imprisoned

and

Released

When Santa Anna finally returns, he agrees to
all of the reforms EXCEPT for splitting
Coahuila y Tejas, which would grant Texas
separate statehood

Austin begins his journey home but is arrested
when he arrives in Saltillo for his letter he
wrote to San Antonio

Austin was imprisoned for 1 year- he had been
away from the colony for 2 years and 4
months!

While Austin was away, the colony suffered
from cholera and malaria epidemics and heavy
rains

SFA Imprisoned In Mexico City

Santa Anna’s Reforms

• Santa Anna begins the reforms he agreed

to in 1834

• These included:

 Recognizing English as an official

language for transactions

 Allowing immigration from the United

States

 Improving the court system
 Increasing the number of Texas

representatives from 1 to 3

 Religious tolerance

Trouble Erupts Again

At Anahuac, a merchant named Andrew Briscoe, quarrels with Captain
Antonio Tenorio over the collection of taxes (not all of Texas had to pay
these taxes)

Briscoe was arrested for refusing to pay the taxes and an angry
group of 20 colonists led by William B. Travis marched to
Anahuac demanding Tenorio surrender and release Briscoe

Most Texans did not support Travis’ actions and considered
him a troublemaker

A letter of apology is written to General Martín Perfecto de
Cos, Santa Anna’s brother-in-law and commander of the
Mexican forces in Coahuila for WBT’s actions

General Cos is upset and demands for Travis and others in his
group to be arrested. This included a distinguished Mexican
politician- Lorenzo de Zavala

The Call for A
Consultation

Leaders in Columbia ask for a convention,
known as the Consultation, to be held at
Washington-on-the-Brazos to discuss the
situation with Cos

Peace Party

•Feared the Consultation would cause trouble
•Sam Houston was a part of the Peace Party

War Party

•Favored the Consultation
•William B. Travis and William H. Wharton were members

of the War Party

•Asked for immediate declaration of independence from

Mexico, even if it meant war

Stephen F. Austin Approves the Consultation

Austin gave his approval
of the Consultation and
was convinced that Santa

Anna was becoming a

dictator

He urged the people to

unite:

“War is our

only recourse.

There is no

other remedy.”