The Road to Independence
A Mexican Army Arrives in
Texas
General Cos and 650
soldiers→San Antonio
Results:
1)settlers concerned
2) Committees of safety
3)Committees of
correspondence
The Road to Independence

Gonzales-Lexington of Texas (similar to the 1st
battle of the American Revolution)
1st conflict October 2, 1835
 Colonel Ugartechea ordered Gonzales to
surrender a cannon →they refused and buried
it until reinforcements arrived →dug it up
 Painted Come and Take it on a white flag
 When Mex. troops arrived, TX commander was
Colonel John H. Moore & men forced Mex.
troops to retreat toward San Antonio

The Road to Independence
On to San Antonio!
 October 9, 1835 -120 Texans surprise the
garrison at Goliad
Results: Mexican troops surrender & the only
large Mex. force left was in San Antonio(Cos)
Stephen F. Austin commanded the Army of
the People, 300 Texans @ Gonzales, who
gathered to fight Cos & 750 Mex. troops in
San Antonio
As they marched, 100 more joined the ranks
Texans lay siege to the city-maybe Cos will
run out of supplies
The Road to Independence
Peace Party Prevails at the Consultation
The Consultation met November 3, 1835 in San
Felipe (printing press) while the Texans camped
near San Antonio
War Party favored declaration of independence from
Mexico
Peace Party agreed in opposing Santa Anna but not
independence instead the fight was for the Mexican
Constitution of 1824 & won the vote
November 7, 1835 they adopted the “Declaration of
the People of Texas in General Convention
Assembled”-1. Loyalty to Mexico 2. Support the
Mexican Constitution of 1824 3. Oppose Santa Anna
4.Support for anyone who was against Santa Anna 5.
Land to anyone who helped
The Road to Independence
The Road to Independence
A Provisional Government Begins
Consultation also created a provisional
government
Included:
 Governor (Henry Smith) & lieutenant
governor( James Robinson) both War
Party & a general council w/ 1 rep from
each municipality ( mostly Peace Party)
 Create a regular army, commanded by
Sam Houston, but not volunteers
 Appointed Commissioners Stephen F.
Austin, William Wharton & Branch Archer
to represent Texas in the U.S. (troops, $
and supplies)
The Road to Independence
The Grass Fight
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November 25, 1835- S.F. Austin left his
command in San Antonio for the U.S. to
ask for aid
Edward Burleson took over command
of the volunteers, shortly after…….
Erastus “Deaf” Smith reported that the
Mex. Calvary and mule train were
headed to San Antonio (Texans thought
“silver train”) so they attacked only to
find grass to feed Cos’s Calvary horses
No real activity in Oct & Nov so many
volunteers went home & in early Dec. the
siege was called off
The Road to Independence
The Road to Independence
The Assault on San Antonio (Siege at
Bexar)
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•
Burleson was preparing to leave San Antonio
when he got word that Cos’s army was weak
and could not win against attack
Ben Milam & an army were marching towards
San Antonio and believed it was disastrous not
to attack Cos “Who will go with old Ben
Milam into San Antonio?” w/ 300 volunteers
he divided his group into 2 columns- Milam led
one and Frank W. Johnson led the other
December 5 fighting began and lasted 4 days
Milam had an advantage b/c Cos’s army was
only equipped to fight in open battlefields
The Road to Independence




On the 3rd day Milam was killed and Johnson took
over full command
Mexican forces were overpowered and were driven to
the abandoned mission-ALAMO
December 9, 1835 Cos asked for surrender terms
and promised to never fight the colonists again and
he would support the Mexican Constitution of 1824they returned to Mexico
The Capture of San Antonio was significant b/c:
 400 Texans beat 1000 Mex Soldiers
 Texas army had Goliad and the Alamo
 Texas was clear of Mexican troops so most
volunteers returned home
The Road to Independence
The Road to Independence
Tejanos and African Americans
Join the Fight
Texas army included by Captain Juan
N. Seguin
• A free African American,Hendrick
Arnold,
guided Milam’s column in battle
The Road to Independence
The Provisional Government
• While San Antonio was in battle the provisional
government carried on duties of the
Permanent Council, a group formed b4 the
Consultation
• Created a post office, made plans for an army
and navy and appealed to the US for aid
• Governor Henry Smith and the council
quarreled
• In December they voted to hold a convention
on March 1836-Smith vetoed it but the council
overrode and passed the proposal
• They fought over capturing the town of
Matamoros. Smith opposed it but the council
approved it RESULTING in a near breakdown
in government-They should have been
preparing to fight Santa Anna
The Road to Independence
Santa Anna Crosses Into Texas
 In Dec. the Council called for a
convention in March 1836-Texans
hoped that Santa Anna would not
arrive until after -They were wrong
 Santa Anna crossed the Rio Grande
in early Feb. and arrived in San
Antonio on Feb 23rd
 Texans that remained
in San Antonio moved
into the ALAMO
The Road to Independence
The Convention of 1836 Declares Independence
 Delegates(males)
began arriving at
Washington-on-the-Brazos in late Feb
 Poor conditions-poorly constructed
cabins, tree stumps everywhere, no
library, no printing press & no convention
hall
 March 1, 1836-elected Richard Ellis as
chairman and H.S. Kimble as secretary
 A committee was formed to write a
declaration of independence from
Mexico written by George D. Childress
The Road to Independence
Texas D of C was similar to the U.S. D of C
STATED:
 The gov’t of Santa Anna has violated the
liberties guaranteed under the Mex.
Constitution of 1824
 Deprived of Freedom of religion, trial by
jury, bear arms and right to petition the
gov’t
 No public school system
 Texans protests were met with force
 MARCH 2, 1836-DECLARATION
ADOPTED (Texas Independence Day)
The Road to Independence
The Road to Independence
The Delegates Write a Constitution


MARCH 16, 1836-completed and ratified
Included:
3 Branches of Gov’t
1.
2.
3.


Executive (chief governing officer,
president) powers to carry out duties
entrusted to him
Legislative (lawmaking)
Judicial (courts)
Bill of Rights-freedoms of speech,
press, religion, trial by jury and
other civil rights
Slavery legal-free blacks were not
allowed to live in Texas
The Road to Independence
The Road to Independence
Ad Interim Gov’t Takes Control
 b/c Mex. troops were in TX- no elections
 Sooo, the conventions last act-select
officers for an ad interim gov’t
 David G. Burnet -ad interim president
 Sam Houston -commander in chief of
the army (regulars and volunteers)
The Road to Independence
A Convention Diary
 Colonel William F. Gray -kept diary of
the convention proceedings
 Please read on pages 217 & 218 in the
textbook
The Road to Independence
Santa Anna Advances
 March 17 convention adjourns
 Alamo fell 2 days before
 Santa Anna was headed to Washingtonon-the-Brazos
 The delegates scattered in all directions