Chapter 11, Section 2
The Texas Revolution
American Settlers Move to Texas
• Mexico’s border stretched from Texas to
California unprotected
– Mexico’s Spanish rulers feared attacks from
neighbors
– Mexico’s Spanish rulers were worried about internal
problems, such as a revolution
• Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
– September 1810 led a rebellion against the Spanish
with force of 80,000 Native Americans and mestizos
(people who were ½ Spanish descent and ½ Native
American)
• Fighting for Mexican independence
American Settlers Move to Texas
• Even though Hidalgo’s revolt failed, the
rebellion against Spain grew stronger
– Mexican won their independence from Spain
in 1821
• Adopted a republican constitution that declared
rights for all Mexicans
– New Mexican government hired empresarios
• Agents who would bring settlers to Texas (then a
part of Mexico)
– Agents paid in land
American Settlers Move to Texas
• Stephen F. Austin
– Began a Texas colony in 1822 on the lower
Colorado River
• First 300 colonial families known as the “Old 300”
• Austin’s colony attracted many American settlers to
Texas
• In exchange for free land, Texas settlers
agreed to obey Mexican laws
– Settlers often ignored these laws
• For example, many brought slaves with them even
though slavery was against the Mexican law
American Settlers Move to Texas
• Rapid growth in population as a result of
American settlers worried the new Mexican
government
– As a newly independent nation, the Mexican
government did not want to lose control of its people
• Banned further American settlement in 1830
• Banishment angered many Texans and sparked ideas of
revolution against Mexico
• Antonio Lopes de Santa Anna
– Mexican General
– Became ruler of Mexico
– Suspended the new Mexican Constitution and turned
his attention to the growing unrest in Texas
Texans Revolt Against Mexico
• October 1835
– Mexican military attempted to seize artillery
from the town of Gonzales, TX
– Rebels stood next to the cannon bearing a
flag that read “Come and get it”
– In the battle that followed, the rebels won
– Marked the beginning of the Texas Revolution
Texas Independence
• March 2, 1836
– Texas declared independence from Mexico
• Their declaration and constitution closely followed
United States’ models
– Constitution allowed for slavery
– David Burnet selected as president; Lorenzo
de Zavala as Vice President
– Sam Houston selected as General of the
Texas army
– Stephen Austin asked the United States for
money and troops
Battle at the Alamo
• An angry Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
mobilized a force to stop the rebellion
• A hastily created force of Texas volunteers
had been clashing with Mexican troops for
months
– Led by Colonel William Travis, a small force of
Texans took the town of San Antonio and
occupied the Alamo
• Abandoned mission near San Antonio that would
become an important battle site in the Texas
Revolution
• Included volunteers from the United States such as
Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie
Battle at the Alamo
• Fewer than 200 Texans hoped to stall the huge
Mexican army until a larger Texan army
assembled
– Texans held out at the Alamo for almost 2 weeks
• Mexican army launched a full scale attack
against the Alamo
– Almost all of the defenders of the Alamo were killed
• Following another battle at Goliad, Santa Anna
ordered the execution of all prisoners taken
– Massacre outraged Texans
Battle of San Jacinto
• Santa Anna chased Sam Houston’s forces
– Outnumbered, Houston’s forces fled east
– Houston was able to reorganize his forces at the San
Jacinto River (near present day Galveston)
• An overconfident Santa Anna carelessly chose
an unprotected site for his army’s camp
– While his troops were resting, Houston staged a
surprise attack
• Texan forces swarmed the Mexican camp shouting
“Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”
Battle of San Jacinto
• Battle of San Jacinto
– Texan victory over Santa Anna (Mexico)
• Santa Anna’s forces were destroyed
• Santa Anna captured and forced to sign a treaty
giving Texas their independence
An Independent Nation
• The war for Texan independence made Sam
Houston a hero
– New town named after him and made the capital
– Elected president of the new nation of Texas
• Houston offered land grants to increase population
• Many Texas settlers and the U.S. Congress hoped
that the United States would annex Texas
– Andrew Jackson refused out of concern that admitting
Texas as a slave state would upset the congressional
balance of slave and free states
– Andrew Jackson also feared a war with Mexico
• Jackson recognized Texas as an independent
nation
– France and Britain followed
• Peace treaty between Mexico and Texas signed in
1844