Causes of the Revolution
1. Changes in Mexican Government
•
In 1829 the Centralist party came to power and
issued regulations to bring the states under
national government
• This upset the colonists and was the beginning of
problems to come btwn Texas and Mexico
2. Fredonian Revolt, Jan 1827
• Brothers Haden and Benjamin Edwards had land
rights in Nacodoches, but many settlers were
already on their land when they arrived.
2. Fredonian Revolt cont.
• Upset over the loss of land, Edwards and 15-30
armed settlers took over a stone fort and declared
independence, creating The Republic of Fredonia
• Edwards brothers asked Austin for help, but he
sided with Mexico. When Mexican troops arrived,
the revolt collapsed. Rebels fled to US
• Mexican officials worried that this revolt was part
of a US plan to acquire Texas
3. Mier y Teran Report, 1828
• General Mier y Teran sent to TX to report what
Anglos/Us were doing in Texas
• Observed that Anglos outnumbered Mexicans
10/1
• Expressed concern about growing US influence in
Texas and said if Mexico didn’t act Texas would be
“lost forever”
4. Law of April 6, 1830
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•
•
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Based on Mier y Teran’s recommendations
Stopped all immigration from US to Mexico
Suspended all empresario contracts
Encouraged Mexicans and Europeans to move to
Texas with generous land grants
• Set up new forts
• Placed a tax (customs duties) on all goods from
foreign nations
• Forbade slaves from entering Mexico
5. Turtle Bayou Resolutions, 1832
• John Bradburn, colonel in Mexican Army, in
charge of garrison in Anahuac to control
commerce
• Had problems with colonists over trade and taxes
on goods from US > arrested William B. Travis and
Patrick Jack
• Tensions escalated and small skirmishes broke
out over the arrests
• While waiting for cannons, Tx colonists drafted
the Turtle Bayou Resolutions
– Declared their loyalty to Mexico, Santa Anna (new
president of Mexico), and the Constitution of 1824
but said that Texans were not happy with the way
things were going
6. Stephen F. Austin is arrested, 1834
• 1832 and 1833 Texans meet at San Felipe Convention to
discuss changes needed in Texas (including statehood for
TX)
• SFA makes the trip to deliver the resolutions to Mexico City
• Austin arrives in MC in April, but Santa Anna is not there
and there is a cholera outbreak, he waits. While waiting he
writes a letter about his troubles and encourages TX to
form their own government
• Nov 1833 Santa Anna agrees to some of the resolutions
(open to immigration again, but no to statehood)
• Austin leaves MC in December to go back to Texas. January
he arrives in Saltillo and is arrested for the letter he sentaccused of treason
• Texans are outraged and many call for his release
• He is held until July 1835; he returns to Texas after 2 ½
years