The Fight for Freedom
Texas: 1835-1836
7th grade
Texas History
Question:
Why did Texas go to war?
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After SFA returned to Texas after being imprisoned in
Mexico, he realized lasting peace between Texas and
Mexico was impossible.
Santa Anna’s centralist ideals (strong control by the
national government) did not match Texans’ ideals of
states’ rights (laws should favor individual states).
Question:
Where was the order of events in Texas
Revolution?
Year
Event
Oct. 1835
Battle of Gonzales
Feb. 23, 1836
Siege of the Alamo begins
March 6, 1836
Declaration of Independence signed
March 20, 1836 Goliad Massacre
April 21, 1836
Battle of San Jacinto;
Santa Anna defeated,
Mexico surrenders
Question:
Why was the Battle of Gonzales important?
In October 1835, a Mexican army
patrol went to Gonzales to collect
weapons from Texans. The big
prize of this collection was a sixpound cannon.
► The Texans refused to give up the
cannon. Instead, 160 settled
armed themselves, fired the
cannon at the Mexican army, and
forced the Mexican Army to
retreat.
► This is considered to be the
beginning of the fight for Texas
independence.
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Question:
What is the importance of the Alamo?
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The Alamo became a battleground because it defended
the Anglo settlements.
A total of about 180 men defended the former mission
against more than 1,000 Mexican troops under the direct
command of Santa Anna.
Question:
Who was important at the Alamo?
Col. Jim Bowie – Commander of about 100 volunteers from
Tennessee and Kentucky.
► David “Davy” Crockett – U.S. Congressman and militia
leader from Tennessee. Led a dozen men to help defend
the Alamo.
► William B. Travis – Led the regular army, even though he
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was only 26 years old. Had 60 men under his command.
Question:
What happened at the Alamo?
Bowie and his men had orders from Sam Houston to
destroy the fort and take all the weapons. Bowie decided
to stay and fight instead.
► Travis and his men arrived Feb. 3, 1836. Crockett and his
volunteers arrived Feb. 8.
► Santa Anna and his Mexican troops arrived at the Alamo on
Feb. 23, 1836 and began a siege (lengthy attack on a
fortified position) that lasted 13 days.
► When Travis saw how many troops Santa Anna brought, he
sent the famous “Victory or Death” letter. In it, Travis
wrote, “I am besieged by a thousand or more of the
Mexicans…”
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Question:
Why did Santa Anna want to fight at the
Alamo, and why didn’t Sam Houston?
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Santa Anna hoped to trap Houston himself at the Alamo. In
addition, Santa Anna promised to sweep all Anglo and
Tejano rebels from Texas. If Santa Anna failed to take the
Alamo, his political enemies could use that fact against
him.
Houston’s experience as a military commander gave him a
different frame of reference (experience and culture which
shapes opinion) from Santa Anna. Houston believed the
Alamo was impossible to defend. He also knew the Texan
army was nowhere near ready to fight Santa Anna’s troops
in a large-scale battle.
Question:
How did the Siege of the Alamo work out?
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By March 5, 1836 about 1,800 troops surrounded the
Alamo. The Mexicans warned the defenders there would be
no mercy by raising a red flag, and playing a marching
theme known as “Deguello.”
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The actual battle lasted only 90 minutes before all of the
defenders and an estimated 600 Mexican soldiers were
killed.
Question:
How did Texas respond to the siege at the
Alamo?
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On March 2, 1836, the provisional government of Texas
signed the Declaration of Independence.
George Childress is remembered as the man who wrote the
Declaration. He modeled the document after the U.S.
Declaration of Independence.
He listed complaints against the Mexican government, and
appealed to the “impartial world” to help the Texans gain
their freedom and maintain their rights.
Question:
What was happening while Santa Anna fought
at the Alamo?
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While Santa Anna led the main Mexican force, another
force led by General Urrea marched north along the Gulf
coast.
Urrea’s army killed about 100 Texans in skirmishes (small,
brief battles) on his way to the presidio at Goliad.
The Texans’ largest armed group was in Goliad, led by
James Fannin. Fannin tried to lend men to the Alamo
defenders, but supplies and transportation prevented it.
Urrea caught up to Fannin’s men. On March 20, Fannin
surrendered a few miles east of Goliad.
Question:
Why is Goliad important?
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After Fannin’s surrender, Urrea marched the prisoners back
to Goliad. Santa Anna ordered all of the Texans executed.
The “Goliad Massacre” reinforced the idea that Texans
would either live free or die. Santa Anna refused to allow
captured combatants to live.
Texans used “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!” as
their battle cry in the Battle of San Jacinto.
Question:
Where was Sam Houston during the Texans’
losses at the Alamo and Goliad?
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Houston was commander of the Texas Army, but was
frustrated that the volunteer armies would not follow
orders.
Houston resigned briefly to negotiate a peace treaty, but
returned to command in early March 1836.
Houston’s army started with less than 400 men in
Gonzales. After learning of the fall of the Alamo, Houston
broke camp and marched his troops east.
Question:
Where was the decisive battle of the Texas
Revolution?
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By April 1836, Santa’s troops had gotten low on food,
ammunition, and other supplies.
On April 20-21, Houston’s 800 troops fought Santa Anna’s
1,300 men at San Jacinto. While Mexican troops rested to
prepare for a morning attack, the Texans stormed the
battlefield. Santa Anna was defeated April 21, 1836.
Question:
What happened after the
Battle of San Jacinto?
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Sam Houston became known as the George Washington of
the Texas Revolution.
Texas became an independent republic in 1836. Houston
was elected President, and Lorenzo de Zavala was vice
president.
Lorenzo de Zavala was also known for helping write the
Mexican Constitution of 1824 and for assisting in the Texas
fight for independence.