Texas History
Fort Burrows
8.1 - Declaration of Independence/Convention of 1836
READ pgs 180 - 185
Time Line:
March 1, 1836 – Convention of 1836 begins
March 2, 1836 – Texas Declaration of Independence
March 6, 1836 – Texans Defeated at the Alamo
March 27, 1836 – Goliad Massacre
April 21, 1836 – Battle of San Jacinto
May 1836 – Sam Houston & Santa Anna sign a peace treaty
between Texas & Mexico
Main Idea:
At the Convention of 1836, Texas leaders declared independence and wrote a constitution.
Vocabulary:
ratified – the people approve something
bicameral – two houses: a Senate & a House of Representatives
unitary – all power originates with the national government
ad interim – government for a short time
veto – to prevent passage of law
Setting the Scene:
It was a cold February when the men began to arrive in a small Texas town. In time, 59 men
gathered at Washington-on-the-Brazos. The rough building in which they met provided little
protection from the chilly weather. These surroundings gave little sign of the importance of the task
they faced. A large Mexican army camped just 150 miles away. The Texan men had to put aside their
differences in order to make decisions that would shape the destiny of Texas.
The Mexican army was coming dangerously close to crushing the rebel Texans. In March
1836, a group of 59 delegates wrote and adopted a Declaration of Independence and a Constitution.
At first it seemed as though Santa Anna would defeat the Texan Army. But then, at the Battle of San
Jacinto, Sam Houston (daddy) and his soldiers won a stunning victory, securing Texas Independence.
The Texas Convention of 1836 and Houston’s victory at San Jacinto paved the way for Texas to gain
its independence and later become part of the United States.
Meeting of the Convention of 1836
► Fifty-nine delegates (men only) attended the Convention of 1836, near Washington on the Brazos.
Some of the delegates had been loyal to Mexico before Santa Anna’s attack. After the brutal attack, all
delegates at the Convention agreed that Texas should be free from Mexico.
▼ meet was possibly at Noah Byar’s Blacksmith Shop
▼ only 2 of the delegates were born in Texas
► Henry Smith - Governor of Provisional Government
► met while the Battle at the Alamo was taking place
► since Santa Anna was attacking, Texans stopped being loyal to Mexico
▼ now the delegates faced the serious task of creating a government for Texas
Sam Houston and others believed that a strong government was the key to
winning the revolution
▼ one of his main concerns was for the delegates to create a permanent
government A.S.A.P.
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Texas History
Fort Burrows
The Texas Declaration of Independence
► George Campbell Childress lead the group that wrote the Declaration of
Independence for Texas
► Thomas Jefferson wrote the United States Declaration of Independence
► 3 Reasons why the Texan’s declared Independence on March 2, 1836
▼ Mexico did not protect the rights of its people (living in Texas)
▼ it did not provide representation for Texans
▼ it did not provide a fair justice system
The Texas Constitution was modeled after the U. S. Constitution
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Similarities
Both separated power into three
branches
Executive (President)
Legislative (Senate and House)
Judicial (court system)
Both had a president in charge of the
executive branch
The legislative branch was bicameral,
meaning it had 2 houses
Each judicial branch had several layers
of courts
Both had a system of checks and
balances, male suffrage, and a bill of
rights
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Differences
The United States was a federal republic; Texas
became a unitary republic
That means that Texas could not be divided into
several smaller states
Texas elected its president by direct popular vote
The United States used the electoral college
Each Texas president served a 3-year term {Texan
could not run for a 2nd term until someone else held
office} The U. S. presidents served 4-year term
Texas would not allow any member of the clergy to
hold office, due to the fear Texans had of the strong
Mexican Catholic Church
The Constitution
On March 2, 1836, EVERY delegate at the Convention voted to approve the Texas Declaration of
Independence. The Texas Declaration of Independence had many similarities to the United States
Declaration of Independence.
Both documents:
► have an opening statement that describes how the people believe they should be ruled
► have a long middle section listing complaints against the mother country
► end with a section that declares independence
► were written during times of great turmoil
► led to Independence Days that people still celebrate each year
The Convention of 1836 closed on March 17. Because of the advance of the Mexican army,
delegates only had time to set up an ad interim government. An ad interim government lasts for only a
short time. The new Texas government had to move to safety several times until it finally settled in
Columbia.
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Texas History
Fort Burrows
The Ad Interim Government
David Burnet ( BURN it)
1st First President of the Republic of Texas
Lorenzo de Zavala
1st Vice President of the new Republic
Born in New Jersey 1788 --- Died in Texas 1870
Became a Texan in 1815. Stayed a Texan until his
death in 1870. He is buried in Texas near Galveston.
There is a town named Burnet in Burnet county, 4
hours south of Dallas, the Bluebonnet capitol of
Texas. Burnet was raised by an older brother after
the early death of his parents. After a failed attempt
to establish a trading post in Natchitoches,
Louisiana, Burnet rode westward into Texas. After
an accident in which Burnet fell from his horse on
the upper Colorado River, he was taken by
Comanche Indians, treated kindly, and nursed back
to health over a two year period. Burnet's political
career began with his election to the Convention of
1833. His leadership there resulted in his being
elected President. He retired to his farm near the
San Jacinto battlefield.
Born in Tecoh, in the state of Yucatan,
Mexico, on October 3, 1789 --- Died in Texas
1836.
Empresario for Mexico, but sold his contract
to the Galveston Bay & Texas Land Company.
He was Santa Anna’s minister to France. In
Texas, de Zavala settled his family on Buffalo
Bayou across from what would become the site
of the Battle of San Jacinto. He represented
Harrisburg Municipality at both the
Consultation of 1835 and the Convention of
1836, where he signed the Texas Declaration of
Independence from Mexico. He died shortly
after Independence on November 15, 1836.
There is a county named after him - Zavala
County.
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Texas History
Fort Burrows
First Officials of the Republic of Texas
 David G. Burnet - President
 Lorenzo de Zavala - Vice President
 Bailey Hardeman - Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State
 Thomas Rusk - Secretary of War
 Sam Houston - leader of the Regular Army and all Volunteers
 The Convention of 1836 closed on March 17; because of the advance of the Mexican army,
delegates only had time to set up an ad interim government
 The new Texas government had to move to safety several times until it finally settled in
Columbia
1.
How did the Texas Constitution reveal Texans’ fears of the power of the Catholic
Church ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
2.
Which statement about a unitary republic is true ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
3.
no member of the clergy could vote
the government would regulate churches
the government required churches to pay taxes
no member of the clergy could hold public office
all government officials must be from the same party
one state cannot be carved into several smaller ones
the president is selected by the Senate
the legislative branch has only one house
Why did Texans call for the Convention of 1836 ?
Who wrote it ?
List 3 Reasons why Independence was declared…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why did the Interim Government have to move so many times ?
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