Chapter 6 Guided Reading Questions and Notes
Directions: As you read Chapter 6, answer the following questions. Record each question and your
answer in Cornell Notes (question on the left side of your page and answer on the right) in your history
journal. You WILL NOT receive credit unless this assignment is in Cornell style and in your
journal.
1. Who won the French and Indian War and how did this victory specifically change the map in
North America? (Identify what territory went to what nation and the name of the treaty.)
2. Why did Spain question whether the settlements in East Texas were needed after the French and
Indian War?
3. How did the East Texas settlers feel about moving closer to San Antonio? Explain why they felt
this way.
4. What kinds of problems did the settlers along the Trinity River face? How did they resolve these
problems?
5. What caused Spain to begin to lose control of Texas?
6. How did the Spanish governor of New Orleans help the American cause during the American
Revolution?
7. How did the purchase of Louisiana change the size of the US and what was the immediate effect
for Texas? How much did the US pay and to whom?
8. Why did the US and Spain disagree about the boundary between Spanish Texas and Louisiana?
Identify what was the short-term and long-term agreements both countries came to in order to
settle the dispute.
9. Who were filibusters and what were they trying to accomplish? Identify the filibuster your text
discusses.
10. Besides filibusters, what Americans moved to Texas?
11. Why were many Mexicans unhappy with Spanish rule?
12. Who was Father Hidalgo and what did he call for?
13. Why was the Republican Army of the North created? Who were the two men who helped create
this army?
14. What is a republic?
15. What were the Mexicans’ and Americans’ disagreements about the new government of Texas?
Was the Republican Army successful?
16. Who were Louis Michel Aury and Jean Laffite? What did they do?
17. Why did James Long invade Texas?
18. When did Mexico become free from Spanish rule?
19. Why do you suppose there were so few settlers in northern and western Texas?
20. Why couldn’t Spain attract settlers to Texas?
21. In what ways did Spain influence the culture of Texas? Be specific.
Chapter 6 Text
Section 6-1: Spanish Texas 1763-1819
Spain Acquires Louisiana
From 1756 to 1763, Great Britain and France were involved in the French and Indian War (the Seven
Years’ War). Great Britain won the war. As a result, in the 1763 Peace Treaty of Paris, Great Britain
gained control of Canada and all French land east of the Mississippi River, except New Orleans. Spain
gained control of New Orleans and all French land west of the Mississippi River. France no longer had
1
power in North America. Spain questioned whether the missions and presidios in East Texas were still
needed.
Spain Closes East Texas Missions
The Spanish decided to close all their missions in Texas except those at San Antonio and Goliad. Then
they could focus on forming an alliance, or working agreement, with the Comanches to fight together
against the Apaches. The Spanish governor of Texas ordered the East Texas settlers to move closer to San
Antonio for safety. Many did not want to move. San Antonio was hot and dry. They would need irrigation
for their crops. The best land had already been taken.
Nacogdoches Founded
The leader of the East Texans asked that the settlers be allowed to go back to their East Texas homes.
The governor would not allow this. However, he did allow some of them to settle along the Trinity River.
For the first four years, this new colony did well. Then the settlers had many problems. Their crops did
not grow and many settlers became ill. They also had to fight the Comanches. Because of these problems,
the settlers moved back to where they used to live. They built a town named Nacogdoches.
Settlers Face Many Dangers
Conflict with the Apaches and Comanches stopped the Spanish from colonizing Texas during the late
1700s. There were not enough Spanish soldiers to protect the settlers. Spain began to lose control of
Texas. In the 1790s, Spain insisted that the churches support themselves.
Spain Helps the American Colonists
While Spain was having problems in Texas, Americans east of the Mississippi River were fighting for
independence from Great Britain. This war was known as the American Revolution. Both France and
Spain were on the side of the Americans. The Spanish governor of New Orleans opened the port to
American ships. He also provided weapons, clothing, money, and medical supplies to American troops.
When Spain entered the war in 1779, the governor of New Orleans gathered an army of soldiers from
Spain, Mexico, and Cuba. He also invited African and Native Americans to fight. These efforts helped
keep the British from taking New Orleans and the lower Mississippi Valley.
The United States Buys Louisiana
In 1800, Spain was forced to give Louisiana back to France. In 1803, the United States purchased the
Louisiana Territory from France for 15 Million dollars. The United States became twice as large after
buying Louisiana. After the purchase of Louisiana, Anglos began pushing across the Mississippi River to
Spanish Texas.
Disputes About Boundaries
The United States and Spain disagreed about the boundary between Spanish Texas and Louisiana.
Some of the land near the boundary was claimed by both countries. The two countries argued about the
boundary for several years. Finally, they came to an agreement. They decided that neither of them would
claim the land near the boundary. The land became known as the Neutral Ground. In 1819, the United
States and Spain signed the Adams–Onís Treaty. The treaty settled the disagreement about the boundary.
Spain gave Florida to the United States. The United States agreed that Texas belonged to Spain. The
eastern boundary of Texas was the Sabine River. The Neutral Ground became part of the United States.
Americans Migrate to Texas
Many Americans moved to Spanish Texas. These people were mainly farmers and traders. Some were
filibusters, adventurers who were trying to help the United States take control of Texas from Spain. One
of these men was Philip Nolan. He and a group of men came to Texas to catch wild horses, which they
2
then sold. In 1801, Nolan and his group were attacked by a group of Spanish soldiers. These soldiers
believed Nolan’s group was trying to take Texas from Spain. Most of Nolan’s group were killed or later
died in a Mexican prison. Only one member of the group is known to have survived and gained freedom.
Section 6-2: Unrest Grows in Texas
Hidalgo Calls for Independence
Many Mexicans did not like being ruled by Spain. The best jobs in Mexico were given to men sent
from Spain. Spain taxed Mexicans to help pay for wars in Europe. In 1810, a priest named Father Miguel
Hidalgo y Costilla called for Mexico’s freedom from Spain. Hidalgo’s followers fought with the Spanish.
At first, Hidalgo’s soldiers did well, but they could not capture Mexico City. In 1811, Hidalgo was
captured and killed. One of his followers, Juan Bautista de las Casas, took over San Antonio and other
towns, but the Spanish regained control of Texas.
Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition
The fight for freedom continued. Another member of Hidalgo’s group, Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara,
planned to invade Texas. He formed an army to fight for the liberation, or freeing, of Texas. Gutiérrez de
Lara and an American soldier named Augustus Magee wanted to set up a republic, a government in
which people would vote to determine who would represent them. The forces were known as the
Republican Army of the North. The army included Tejanos, Native Americans, and Anglo Americans. It
quickly grew in size.
The Republican Army captured Goliad. The Spanish surrounded the town for four months. Magee died
there in 1813. Samuel Kemper replaced him as commander of the troops. When the Spanish retreated,
Kemper and his troops followed them to San Antonio. The Republican Army defeated the Spanish there.
Then the leaders of the Republican Army issued a declaration of independence for the State of Texas.
Disagreements and Defeats
Soon there were disagreements within the Republican Army. The Americans thought the leaders of
Texas’s new government should be elected by voters, as they were in the United States. The Mexicans
thought government leaders should be appointed, as they were in New Spain. Gutiérrez de Lara thought
Texas should remain part of Mexico. The Americans thought Texas should be independent or become part
of the United States. In 1813, Spanish soldiers defeated the Republican Army. Most of the Republican
soldiers were killed. The Spanish soldiers killed settlers in San Antonio and East Texas whom they
believed had helped the Republican Army. Other settlers were forced to leave Texas.
Revolutionaries and Pirates
The Republican Army’s fight to free Texas from Spain had failed. However, some of the remaining
soldiers continued to look for ways to fight against Spain. These soldiers found a safe place to live on
Galveston Island. It was easy to attack Spanish ships that were sailing in the Gulf of Mexico from the
island.
A French pirate named Louis Michel Aury captured Spanish ships along the coast of Texas. Another
pirate named Jean Laffite said he was fighting to free Mexico from Spanish rule. However, Laffite was
really more interested in stealing riches from Spanish ships. When Laffite began attacking American
ships, the United States Navy stopped him. Laffite left Galveston Island.
Spain Exiles French Colonists
At this same time, a group of French colonists tried to settle along the Trinity River in East Texas.
They built a fort and settlement. The Spanish governor in Texas sent soldiers to the settlement and forced
the French colonists to leave.
3
James Long Invades Texas
James Long was a filibuster who tried to free Texas from Spain. He did not think the United States
should give up its claim to Texas. In 1819, Long’s men captured the town of Nacogdoches in East Texas.
By this time, very few people were living in Nacogdoches. Long declared that Texas was free and
independent from Spain. He was elected president of Texas. Long traveled to Galveston Island to meet
with Laffite. While he was away, Spanish troops defeated his soldiers. Long went to New Orleans to get
more soldiers and returned to invade Texas by sea. Long’s soldiers sailed along the coast of Texas and
went inland. They captured Goliad, but Spanish troops attacked them, and Long surrendered.
Section 6-3: Spanish Rule Ends in Texas
Texas at the End of Spain’s Rule
Mexico became free from Spain in 1821. The province of Texas was a part of the new country of
Mexico. Although Texas had been under Spanish rule for 300 years, there were few Spanish settlements
there. San Antonio, Goliad, and Nacogdoches were the only settlements inland in Texas, with San
Antonio the largest. As time went on, fewer and fewer people lived in these settlements.
Settlements on Texas’s borders, such as Laredo, were not considered part of the province of Texas.
Some settlers lived near El Paso. They were controlled by the Spanish authorities in New Mexico. Large
areas of northern and western Texas had very few settlers. Native Americans roamed these areas as
nomads. The Native Americans did not recognize Spanish government.
Spanish Neglect
There were several reasons why Spain could not attract Spanish settlers to Texas. First, there was no
gold or silver in Texas to attract people there. Also, Texas was remote and unsophisticated compared to
Mexico City. Mexico City had universities, artists, physicians, and the many comforts of a civilized
society. Mexico offered plenty of fertile, open land for farming and ranching. In addition, the Native
Americans in Mexico were peaceful and willing to work. Those in Texas were mostly unfriendly and
uninterested in Spanish culture and religion. During the time Texas was ruled by Spain, the Spanish paid
very little attention to the province. Near the end of Spanish rule, conditions were very bad in many parts
of Texas, including San Antonio.
Spanish Legacy
Even though Spain did little to settle Texas, Spanish rule had a great influence on the area. Spaniards
mapped and explored the land. They gave many Texas rivers and cities Spanish names. Spaniards also
built the first roads. Spanish settlers brought horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs into Texas. Texans used the
Spanish ranching system with its special terms, such as lariat, a long rope, and chaps. Spanish cowhands,
called vaqueros, took care of the large herds of cattle on the long cattle drives. The settlers adapted, or
changed, Spanish customs to meet the conditions they found in Texas.
After Mexico became independent, many Spanish settlers stayed in Texas. As time went on, more
settlers came to Texas from Mexico. Today, many Texans have Spanish names. In addition, many Texans
speak, read, and write Spanish.
4
Supplemental Notes for Chapter 6
These should also be in your journal.
Vocabulary
 Constitution – a written statement outlining the basic laws or principles by which a country or
organization is governed.
 Empresario – an agent who makes all arrangements to bring settlers to a colony.
 Filibuster – an adventurer who engages in a private rebellious activity in a foreign country.
 Immigration – the act of people coming to a country to settle.
 Representative government – a representative government is one that allows its citizens to elect
other citizens to make decisions for a large group of citizens. This allows the business of
government to get done.
 Tejano – a person of Mexican descent living in Texas.
Characteristics of the Mexican National Period
· Mexican Constitution of 1824
· Old Three Hundred
· Moses Austin
· Stephen F. Austin
· Erasmo Seguin Sr.
· Martin DeLeon
· Empresarios
· Agriculture
· San Felipe de Austin
· Battle of Medina
Significant dates during the Mexican National Period
 1820 – Moses Austin gets permission from Spanish authorities to colonize Texas with Americans
but dies before he completes his plans
 1821 – Mexico is independent from Spain
 1821 – Stephen F. Austin continues his father’s dream by settling 300 families from the United
States. They are known as the “Old Three Hundred.” There were three requirements for settlement
(must convert to Catholicism; must become a Spanish/Mexican citizen; must be of good, moral
character
 1823-1825 National Colonization Laws
 1824 – Mexican Constitution of 1824
 1825 – 1830 Empresario Contracts
5