WELCOME TO AUSTIN, TEXAS
GMA LITIGATION
CONFERENCE
FEBRUARY 23-25, 2010
TEXAS
28th State in the Union
Admitted December 29, 1845
Second most populated state in the
Country (20,851,820- 2000)
758 miles El Paso to Orange; like
Pittsburgh to Tampa, Fl.
733 miles Brownsville to Dumas same as
Washington DC to Tallahassee, FL
Texas is young
Massachusetts- 1630
North Carolina- 1653
New York- 1664
1820-Spain opened Texas to Anglo
settlement because no one would move
here due to Indians. Lipan Apaches,
Comanche, Karankawa ,Tonkawa, Caddo,
Kiowa and Waco Indians.
1821- Mexico obtains its independence
and opens the territory.
Stephen F. Austin 1822In America $100.00 buy you 80
acres of land. 1.25 an acre.
In Texas $184 4,428 acres of
grazing land and 177 acres of
irrigable farm land. $.o4 per acre.$184.00.
First 300- 1823- 4 more for Austin and
more impresarios. Like any young colony,
the Texans just wanted freedom. They
wanted statehood w/in Mexico. Mexico
was suspect because America wanted to
buy land in East Texas.
Battle of Gonzales
Battle of Gonzales- October 2,
1835
The beginning of the Texas
Revolution.
The Mexican Army sent 100
dragoons to retrieve a cannon
given to the colonists to protect
themselves from the Indians.
There was a small skirmish and
the Mexican army retreated.
The Texans carried a flag
saying “come and take it.”
The Alamo
Alamo- Feb 23-March 6,
1836-
189 men including Davy
Crockett, James Bowie,
William B. Travis…
1800 of Santa Anna’s army
charged at dawn and 90
minutes later, by 8:00, all
of the fighting men were
dead. The battle was over.
After 13 days of fighting,
600 of Santa Anna’s soldiers
were killed
Enough time for Texans to
draft constitution and
gather volunteer soldiers.
The Alamo
The Alamo
The Battle of Coleto
Creek and the Goliad
Massacre
Battle of Goliad- March 27, 1836
(Palm Sunday) Many haven’t heard
of this battle that brought the
hearts of the Americans to our side.
After the Alamo, the Mexican troops
struck out after the Texan army. It
was known as the runaway scrape.
Things were not going well for
Texas.
On March 19, 1836, the Mexican
Army approached the town of
Goliad, Texas and Colonel Fannin
and his 300 troops retreated from
La Bahia, the fort they occupied.
Wholesale slaughter of Colonel
Fannin and troops on March 27,
1836. They were tricked into
surrendering under agreement not
to fight again. They were marched
back to Goliad where they were
executed.
Angel of Goliad.
The Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto- April 21,
1836;
783-910 Texans led be General
Sam Houston yelled “remember
the Alamo and remember
Goliad as they charged in at
noon to find the army in siesta,
and without posted lookouts.
1360 total; 630 killed and 730
taken prisoner, including Santa
Anna.
Santa Anna captured and after
the Treaty of Velasco was
signed the war was over.
Texas Revolution and Trial Analogy
2 October 1835 -- Texans repulsed a detachment of Mexican cavalry at the Battle of
Gonzales. The revolution began.
2 6 March 1836 -- Texans under Col. William B. Travis were overwhelmed by the
Mexican army after a two-week siege at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio. The
Runaway Scrape began.
7 March 1836 – James Fannin and nearly 400 Texans were executed by the Mexicans
at the Goliad Massacre, under order of Santa Anna.
21 April 1836 -- Texans under Sam Houston routed the Mexican forces of Santa Anna
at the Battle of San Jacinto. Thus, independence was won in one of the most decisive
battles in history.
November 1839 -- The Texas Congress first met in Austin, the frontier site selected for
the capital of the Republic.