The Road to Revolution
Mexican Constitution of 1824
Mexico
wrote a new constitution and
modeled it after U.S. Constitution
President and Vice President (4 year terms)
Bi-Cameral Congress
Supreme Court
Catholic Faith is State religion
Each state drafted its own state constitution
and was given certain state’s rights
President Bustamante
 Was
not following the Constitution
of 1824 and instead gave the national
government more power than the
states
This was the exact
opposite of what was
outlined in the Mexican
Constitution
Fredonian Revolt

Haden Edwards was given a land grant to
settle Anglo Americans in Texas
◦ When he got to his land he found people
living there
◦ Edwards told the
settlers they had to
prove they had a
grant and they
could stay
Fredonian Revolt
The settlers appealed to
the Mexican governor
 The governor backed the
settlers
 Haden’s brother Benjamin
took over Nacogdoches
with a few men and
declared it the free
Republic of Fredonia

Effect
 Mexico
sent in troops to recapture
Nacogdoches
◦ The Edwards brothers appealed to S F Austin
for support
◦ He refused to help them and sided with the
Mexican officials
◦ The Edwards brothers fled and for a short time
tensions between Mexico and the settlers were
eased
Mier y Teran Report
 The
Mexican government
was concerned that there
were too many Anglos in
Texas
 They were afraid they
would lose Texas to the
United States
◦ General Manuel Mier y
Teran was sent to report on
the State of Texas
Mier y Teran Report
 General
Mier y Teran reported that U.S.
influence was growing and Anglo settlers
greatly outnumbered Mexican Settlers
 This was unnerving for Mexico so….
Law of April 6, 1830
 The
Mexican Congress passed the Law of
April 6, 1830
 This act went against Constitution of 1824
◦ It laid out very specific state’s rights
◦ Americans could no longer come to Texas
◦ All Empresarial claims were cancelled
◦ Slavery was abolished – in hopes it would
deter any more Anglos from coming to Texas
Unrest in Texas
 Citizens in Texas were very upset
◦ Many of the settlers had come to Texas to get
their new life started and left their families
behind in the US
◦ They had planned on bringing the rest of their
families to join them
◦ They also believed that the Mexican
government was overstepping their power by
telling the states what they could do
Unrest in Texas Continued
• Sensing the citizens uneasiness, Mexican officials
sent troops to Texas.
◦ Texans very much resented the presence of
Mexican troops overseeing their day to day
lives.
The Rise of Antonio Lopez de
Santa Anna
 President
Bustamante had
proven he was a centralist
◦ Supporter of strong national
government
Ignored Constitution of
1824
 Angered Texans and was not
in good favor with the State

Santa Anna’s Early Career
 Was
a cadet in Spanish Military
 Served in mission to defeat the
Gutierrez-Magee expedition
 Shifted his loyalty from Spain to
Mexico at the perfect time….
 ….Gained favor with the new
government
Ambition
 Made
everyone think he was
opposed to the Centralist
◦“Was actually a centralist himself”
 Began a Revolution against
Bustamante
 Mexican Soldiers returned to Texas
to fight
In Power
 Stephen
F. Austin told Santa Anna
that the Texans supported him
◦ They believed he supported
their views
 Again he was lying to gain power
 Santa Anna becomes the leader
of Mexico
Anahuac
 George
Fisher was a Mexican official
charged with customs duties.
◦ Main job was to stop smuggling
 First ordered all ships to report to the
mouth of the Brazos to be checked
◦ Did not work
 Then ordered all ships to report to
Anahuac at Galveston Bay before going to
their destination
Problems
 Galveston
Bay was very much out of
the way
 Many had to go 200 miles inland to get
papers to leave
 Many captains ignored this order
viewing it as unfair.
John Davis Bradburn
 Mexican
official directed to enforce laws
 Arrested Francisco Madero for issuing land
titles
◦ Madero had not issued them to Americans, so
he was not breaking the law
 Bradburn
then ordered the settlement
Liberty be dismantled
◦ Forced the settlers to rebuild Liberty and
provide materials to do so.
William T. Logan
 Showed
up looking for his two slaves
that had run away.
◦ Bradburn was housing them
 Hired
lawyer William B. Travis to help
him while he went to Louisiana to get
his legal documents.
 Travis told a guard Logan had returned
armed.
Bradburn Freaks!!!
 Logan
never came and Bradburn
looked silly
 Bradburn unlawfully arrested Travis
and his law partner
 Settlers rose up and were ready to
forcefully take Travis back
 Bradburn told them he would release
them if the settlers would retreat.
Bradburn Freaks!!!
 Settlers
retreated, Bradburn did not
release Travis
 Bradburn reinforced while settlers
were not there
Turtle Bayou Resolutions
Texans drafted the Turtle Bayou
Resolutions while John Austin went to
obtain a cannon.
 Resolutions said:

◦ Colonist were loyal to Mexico
◦ Supported Santa Anna
◦ Loyal to Constitution of 1824
Turtle Bayou Resolutions


Settlers sent John Austin to Brazoria to bring
back a cannon.
Turtle Bayou Resolutions
◦ Colonists pledged their loyalty to Mexico
and Santa Anna.
◦ Remember: Santa Anna was a centralist
posing as a nationalist!
No More Bradburn
 Before Austin’s
return Colonel Jose de las
Piedras showed up to survey the situation
 Saw how messed up everything was
 Dismissed Bradburn
 Released Travis and his partner
 Ended the argument peacefully, but this was
an omen for violence to come.
Battle of Velasco
John Austin has the cannon and he’s on his way
back to Brazoria.
◦ He and his men sail down the Brazos River
toward the Gulf of Mexico.
 They arrive in Velasco.
◦ Colonel Urgartechea refuses to let the men
pass through Velasco with the cannon.
◦ Fighting breaks out!
◦ First time Mexican and Texan troops fire at one
another.

Convention of 1832







Texans met in San Felipe de Austin and drafted a
set of resolutions.
Texans pledge their support for the Constitution
of 1824.
Called for a repeal of the Law of April 6, 1830
and the customs duty.
◦ Repeal: to take away
Wanted to allow U.S. immigration to Texas.
Wanted the Mexican government to divide the
state of Coahuila y Tejas and grant Texas
statehood.
Established a plan to create a militia.
Donate government lands for public schools.
Convention of 1833
Same proposals at the Convention of
1832 EXCEPT they drafted a new
Constitution.
◦ Mexican state of Texas!
 To the Mexican government, this looked
like an act of defiance!

SFA is in Mexico
SFA leaves for Mexico to take the new
resolutions to the Mexican government.
 1833 – impatient SFA wrote a letter to his
fellow Texans.
◦ The letter suggested the Texans establish a
new state government.
◦ New state government would make Texas
separate from Coahuila but still a part of
Mexico.
 SFA meets with Santa Anna
◦ Santa Anna repealed the immigration law
prohibiting immigrants from the U.S.

SFA Arrested!
Austin’s letter to the Texans was
intercepted.
 He was accused of treason.
 He was imprisoned in Mexico City for a
year and never received a trial.

Conflict Escalates
Texans soon found out that Santa Anna
was a centralist and not a nationalist.
 He had a new constitution written that
placed all the power in his hands!
 To squash any rebellion that might take
place in Texas, Santa Anna sent General
Cos to watch over Texas.

Battle of Gonzales
General Urgartechea hears there is a 6 pound
cannon in the town of Gonzales.
 Texans refused to return the cannon.
 When the Mexican army arrived, the Texans
fired on the Mexicans forcing them to retreat
to San Antonio.
 This battle showed that the Texans were
willing to use military force if necessary.
 The Battle of Gonzales is the battle that began
the revolution!

Siege of Bexar (San Antonio)
Texans capture the city of San Antonio
from General Cos.
 Texans believed the crisis was over.
 Santa Anna had other ideas!
