The “Happy” Year
1835
•1st battle of the Texas
Revolution
•Soldiers were sent to
get the canon back that
was loaned to Texans
for protection against
Natives
• Nickname is “The
Lexington of Texas”
because of the
similarities between
this battle and the first
battle of the American
Revolution
1835
1st Battle of the TEXAS Revolution
1st Battle of the AMERICAN Revolution
Battle of Gonzales
April 19, Battle of Lexington
1775
Lexington, MA
Gonzales,
TX
Mexican officials had gone to Gonzales to
get the cannon that had been loaned to
them by the Mexican government to
protect themselves from Native Americans
Texans won!!!
October 2, 1835
British soldiers went to Lexington to get
any military supplies or weapons that the
Americans had stored
Americans won!!!
Because of these similarities, the Battle of
Gonzales is sometimes called “The Lexington
of Texas”
• A week after Gonzales, Texans take the Presidio at Goliad
• They realize they may actually be able to beat the huge Mexican Army
• They decide to go to San Antonio– the biggest town in TX with the most
soldiers
The Mission at
Goliad
1835
The Army of the People’s March to San
Antonio (Late Oct., 1835)
• Everybody goes back to Gonzales to organize
• Stephen F. Austin and other leaders gather a bunch of Texans (American
and Tejano) to march to San Antonio
• They start their march and call their group the “Army of the People”
• Texans have about 600 soldiers when they get to SA (as per TSHA)
• General Cos has about 750 soldiers in SA
1835
The Siege of Bexar: Oct. 28 – Dec. 5, 1835
• A siege is where one army is inside a fort or city and
the other army tries to block all supplies and people
from getting in or out
• Mexicans were inside the Alamo and the Texans
surrounded them
• It started in on Oct. 28 and lasted FOREVER!! (At
least that’s what the Texan volunteers started to think)
The Alamo
(In San Antonio de Bexar)
General Cos and
Mexican soldiers
in the Alamo
1835
• Remember? They had called for this meeting at the end of
Ch. 8
• 58 delegates from 14 towns meet
• Write a “Declaration of the People”… NOT of
independence… it just tries to explain their actions to MX
1. they are loyal citizens of Mexico
2. they would support the Constitution of 1824
3. fighting only to defend themselves from Santa
Anna
4. ask all Mexican citizens to fight for a democracy
(SA was a dictator)
Peace Party War Party
1835
The Grass Fight: Nov. 26, 1835
• There had been very little military activity in Oct. and Nov. because sieges
were BORING
• A TX scout named “Deaf” Smith heard that the MX Army had some cavalry
and mule train headed to San Antonio
• Some of the Texans, thinking it has silver for Cos’ soldiers ATTACK!!!
• It ends up to be just grass for their horses!
• This is the final straw… the siege is called off and the Texans start packing to
go home
1835
• Ben Milam, an empresario, heard that the Texans were leaving and
tried to rally the troops to fight (he really wanted independence)
• He and Frank Johnson organized about 300 of the troops that were
left and attacked the Mexicans in the Alamo!!!
• The battle lasted about 4 days… and the Texans had won!!
• Cos surrendered and went home. Yay!
With Cos gone…
the Texans
realized that he
took with him
the last of the
Mexican soldiers
in Texas… many
Texans thought
they had won
the war!!!!
1835
General
Cos
President Santa Anna!
The Texans have run us
out of Texas!!!
Santa
Anna
Geez, Cos!!! Can’t you do
anything right? I guess if you
want something done right
you have to do it yourself!
Come on! Let’s go back to
Texas and I’ll show you how
to stop this rebellion!!!!
Mexico City
San Felipe
Consultation
of 1835
1835
The Battle of Gonzales
The Battle at Goliad
March of the Army of the People
Siege of Bexar
Consultation of 1835
The Grass Fight
Battle of San Antonio
Cos surrenders and returns to Mexico
Review Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What was the FIRST battle of the Texas Revolution?
What was that battle’s nickname?
Why did it get that nickname?
What did the Battle of Goliad make the Texans realize?
What did the Texans decide to DO after the Battle of Goliad?
How did the Texans get to San Antonio? Who was in charge?
Who was in San Antonio and what were the Texans going to do about it?
What is it called when an army traps another group and tries to “wait them
out”? What was the one in San Antonio called? What is the other name for
it?
9. Who did that to whom in October of 1835?
10. What was the meeting called that started in November of 1835?
11. What did they do at the meeting?
12. What event during the siege was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”?
(What event during the siege led to the battle?)
13. Who led the Texans into battle? What happened to him?
14. Who won the Battle of San Antonio? What is another name for it?
15. Who lost the Battle of San Antonio? What did he (and they) do next?
16. What did the Texans think after they won the Battle of San Antonio?
1835