TEXAS 1835-1836

Background Part I         1821 – Under the leadership of Agůstin de Itůrbide, Mexico declares independence from Spain.  Itůrbide had been an officer is the Spanish army.  He is now the emperor of Mexico.  Immigration into northern Mexico is almost non-existent at this time.  The new government decides to open the province of "Tejas" to settlement.  The reasoning behind this decision was to provide a Mexican presence in the north as a barrier to control the ever-expanding United States.  The other reasons why there were no settlements north of San Antonio was the Comanches and the vast distance from the governing cities.  North Tejas’ panhandle ended less than 100 miles from present day Denver.  Mexico encompassed the entire west including the Great Salt Lake and San Francisco Bay. The first impresario, Stephen F. Austin would bring in settlers to kill the Indians and settlement would be controlled.  The Mexican plan never materialized because the settlers did not go north but settled in the fertile Trinity, Colorado and Brazos river valleys.  Additionally, the settlement was not controlled.  In a matter of five years the Tejas Mexican population outnumbered the lower states five to one.  There were many sensitive issues at hand by 1824.  The anglos had taken over two previously Latin territories, Florida and Louisiana.  Would they stop at the Louisiana border?  The U.S. Congress authorized a commission to lay out a trail from St. Louis to Mexican Santa Fe in 1825.  Many of the “Texians” had slaves.  Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829 and could not enforce the law in the north. The settlers were mostly Protestants and were reluctant to adopt the Catholic religion, Mexican language, customs and laws. Background Part II         1830 - During a period of political unrest in the Capitol, Mexico closed its borders to foreign immigration. (April 6, 1830) It also combined the state of Tejas with Coahuila. The Texas territory capital was moved from San Antonio to Saltillo, six hundred miles south of Tejas.   Although Itůrbide was ambitious, he was no match for another officer with higher political goals. Within a few years, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna Perez de Lebron had overthrown Itůrbide.  He officially became president in 1833.  He declared himself dictator and claimed that Mexico was not ready for a democratic government.  He abolished the Constitution of 1824.  The immigrants were governed by the laws of the Constitution of 1824.  They had taken the oath of citizenship under the laws of that Constitution, and the rules had changed.  Under the new centralized control, there were no more sovereign states and the Texians were committing acts of treason.  The new dictator created chaos in Tejas, Saltillo and the entire country.  As many of the garrisons were called back to Mexico, the Texians took over a Mexican fort at Galveston.  On October 2, 1835, a garrison from San Antonio went to Gonzales to take a small cannon from the settlers.  The canon was given to the citizens of Gonzales to defend against Indians.  Having no ammunition for the gun, the blacksmith cut chain and any metal scraps small enough to be rammed into the cannon.  Under the command of Colonels John H. Moore and J. W. E. Wallace, the cannon was fired at the force of 100 soldiers.  The Mexicans retreated after a short fight.  One Mexican was killed and the Texians lost none.  This was the first shot fired to begin the Texas revolution. Background Part III          November 3, 1835 -- The Texian delegates of the Consultation Convention drafted the “declaration of causes” at San Felipe de Austin, to explain their reasons for taking up arms against Mexico. THE DECLARATION OF CAUSES "Whereas, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and other military chieftains, have, by force of arms overthrown the federal institutions of Mexico, and dissolved the social compact which existed between Texas and the other members of the Mexican confederacy; now the good people of Texas, availing themselves of their natural rights, Solemnly Declare:” "That they have taken up arms in defense of their rights and liberties, which were threatened by the encroachments of military despots, and in defense of the republican principles of the federal constitution of Mexico, 1824.” "That Texas is no longer morally or civilly bound by the compact of union; yet, stimulated by the generosity and sympathy common to free people, they offer their support and assistance to such members of the Mexican confederacy as will take up arms against military despotism.” "That they hold it to be their right during the disorganization of the federal system, and the reign of despotism, to withdraw from the union, and to establish an independent government." This document was created in justification of the Texan actions which were to follow. The Declaration of Causes was to convince the Federalists that the Texans only desired to preserve the Mexican Constitution of 1824 and to justify the Texan actions to the rest of the world.

Dr. J. H. Barnard's Journal

With Santa Anna in Texas