Lone Star: The Story of Texas

Chapter 6 Steps Toward Revolution: 1827 - 1836 Lone Star: The Story of Texas

Lone Star: The Story of Texas Chapter 6: Steps Toward Revolution: 1827 - 1836 Section 1: Cultural Differences in Colonial Texas Section 2: Mexico Imposes its Authority Section 3: The Texas Settlers Resist Section 4: Texans Fights for Reform Section 5: From Reform to Independence

Cultural Differences in Colonial Texas • What was the relationship between Mexico and the United States in the 1820s? • What ideas about government did settlers from the United States bring to Texas? • Did settlers in Texas think of themselves as part of Mexico?

Distrust Between Mexico and the United States Mexican Fears • The population of the United States was growing fast. • The United States was a rising power. • Mexico feared that the United States wanted to control Texas. United States Actions • In 1819, the United States dropped its claims to Texas. • Then, in 1825 the U.S. minister to Texas negotiated to buy Texas from Mexico. Minister - a person sent to another country to represent his or her government

Different Views The American View • Civilians, not military leaders, should rule. • People should be free to choose their own religion. • Government should not favor any religion. • Self-government - people should take an active role in making laws and decisions. • Slavery should be allowed. The Mexican View • The military should run the country. • The Catholic Church should take a strong role in Mexico’s government and society. • Slavery should not be allowed. Civilians - people who are not in the armed forces

Settlers Practice Independence • Settlers in Texas had to become Mexican citizens and convert to Catholicism. Many settlers made the required oaths, but few actually followed up on their meanings. • Settlers had little contact with the Mexican government or Mexican leaders. They did not think of themselves as Mexicans because they brought their American culture and practices with them. Life in Texas was very similar to life in the United States in many ways.

Cultural Differences in Colonial Texas - Assessment American settlers believed that ______should rule the country. (A) military leaders (B) civilians (C) Catholics (D) rebels Why were Mexicans insulted when the United States wanted to settle Texas? (A) They thought the United States was an inferior country. (B) They thought the United States would try to take over Mexico. (C) They were insulted that Americans thought they could succeed where Mexico had failed. (D) They were not insulted at all.

Mexico Imposes Its Authority • How did Mexico react to the events of the Fredonian rebellion? • How did Mexico address its concerns about Texas? • What events affected the relationship between Texas and Mexico?

Mexico’s Reaction Leaders in Mexico viewed the Fredonian rebellion as part of a plot to take over Texas. They sent a patriot, General Don Manuel de Mier y Terán, to report on the situation in Texas. Mier y Terán reported that “foreign” settlers were arriving daily. He warned that Texas’s lack of regard for the Mexican government “could throw the whole nation into revolution.” Mier y Terán’s Recommendations • Send more Mexican troops to Texas. • Send more Mexican and European settlers to Texas. • Increase Mexico’s trade with Texas. Patriot - a person who holds a deep love for his country

Mexico’s Efforts to Keep Control Over Texas Increase Trade with Texas Send Mexican and European settlers to Texas Stop immigration Collect taxes End Slavery Pass anti-immigration laws Mexico Works to Maintain Control Over Texas

Mexico Imposes Its Authority - Assessment What is a garrison? (A) A warehouse (B) A prison (C) A supply post (D) A military post Why did Mexico ban slavery in Texas? (A) To keep Mexican slaves from moving there (B) To preserve the rights of African Americans (C) To discourage Americans from moving to Texas (D) To make Texas fair for all its citizens

The Texas Settlers Resist • Why were settlers unhappy with the Mexican government? • What did Texans do about their disagreements with Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn? • Where did Texas settlers win their first battle against the Mexicans?

Unrest Among the Texas Settlers • Texas settlers wanted Mexico to follow its own constitution. The settlers refused to follow Mexico’s rules until Mexican leaders did the same. • To protest the Law of April 6, 1830, the governor of Coahuila y Tejas, the Mexican state that Texas was part of, offered new land grants to American settlers. The new settlement formed from the land grants was named Liberty. • The Mexican government declared the land grants illegal. It ordered Captain Juan Davis Bradburn to arrest the officials who offered the land grants and abolish Liberty. Constitution- a plan of government that describes the different parts of the government and their duties and powers.

Trouble at Anahuac • Prior to his appearance at Liberty, Bradburn had forced settlers at Anahuac to give him supplies and slaves for his fort. Although his actions were legal under Mexican law, the settlers opposed his abuse of power. • A group of settlers banded together to attack Bradburn’s garrison. While preparing for battle, they wrote the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. These resolutions became the first organized protest against Mexico. • Colonel José de las Piedras was the leader of the Nacogdoches garrison. He negotiated with the settlers to avoid battle. Bradburn was replaced, and a fight was avoided. Resolution - a formal act or decision agreed to by a group of people

The Mexican fort at Velasco ordered the Texans to stop. They refused, and fired on the fort instead. Another group attacked the fort from the ground. The Mexicans ran out of ammunition and surrendered. Texas settlers won their first battle in what would become the Texas Revolution. Bloodshed at Velasco John Austin prepared to ship cannons down the Brazos River to be used in an attack on Anahuac.

The Texas Settlers Resist - Assessment Who arrested the land officials at Liberty and abolished the town? (A) General Mier y Terán (B) Juan Davis Bradburn (C) John Austin (D) Colonel José de las Piedras The Turtle Bay Resolutions were__________ (A) a list of land grants given out by the governor of Coahuila. (B) part of the Mexican constitution. (C) part of the United States Constitution. (D) the first organized protest against Mexico.

Texans Fight for Reform • What two major parties battled for power in Mexico in the late 1820s and early 1830s? • Who led the Convention of 1832? • What did Texans ask for at the Convention of 1833?

Political Fighting in Mexico Federalists Most liberals in Mexico favored a federal system of government. Under the federal system, individual states form a national government. The individual states hold most of the power. Most Texans sided with the Federalists. Centralists Centralists favored a strong central government that would hold most of the power. Under a central government, individual states have little power. The Centralists passed the Law of April 6, 1830, which placed power in the hands of a few leaders.

The Convention of 1832 • Texas settlers pledged their loyalty to Santa Anna, the leader of the Federalists. They hoped he would win the civil war in Mexico. • In 1832, Texas delegates met at San Felipe de Austin. They wanted Texas to become a separate Mexican state. They also wanted immigration from the United States to resume. • Under Mexican law, the Convention of 1832 was not a legal meeting. The governor of the department of Texas refused to forward the Texas delegates’ requests to the Mexican government. Delegate - a person who is chosen to speak for a group

The Convention of 1833 Santa Anna’s victory in Mexico’s civil war prompted Texas delegates to hold another convention. Delegates requested: • better mail service • improved defense against Native American raids • reform of the courts • the right to use English in business and law • an end to the immigration ban • more money for schools • that Texas become a separate Mexican state A committee headed by Sam Houston drafted a state constitution for Stephen F. Austin to deliver to Mexican officials.

Texans Fight for Reform - Assessment Under a federal government system, who holds most of the power? (A) The national government (B) Individual states (C) Religious leaders (D) Military leaders Under a central government system, who holds most of the power? (A) The national government (B) Individual states (C) Religious leaders (D) Military leaders

From Reform to Independence • What did Stephen F. Austin do in Mexico City in 1833? • Why was Austin imprisoned? • How did people in Texas react to Santa Anna’s changes? • What caused relations with Mexico to worsen in 1835?

Austin in Mexico City Austin and Farías Austin presented the requests of the Convention of 1833 to Valentín Gómez Farías. Austin warned Farías that Mexico’s failure to act on the requests could lead Texans to take action. Austin then sent a letter to the ayuntamiento, asking them to set up a state government for Texas. Austin and Santa Anna Next, Austin met with Santa Anna, who welcomed most of the delegates’ suggestions. Santa Anna agreed to end the ban on immigration to Texas, but refused to support separate statehood for Texas. Ayuntamiento - local city government

Austin Imprisoned • Mexican officials thought Austin was threatening them. They arrested and imprisoned him. Texas settlers remained calm, fearing that any trouble might endanger Austin’s safety. • Mexican leaders ended the ban on immigration from the United States and increased the number of local courts. These federalist acts gave settlers more self-government. • The Catholic Church and the military opposed the new Federalist government. Santa Anna now changed sides. He reversed the federalist policies, and dissolved each Mexican state legislature. He placed the states under military rule and created a Centralist Mexico. Legislature - the government body that makes law

Reaction in Texas Anahuac Again • Settlers had a minor dispute with the Anahuac garrison over taxes. • In response, General Cós moved to bring in more Mexican troops. • His actions angered a group of settlers, led by William Travis, who then attacked and captured the fort. • Many Texans felt Travis had acted rashly, and promised to remain loyal. Cós was unconvinced. He arrested many leading Texans. The Move Toward War • Many Texans opposed the arrests. They stated that people had a right to a trial by a jury of their peers, not by the military. Cós prepared to send troops into Texas. He believed that war was on the way.

As tensions between Texas settlers and Mexican leaders increased, settlers created local groups to keep people informed. These committees addressed issues of safety and correspondence. Representatives from Texas towns met on November 3, 1835, at a meeting to discuss their next move. This meeting was called the Consultation. Relations With Mexico Worsen At the Consultation, Austin made it clear: Texas had no choice but to go to war.

From Reform to Independence - Assessment How did Texans respond to Travis’s takeover of Anahuac? (A) Many settlers applauded his work and offered their support. (B) Many Texans joined the Mexican army in response. (C) Texas leaders asked Mexican officials to arrest him. (D) Many settlers felt that Travis had acted recklessly. What was the purpose of the committees of safety and correspondence? (A) To oversee communication between the Texas and Mexican leaders (B) To keep Texans informed on the situation between Texas and Mexico (C) To ensure that frontier settlers were safe from attack (D) To negotiate treaties between settlers and Native Americans

Lone Star: The Story of Texas