Chapter 8 “Growing Tensions”

1. Chapter 8“Growing Tensions”

2. Differences Create Tension Differences between Mexicans and Anglo-American Texans in the 1820’s and 1830’s may have led to misunderstanding and conflict. Anger Mistrust

3. Different Languages Hablamos Espanol We speak English

4. Different Religions

5. Disagreements over the issue of slavery

6. Mexicans suspected that Anglos remained loyal to the United States.

7. Anglo-Americans were unfamiliar with Mexican laws.

8. Texans under the Mexican Federalists before 1829 were left alone to do as they pleased. • More and more settlers received land titles, cleared their fields, and built homes. • They established schools and newspapers. • Settlers brought in slaves, which the Mexican government opposed.

9. Texans under the Mexican Centralists after 1829, were under many strict regulations. • It issued regulations to bring the states and provinces of Mexico more under the authority of the national government. • Most Anglo Texans considered these regulations unnecessary and unfair.

10. The Republic of FredoniaThe first clash between colonistsand Mexican authorities. (1829)

11. The state government allowed the empresario Haden Edwards to settle 800 families in the Nacogdoches area.

12. Edwards learned that many settlers were living without legal titles on his land. He was told that he could not charge these settlers for new land titles.

13. Edwards responded by declaring his colony, The Republic of Fredonia, independent from Mexico.

15. Edwards received no support from other Texan colonies or from the United States, and Mexican troops quickly put the revolt down. Thirty or so Fredonians fled to the United States.

16. At approximately the same time, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Anthony Butler, proposed that Mexico sell Texas to the United States. Talk about bad timing!

17. The Mexicans were convinced now that the Fredonian Revolt was part of an American scheme to acquire Texas. Their fears and suspicions grew. The Americans cannot be trusted!

18. #1 NOTES: FREDONIAN REVOLTWhere? NacogdochesWhat happened? Hayden Edwards was angry with squatters & Mexico so he declared his colony free from Mexico.Result? When Mexico attacked, most Fredonians fled to the U.S.

19. Mexico sent an inspection party,led by General Mier y Teran, to investigate.

20. Mier y Teran reported that Anglo-American influence in East Texas was strong, since Anglo settlers outnumbered Mexican settlers five to one.

21. He also noted that slavery was growing in Texas, …

22. …and that American settlers were entering Texas without permissionor contracts. http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~mharrsch/OregonTrail.html

23. Mier y Teran made it clear to the Mexican government that if it did not act at once, Texas would be "Lost Forever"

24. #2 NOTES: Inspection of Mier y Teran Where? East TexasWhat happened?* found Anglos 5 to 1 over Mexicans* influences from U.S. too strongResult? Recommended that Mexico take action against the Anglos

25. Meanwhile, the Anglo Americancolonists were also becoming concerned. Those colonists who held slaves were worried about government efforts to abolish slavery.

26. In 1829 the president of Mexico issued a decree, or order, abolishing slavery. He was persuaded to exempt, or excuse, Texas from the decree, but many of the Anglo American slaveholders believed that it was only a matter of time before the decree would apply to them, too.

27. The Law of April 6, 1830

28. The Law of April 6, 1830 was issued by the newCentralist government, whono longer trusted the Texans. LAW

29. This new law: A. Stopped immigration from the United States. B. Encouraged immigration from Mexico and Europe.

30. Placed customs duties on goods made in foreign countries in order to discourage trade with the United States.

31. Set up new forts in Texas to enforce these customs duties. • http://www.floridafrontiersmen.org/FtGun.jpg

32. One result of the Law of April 6, 1830: Each side began to distrust the other side andskirmishes occurred in different settlements.

33. #3 NOTES: Law of April 6, 1830 Where? For TexasWhat happened?* stopped immigration from U.S.* customs duties on goods from U.S.* new forts to enforce the above taxes Result? Texans were angry. Mexicans did not trust Texans.

34. Physical Conflicts between Texans and Mexicans occurred at the towns of Anahuac and Velasco because of thesecustoms duties.

35. ANAHUACA fight began when merchants protested having to travel long distances to pay taxes on goods coming across the border. When two Texans, William B. Travis and Patrick C. Jack, were arrested, several men went to Brazoria to get a cannon to fight.

36. #4 NOTES: Tax Protests at Anahuac Where? Anahuac, Tx What happened?* Texans protested customs duties (taxes)* Some men were arrested and jailedResult?* Texans angry* Some went to get cannon to release those jailed

37. VELASCOMexican officials would not let the cannon, now loaded on aship, pass Velasco on its way to Anahuac. Both Texans and Mexicans died in the skirmish over the cannon.

38. The Turtle Bayou Resolutions

39. While the colonists in Anahuac waited on the cannon, they issued a series of statements known as the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. They claimed that in fighting, they were not rebelling against Mexican authority…

40. but instead were supporting the Constitution of 1824 and the revolutionist Santa Anna, who was leading a rebellion against the Centralist President Anastasio Bustamonte.

41. Page 1of theTurtleBayouResolutions

42. #5 NOTES: Velasco SkirmishVELASCO:* Skirmish over cannon* Men on both sides killedTURTLE BAYOU:* Some Texans made resolutions pledging loyalty to Mexico, Constitution of 1824, and Santa Anna

43. In 1832, the Centralist President Anastasio Bustamonte, resigned. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna became president.

44. Most Texas colonists were pleased. They thought Santa Anna would support Texas because he was a Federalist.

45. The Convention of 1832 With new optimism, Texans called a convention to discuss changes needed in Texas. 58 delegates assembled in San Felipe on October 1, 1832. Stephen F. Austin was elected president of the convention. The convention made several resolutions to discuss with President Santa Anna:

46. The Convention of 1832 • Texas should be made a separate Mexican state. • Immigration from the United States should be permitted again. • Exemption from certain import taxes • Improved educational facilities • Better protection from Native Americans *** For various reasons, these resolutions were never presented to officials in Mexico.

47. The Convention of 1833 A few months later, a second convention convened at San Felipe. The Convention of 1833 adopted the same resolutions as those adopted in 1832. However, they also prepared a constitution for the proposed Mexican state of Texas. Of the three delegates chosen to carry the resolutions to Mexico City, only Stephen Austin was able to make the trip.

48. #6 NOTES: Conventions at San Felipe Where? San Felipe What happened?* Men voted on improvements wanted for Texas (ex: immigration from U.S. ; less taxes; Texas a separate state) Result?* Stephen Austin was to take the resolutions to Santa Anna in Mexico City

49. In April of 1833, Stephen Austintraveled to Mexico City to discuss the many concerns of Texas withthe new president, Santa Anna. Austin was unable to obtainan audience with Santa Anna for several months. One reason for this delay was a cholera epidemicwhich killed thousands in Mexico.

50. By October, Austin wasbecoming discouraged. He wrote a letter to authorities in San Antonio describing the difficulties he faced. In that letter, Austin encouraged Texans to begin forming theirown state government.