Road To Revolution
PoliticAL unrest IN TEXAS Haden Edwards received his Empresario contract from the Mexican Government in 1825. This contract allowed him to settle 800 families near Nacogdoches. Upon arrival, Edwards found that there had been families living there already. These Old Settlers were made up of Mexicans, Anglos, and Cherokees. Edwards s contract required him to respect the property rights of the old settlers but he thought some of those titles were fake and demanded that people pay him additional fees for land they had already purchased.
Fredonian Rebellion After Edward s son-in-law was elected alcalde of the settlement, old settlers suspected fraud. Enraged, the old settlers got the Mexican Government to overturn the election and ultimately cancel Edwards s contract on October 1826. Benjamin Edwards along with other supporters took action and declared themselves free from Mexican rule.
Fredonian Rebellion (cont.) The Fredonian Decleration of Independance was issued on December 21, 1826 On January 1827, the Mexican government puts down the Fredonian Rebellion, collapsing the republic of Fredonia.
MIer y Teran Report At this point, Mexican officials fear they are losing control of Texas. General Manuel de Mier y Teran was sent to examine the resources and indians of Texas & to help determine the formal boundary with Louisiana. Most importantly to determine how many americans lived in Texas and what their attitudes toward Mexico were. Mier y Teran came up with recommendations to weaken TX ties with the U.S. so Mexico can keep TX based on his report.
His Report: His Recommendations: Mexican influence decreased as one moved northward & eastward. Around Nacogdoches, settlers from U.S. outnumbered Tejanos, 10:1 American influence in East TX was growing stronger everyday. To increase trade between TX & Mexico instead with the U.S. More Mexican soldiers in TX to keep order & increase control over region. Encourage more Europeans and Mexicans to settle in TX.
Law of April 6, 1830 Banned immigration from the U.S. Made it illegal for settlers to bring more slaves. Suspended unfilled Empresario contracts Only a few American Empresarios, like Stephen F Austin & Dewitt, kept their contracts. Military bases & Government offices were put along borders Began to issue Customs Duties/Taxes Raise money for Government Encourage internal trade within Mexico
Tension at Anahuac Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn & troops built a fort in the Fall of 1830 at the mouth of the Trinity River on Galveston Bay, known as Anahuac, where they could enforce new trade and immigration laws.
Tension at Anahuac (cont.) Bradburn clashed with a fellow Mexican official, Francisco Madero who was a general land commissioner but Bradburn believed he was violating national government's authority over land grants and arrested him. Tensions increased with that arrest, also when George Fisher(new customs official) demanded for ships landing in TX to pay their customs in Anahuac
Turtle Bayou Resolutions Tension between Mexican officials & Texan settlers peaked in Spring 1832 when Williams B Travis & Patrick Jack (2 newly arrived settlers) were arrested by Bradburn. William rallied people to show support for his brother Patrick and demand the prisoner s release, some even marched against the fort at Anahuac and exchanged gunfire as well as capture soldiers.
Turtle Bayou Resolutions (cont.) Bradburn agreed to release the prisoners if the Texans released the captured soldiers but ended up not doing so. The Turtle Bayou Resolution stated that the events at Anahuac were not a rebellion against Mexico, but a defense for their rights and the constitution.
Battle of Velasco Colonel Jose De Las Piedras arrived from Nacogdoches & blamed Bradburn for the conflict with the U.S. settlers. Bradburn resigned & the prisoners were released. Peace was restored. John Austin s group headed to Anahuac, unaware the conflict had been resolved, and were stopped by Mexican troops. On June 26, 1832 the Battle of Velasco broke out and three days later, Mexican soldiers surrendered to the colonists. (First time shots were fired between Mexico & TX)
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna In 1833 Santa Anna was elected President of Mexico, after overthrowing Anastacio Bustamante. Texans hoped that a new government in Mexico would lead to favorable changes in Texas Since the law of April 6, Texans had been unhappy with the central government. They called a convention in San Felipe de Austin to discuss possible reforms...
Conventions of 1832 & 1833 Convention of 1832: allow U.S. immigration make TX a separate state instead of being joined with Coahuila exempt TX from customs duties for 3 years provide land for public schools. Stephen F Austin realized that in order for reform to take place, Texans had to work together. Something the Convention of 1832 lacked. Convention of 1833: Similar to 1832 They wrote a constitution for the proposed state (TX)
Austin s Arrest Stephen F Austin is chosen to travel on April 1833 to Mexico to meet with Santa Anna & present their requests. Upon arrival, 3 months later, Santa Anna isn t in town so Austin meets with the V.P., but since Mexico is facing bigger problems, he has to wait for congress to discuss the proposals. Austin is growing impatient and writes a letter in October to TX leadership to start setting up a separate state government. The following month, Santa Anna returns & agrees to allow immigration and lower custom duties but then declines after intercepting Austin s letter. He is then arrested at the capital, Saltillo.
MOve toward war... Santa Anna began to strengthen the central government's power. By doing this, he violated the pledge that gained him his popularity of restoring the federal constitution of 1824. Santa Anna did legalize immigration from U.S., & removed some custom duties for a while but then sent Captain Tenorio to collect taxes in Texas. William Travis among other supporters, demanded Tenorio s surrender. This made Texans fearful that the conflict would cause problems with the Mexican Government. Surely enough, General Martin Perfecto de Cos ordered the arrest of Travis and other rebels & had more troops move in the region to have better control.
War or Peace Texans began debating how to respond to growing problems with Mexican government. One group wanted to keep peaceful relations with government, another wanted to go to war, and a smaller fraction wanted to declare independence from Mexico. When Stephen F Austin returned from prison, his outlook changed. Rather than to cooperate with the Mexican government, he now believed they must go to war to defend their rights.