Texas ' Battle For Independence And Juan Seguin Essay

The events that began on February 23, 1836 have roots that span as far back as 1808. This exploration into the events and carnage that took place before, during and after the Alamo will only go back to the events immediately leading up to the Alamo. Mainly the frame of mind the Mexican government had regarding the Texas settlers and the reasons leading to the confrontation at the Alamo.

Santa Anna gave Texas the spark they needed for a revolution. He repealed the Mexican Constitution of 1824, in which American settlers were exempt from any taxes, tariffs, and any government services (www.andrews.edu). Under this constitution, Texas basically governed themselves. They thought that this constitution

In 1836 a war broke out between Texas and Mexico. Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna started the Alamo. He became president in 1833. The war lasted 13 days. Soon the Texans would be free.

It was a very important for both nations, transforming a continent and forging a new identity for its peoples. After the war has ended, Mexico lost nearly half of its territory, and the present American Southwest from Texas to California and the United States became a continental power. Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836. Initially, the United States declined to unite it into the union, because northern political interests were against the addition of a new slave state. Lastly, the Mexican government was warning any attempt at annexation would lead to

After a few years of the battle of the Alamo had occurred, Seguin was elected to the Texas senate in 1837, but much indifference came to him from the Tejanos and received hostility from Anglo land speculators, who did not want to take orders from him. Seguin began to see unjust not only in social treatments from the Anglos to Tejanos but Seguin began to notice that the Tejanos we’re being shut out of participation in, or even understanding of, the new government. Many Anglos began to resent Seguin and began to make riots towards him or his family, his family and himself were being looked upon as traitors. One reason why Anglos looked at Seguin as a traitor was what had happened in the year 1840. In 1840 Seguin had a meeting with a military superior named Mariano Arista, in that meeting Arista had try to convice Seguin to fight with the Mexicans to retake Texas. Seguin refused and returened to San Antonio in the wake of the Santa Fe expedition, in which a large number of Texans were captured and taken to Mexico City, this was a conspiracy on part of the Anglos that Seguin led these captures to happen. This was just the beginning to the end for Seguin. Seguin had notified President Houston of his suspicious that the Mexicans were planning a raid into the city. The Texan government refused to send any aid to the city, and Segun and most of the Tejano inhabitants evacuated the city during the Mexican

In 1821, when Mexico gained their freedom from Spain, they invited American settlers to move to the province of Texas, but there were many conflicts over laws. Texas decided to rebel from Mexico by fighting for their independence, and in 1836 when the Texans won, they applied for annexation to the United States. Out of respect for Mexico, the United States said no at first. Nine years later, in 1845 the United States congress voted to let Texas join the the United States, but Mexico was not happy about this as they believed that there were different borders, and that they still owned part of Texas. With a threat of them being attacked, United States troops were sent to protect the real Texas borders from Mexico, but there they were met and attacked by Mexican soldiers.

Santa Anna was a major contributor to the Texas Revolution. He joined the Spanish army then turned his allegiance to the Mexican army when that became the popular thing to do. He fought against Spain to make Mexico a free nation. He was elected President of Mexico in1833, just one year later he turned Mexico into a dictatorship. He wanted power and recognition. He did not seem to want the power for any specific purpose except to say that he had it. Santa Anna had been a general of 2000 men during the battle of the Alamo. He had surprised the soldiers at the Alamo. Santa Anna and his troops won at the Alamo. There had only been about 150 soldiers at the Alamo to defend it. They had sent for help but the help did not arrive in time. Santa Anna

When President of Mexico, Antonio Lopez Santa Anna, abolished the Constitution of 1824 and turned the government towards centralism; Texians and Tejanos rebel to bring back the Constitution of 1824. However, before they can begin their fight to Goliad and San Antonio, the men need a leader; someone with great fame and popularity in Texas. The man they choose is Stephen F. Austin, who has much renown in the region. Austin has an outstanding knowledge in many areas, whom the people of Texas will always follow. They are always willing to listen to his advice on certain situations and topics. Austin’s history is what makes him the great man that people still believe and love. Today, he is seen as the Father of Texas because his work and dedication lead to its future growth.

families that the Spanish government had allowed to settle in Texas. The migration of U.S. citizens to Texas increased over the next decades, sparking a revolutionary movement that would erupt into armed conflict by the mid-1830s.In December 1835, in the early stages of Texas’ war for independence from Mexico, a group of Texan (or Texian) volunteers led by George Collinsworth and Benjamin Milam overwhelmed the Mexican garrison at the Alamo and captured the fort, seizing control of San Antonio. By mid-February 1836, Colonel James Bowie and Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis had taken command of Texan forces in San Antonio. Though Sam Houston, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the Texan forces, argued that San Antonio should be abandoned due to insufficient troop numbers, the Alamo’s defenders–led by Bowie and Travis–dug in nonetheless, prepared to defend the fort to the last. These defenders, who despite later reinforcements never numbered more than 200, included Davy Crockett, the famous frontiersman and former congressman from Tennessee, who had arrived in early February.On February 23, a Mexican force comprising somewhere between 1,800 and 6,000 men (according to various estimates) and commanded by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna began a siege of the

On February 15 and 16, 1836, General Santa Anna and his men crossed the Rio Grande to put down the uprising and prevent Texas from becoming its own state. The Mexican Army successfully won multiple skirmishes and battles, to include the Alamo and Goliad (Hardin, 2004).

Sam Houston played a monumental role in sparking the Texas revolution. He believed that independence from Mexico was necessary saying that “war inevitable” and “urging volunteers to come to the aid of their Anglo brethren” (p. 60). Also, Houston’s role as commander-in-chief of the army was very important in winning the war for Texas Independence. After the capture of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, many of the soldiers in the Texas Army wanted to execute him on the spot. But because of Sam Houston’s level head, he knew that “his prisoner was the key to removing all Mexicans soldiers from Texas without further bloodshed”, and “Jacinto became his password to Texas heroism forever” (p. 85-87). Furthermore, Houston’s leadership as the president of the Republic of Texas “kept the republic alive until it became a part of his mother country” (p. 198).

Moses Austin would not live to see it come to fruition as he was attacked my highway men and died shortly thereafter. That would fall on his son, Stephen F. Austin, who is often referred to as the “Father of Texas”. Austin and the other settlers were drawn to the territory by grants and deferred taxation provided by the Spanish government; however, in 1821 Mexico declared independence from Spain. Austin was concerned that the new independent Mexican government would not recognize the previous arrangements made with his father. He would have to travel all the way to Mexico City to make his case, and in 1823 the Mexican Congress confirmed Austin’s grant.

Since the United States was founded as an independent nation from Great Britain, its people had confronted many economic, political, and social problems. The United States started to expand its territory in the western part of the country. Some examples are the Louisiana purchase from1803 and the Spanish Florida annexation. One of the most significant and controversial in the antebellum years was the Texas annexation which was a result of the War between Mexico and the war of independence by Texan rebels on the late 1830’s and 1840’s. Therefore, the annexation of the Republic of Texas existed from 1836-1845 produced controversy and consequences on both sides of the border.

So, what was the Texas Revolution? During the reign of Antonio López de Santa Anna, colonists in the Mexican province of Texas rebelled against the increasingly centralized Mexican government. While ulterior motives were unclear, a primary goal among the Tejanos and Anglos in the area was the Independence from the “tyrannical government” of Mexico. This revolution led to the formation of the Republic of Texas. Furthermore, allowing Texas to be annexed into the United States of America at a later date.

The initial effects of the Civil War on Texas were titanic. The most obvious example is the abolition of slavery. During reconstruction the Union army forced Texans to desegregate public places, such as hotels, theatres, and restaurants. They also established a strong government to control the largely hostile state. This changed in 1876, when a new constitution was created.