Chapter 8 Highlights Growing Tensions Growing Tensions
Jan 04, 2016
Chapter 8 Highlights
Growing Growing TensionsTensions
Section 8-1
Five things Texans were able to do while the Federalists were in
power:
•Receive land titles•Establish newspapers•Bring in slaves•Clear their fields•Build homes
The Centralists came to power in Mexico in 1829.
•Issued regulations to bring states and provinces more under the authority of the Mexican government
•Anglo American colonists in Texas considered these regulations to be unnecessary and unfair.
Slavery• In 1829 the Mexican President issued
a decree abolishing slavery.• Texas tried to get Mexican officials to
exempt (excuse) Texas from the decree.
• Texans felt they needed slaves to make a profit.
• The decree was never enforced in Texas, but many Texans feared that it was just a matter of time.
Haden Edwards•Was permitted to settle 800
families in the Nacogdoches area.•Demanded that all previous
settlers show him their land title, buy a land title from him, or MOVE!
Haden Edwards
Fredonian Revolt - Causes• The Mexican Political Chief
told Edwards he could not charge the original settlers for land title.
Fredonian Rebellion•Benjamin
Edwards believed the only way to solve the problem was to declare the colony independent from Mexico.
•Dec. 16, 1826 Edwards led a group of armed settlers to capture the
Old Stone Fort in Nacogdoches.
The Old Stone Fort
Nacogdoches, Texas
•Raised a red and white flag bearing the words “Independence, Liberty, and Justice.”
Flag of the Fredonian Rebellion
Republic of Fredonia – “Country”
established in the Fredonian Rebellion
Help!• Haden and Benjamin Edwards asked
for help from the U.S. and Austin’s colony, but they were ignored.
No Help!
• The U.S. and Austin refused to help.
• Austin offered to help the Mexican government put down the rebellion.
• When Mexican troops from San Antonio arrived in January of 1827 the revolt collapsed.
Mexican Reaction
Thought the Fredonian Rebellion was a plot by the
U.S. to take Texas.
U.S. Proposed that Mexico Sell Texas to the U.S.
•Bad timing right after Fredonian Rebellion
•Reinforced Mexican suspicions that the U.S. wanted Texas.
Mier y Terán Investigation •Observed strong Anglo American
influence in Texas.•Americans outnumbered
Mexicans in Texas 5 to 1.•Settlers were speaking
English and following American customs.
•Texas looked more like the U.S. than it did Mexico.
Gen. Mier y Terán
Prediction
•If the Mexican government did not take action, Texas would be lost forever.
Law of April 6, 1830• Stopped all immigration from the
U.S.• Suspended empresario
contracts that were unfinished.
• Encouraged immigration from Mexico and Europe
• Set up forts to prevent smuggling.• Placed customs duties (taxes) on
products made in foreign countries.
Reaction in Texas•Thought the law was unfair•Felt it limited their right
to make money•Texans had friends &
relatives in the U.S. waiting to come to Texas
Turning point in relations between
Texas and Mexico.
•Each side began to distrust the other even more.
Section 8-2
Protest at Anahuac•Site of a Mexican garrison to
control commerce into Mexico.•The commander, John Bradburn,
tried to collect customs duties on goods imported into Mexico from the U.S.
•This made merchants in Texas travel long distances to process the paperwork.
• Bradburn arrested 2 lawyers, William B. Travis and Patrick C. Jack, for interfering in his efforts to enforce the law.
• 160 settlers marched to Anahuac demanding their release.
• 2 skirmishes broke out.• Colonists sent John Austin to
bring back a cannon from Brazoria.
Trouble at Anahuac
William B. Travis
Turtle Bayou Resolutions: June 13, 1832
• Colonists declared loyalty to Mexico• Denied rebelling against
Mexico• Declared support for
Antonio López de Santa Anna who had promised to defend the Constitution of 1824.
Battle of Velasco• John Austin’s group had picked up a
cannon at Velasco and was returning by ship to Anahuac.
• They were stopped at Velasco by Colonel Ugartechea.
• Fighting broke out, and Ugartechea surrendered.
• Austin’s group continued to Anahuac only to discover that Travis and Jack had been freed.
Power Changes Hands in Mexico
• The Centralist President (Bustamente) of Mexico resigned and Santa Anna became President of Mexico.
• Texans were pleased with this because Santa Anna claimed to be a Federalist.
• They thought he would support Texas.
Convention of 1832• 58 delegates met at San Felipe on
Oct. 1, 1832 to discuss changes needed in Texas.
• Stephen F. Austin was president of the convention.
• Resolved that Texas be made a separate Mexican state.
• Wanted to allow immigration from the U.S.
• Asked for an exemption from certain import taxes, improved schools, better protection from Native Americans, and land titles for settlers in East Texas.
Convention of 1833• April 1, 1833• Sam Houston attended
representing Nacogdoches• Prepared a constitution for
the proposed Mexican state of Texas
• Sent Stephen F. Austin to Mexico City to present the resolutions to the Mexican government.
Sam Houston
Section 8-3
Austin Goes to Mexico • When he arrived, Santa Anna was out of
town because of a cholera epidemic.• Santa Anna’s government was
not yet well organized and had not made plans for dealing with Texas.
• After waiting 4 months, Austin became impatient.
• He wrote a letter to authorities in San Antonio describing the
difficulties he faced and urging Texans to form their own [state] government.
Austin Meets With Santa Anna* Santa Anna did not
grant separate statehood for Texas.
* He did agree to:–Repeal the law restricting immigration from the U.S.
– Improve the court and postal systems
Stephen F. Austin Imprisoned• On his way back to Texas, Austin was
arrested in Saltillo because of the letter he had written urging Texas to form its own government.
• Mexican officials thought he wanted Texas to declare independence from Mexico.
• He was taken back to Mexico City and kept in prison for 1 year!
More Trouble at Anahuac• Local merchants claimed that customs
duties were only being collected in Anahuac but not in other Texas ports.
• They refused to pay the import taxes until the law was enforced equally.
• Their leader was arrested by the Mexican Captain in charge of the garrison.
• Texans led by William B. Travis went to Anahuac and forced the commander to go back to Mexico.
Not Everyone Agrees• Some Texans did not approve of the
actions taken by Travis.• Several towns adopted
resolutions assuring the Mexican government of their loyalty.
• Local leaders at San Felipe wrote a letter of apology to General Martín Perfecto de Cós, Santa Anna’s brother-in-law & commander of Mexican forces in Coahuila.
We’re sorry!
General Cós Rejects the Apology• He demanded that Texas
officials arrest those involved in the disturbances, especially Travis.
• He also ordered the arrest of Mexican political leader Lorenzo de Zavala because he had criticized Santa Anna.
Zavala
Cós
Consultation at Washington-on-the-Brazos
•Peace Party feared the Consultation might cause more trouble.
•War Party favored the Consultation
•Travis and others supported an immediate declaration of independence from Mexico, even if it meant war.
What did What did Stephen F. Austin Stephen F. Austin
think? think?
•Austin was concerned that Santa Anna was becoming a dictator.
•He was worried about the large number of troops headed for Texas.
•He was also angry because of his unfair imprisonment for a year.
Austin believed the time had come for Texans to unite against the
actions of Santa Anna:
“War is our only recourse. There is no other remedy. We must defend our rights, ourselves, and our country by force of
arms.”