SECTION

2 The Texas
TEKS 1A, 6E, 10A, 10B, 10C, 11A,
11B, 12D, 23D
Revolution
What You Will Learn… If YOU were there...
Main Ideas You are the father of a large farm family in Missouri. There is not
1. Many American settlers moved enough land for everyone, so you’re looking for another opportu-
to Texas after Mexico achieved
independence from Spain. nity. One day, a Mexican government official comes to town. He is
2. Texans revolted against looking for people to settle in Texas. The Mexican government is
Mexican rule and established
an independent nation. offering generous tracts of land to colonists. However, you have to
become a citizen of Mexico and follow Mexican laws.
The Big Idea Would you decide to move your family
In 1836, Texas gained its to Texas? Why?
independence from Mexico.

Key Terms and People

Father Miguel Hidalgo y
  Costilla, p. 350 Building Background What do you already know about
empresarios, p. 350 the history of Texas? Many towns in Texas have streets or neighbor-
Stephen F. Austin, p. 351 hoods named after early settlers and heros of the Texas Revolution.
Antonio López de Santa Anna, p. 351 Travis, Austin, Bowie, and Houston are all early Texas heros. Use the
Alamo, p. 352
knowledge you already have about Texas and Texas history to help you
Battle of San Jacinto, p. 352
understand this section.

Use the annotation tools in your

American Settlers Move to Texas
eBook to take notes on the events Mexico had a long, unprotected border that stretched from Texas
that led to the independence of to California. Mexico’s Spanish rulers worried constantly about
Texas. attacks from neighbors. They also were concerned about threats
from within Mexico.
Their fears were justified. Mexicans moved to overthrow Span-
ish rule in the early 1800s. In September 1810 Father Miguel
Hidalgo y Costilla, a Mexican priest, led a rebellion of about 80,000
poor Indians and mestizos, or people of Indian and Spanish ances-
try. They hoped that if Mexico became independent from the Span-
ish monarchy, their lives would improve.
Hidalgo’s revolt failed, but the rebellion he started grew. In
1821 Mexico became independent. In 1824 it adopted a republican
constitution that declared rights for all Mexicans. The new Mexi-
can government contracted with empresarios, or agents, to bring
settlers to Texas. They paid the agents in land.

350 Chapter 11
 Settling Texas
Stephen F. Austin (standing, in black coat)
and other settlers were empresarios—they
received land from the Mexican govern-
ment for the purpose of bringing settlers to
Texas. Their holdings were guaranteed with
a contract like the one below.
Why do you think the Mexican
government wanted to attract
settlers to Texas?

In 1821 one young agent, Stephen F.

Austin, started a Texas colony on the lower
Colorado River. The first 300 families became
known as the Old Three Hundred. Austin’s
successful colony attracted other agents, and
American settlers flocked to the region. The
Anglo-American settlers became known as
Texians and were often Protestant. The Mexi- Texans Revolt against Mexico
can residents were called Tejanos, and were In October 1835 the Mexican army tried to
usually Catholic. The two groups lived in remove a cannon from the town of Gonza-
separate communities, but eventually Texas les, Texas. Rebels stood next to the cannon.
developed a culture that was distinct from the Their flag read, “Come and take it.” In the
rest of ­Mexico as well as the United States. following battle, the rebels won. The Texas
In exchange for free land, settlers had to Revolution, also known as the Texas War for
obey Mexican laws. But some settlers often Independence, had begun. A cademic
explicitly ignored these laws. For example, V ocabulary
despite the ban on slavery, many brought explicit fully
slaves. Concerned that it was losing control Texas Independence revealed without
On March 2, 1836, Texans declared their vagueness
of the growing American population, Mexico
responded. In 1830, it banned further settle- independence from Mexico and adopted a
ment by Americans. Angry about the new constitution. The new Republic of Texas was
law, many Texans began to think of gaining born. Both the declaration and the constitu-
independence from Mexico. tion were modeled after the U.S. documents.
Meanwhile, Mexico had come under The Texas constitution, however, made slav-
the rule of General Antonio López de Santa ery legal.
Anna. He soon suspended Mexico’s republi- Delegates to the new Texas government
can constitution and turned his attention to chose politician David Burnet as president and
the growing unrest in Texas. Lorenzo de Zavala as vice president. Another
revolutionary, Sam Houston, was named
R eading C heck Finding Main Ideas Why did to head the Texas army. Austin went to the
settlers move to Texas? United States to seek money and troops.

expanding west 351

 Battle at the Alamo Before dawn on March 6, the Mexican
The Texans’ actions angered the Mexican army attacked. Despite heavy losses, the
government. Santa Anna began assembling a army overcame the Texans. All the defend-
force of thousands to stop the rebellion. The ers of the Alamo were killed, though some
force included both Texians and Tejanos. civilians survived. Following a later battle, at
A hastily created army of Texas volun- Goliad, Santa Anna ordered the execution of
teers had been clashing with Mexican troops 350 prisoners who had surrendered. Texans
for months. Under Edward Burleson, a Texian were enraged by the killings.
force took the town of San Antonio. It then
occupied the Alamo, a former mission near
Battle of San Jacinto
San Antonio that became an important bat- Santa Anna now chased the untrained forces
tle site in the Texas Revolution. Texas settler of Sam Houston. Outnumbered, the Texans
Jim Bowie and volunteers from the United fled east. Finally, they reorganized at the San
States, including frontiersman Davy Crock- Jacinto River, near Galveston Bay. There, the
ett joined the Alamo’s defense. Texans took a stand.
The rebels, numbering about 200, hoped Santa Anna was confident of victory, but
for reinforcements from the army that Sam he was careless in choosing the site for his
Houston was assembling. For almost two camp. On the afternoon of April 21, 1836,
weeks, from February 23 to March 6, 1836, while Mexican troops were resting, Hous-
the Texans held out against the large Mexican ton’s forces swarmed the camp, shouting,
force. Colonel William Travis managed to get a “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”
message to other Texans through enemy lines: The fighting ended swiftly. Santa Anna’s
VIDEO army was destroyed. In the Battle of San
Independence
for Texas
“I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patrio- Jacinto, the Texans captured Santa Anna and
tism, and everything dear to the American forced him to sign a treaty giving Texas its
character, to come to our aid with all dispatch
independence.
[speed] . . . VICTORY OR DEATH. ”
—William Travis, from a letter written at the Alamo, 1836

The Texas Revolution

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and Mexico
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MEXICO

352 Chapter 11
An Independent Nation republic organized the Texas Rangers to guard
Sam Houston was the hero of the new its long frontier from Mexican and Native
independent nation of Texas. The republic American attacks. Finally, in 1844 Texas and
created a new town named Houston and Mexico signed an armistice. Mexico never
made it the capital. Voters elected Sam Hous- recognized Texas’ independence, however.
ton as president. Stephen F. Austin became
Reading Check Finding Main Ideas What
secretary of state.
issues did the new nation of Texas face?
To increase the population, Texas offered
land grants. American settlers came from
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW American set-
nearby southern states, often bringing slaves
tlers in Texas challenged the Mexican gov-
with them to help grow and harvest cotton.
ernment and won their independence. In
Most Texans hoped that the United
the next section you will learn about the
States would annex, or take control of, Texas,
war between Mexico and the United States.
making it a state. Some in Congress wanted
to annex Texas, but President Andrew Jack-
son did not pursue the issue. Although he Section 2 Assessment ONLINE QUIZ
wanted to annex the area, he was concerned
that admitting Texas as a slave state would Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
upset the fragile balance of free and slave 1. a. Identify What role did Stephen F. Austin play in the
states. The president also did not want to settlement of Texas?
have a war with Mexico over Texas. b. Make Inferences Why did Mexican officials want to bring
Finally, Jackson did recognize Texas as an more settlers to Texas?
c. Evaluate Do you think Mexico’s requirements for foreign
independent nation. France did so in 1839.
immigrants were reasonable or unreasonable? Explain.
Britain, which wanted to halt U.S. expan-
2. a. Describe What were the important battles in the War for
sion, recognized Texas in 1840. Texas Independence? Why was each important?
The Mexican government, however, did b. Make Inferences Why did Texas offer land grants to settlers?
not recognize Santa Anna’s forced hand­ - c. Predict What problems might the Republic of Texas face?
over of Texas. For this reason, in 1837 the
Critical Thinking
3. Sequencing Review your notes on American settlement in
Texas. Then copy the graphic organizer below and use it to
show the significant events in the history of the Republic
of Texas.
Significant Events
1. Houston is founded and made the capital.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

On March 6, 1836, Texans fought and lost

Focus on Writing
the Battle of the Alamo. A rallying cry for 4. Explaining the Texas Revolution Make a list of the most
the Texans at the Battle of San Jacinto was
“Remember the Alamo!” The single star of
important players and events in the story of how Texas gained
the flag represents the Republic of Texas, independence from Mexico. Consider also how you will
also called the Lone Star Republic. ­present information about these people and events to your
Why do you think “Remember the Alamo!” was a
film’s audience. What words, images, and sounds will make the
rallying cry for Texas troops at San Jacinto? story of the revolution come alive for the audience?

expanding west 353