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The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Texas Mexicans) in putting up armed resistance to the centralist government of Mexico. The uprising was part of a larger federalist movement that included other provinces seeking to assert their consent to be governed, as opposed to the regime of President Antonio López de Santa Anna, which was increasingly authoritarian. In the eyes of Texians, Santa Anna had violated the social contract and among other grievances. The Mexican government believed the United States had instigated the Texas insurrection with the goal of annexation, which did eventually happen. Texians viewed Santa Anna's control of the region of Texas as tyranny. Only the province of Texas succeeded in breaking with Mexico, establishing the Republic of Texas, and eventually being annexed by the United States.
North America during the late 18th and early 19th centuries was a hotbed of rebellion, and revolution. Revolutionary, ad-interim, or temporary governments were popping up all over the New World. New principles of government, the right to assemble (convention), due process, consent of the governed and individual rights were becoming more popular, and more common as Enlightenment ideals spread throughout Europe and the World. The United States, Mexico, and several other Latin and South American countries seceded from their colonial mother countries, drafted petitions and resolutions full of grievances, or complaints, to be presented by delegates at conventions, or assemblies. Americans were shedding their political and mercantile ties to Europe by resisting tariffs, massacres (or mass/large killing without due process), and other forms of oppression through independence movements by attempting to compromise with European nations, coming to an agreement and ratifying treaties that recognize sovereignty, but would it be enough? Many independence movements were met with fierce opposition from colonial interests.
The Louisiana Purchase and the Adams-Onis Treaty opened the door westward expansion for Anglo-Americans through filibusters, empresarios, pirates and smugglers political attempts to maintain their "rights" under a federalist system. Under the guise of federalism, Anglo settlers in Texas would fight in order to continue illegal filibusters and conquest of Native American peoples, perpetuate slavery, and establish the foundations for Manifest Destiny.
The idea of an independent Texas had been around since before Mexican Independence from Spain. The Fredonian Rebellion was the first attempt by slave-holding Anglo-Americans to secede from Mexico. Mexico commissioned the Mier y Terán Report, which recommended that strong measures be taken to stop the United States from acquiring Texas, he reported that implementing tariffs would strengthen the bond between Mexico and Tejas. The young United States was interested in Texas and an American diplomat named Joel Roberts Poinsett tried unsuccessfully to negotiate it's purchase from Mexico in 1828. Worried about their territories, Mexico implemented the policies recommended by Mier y Teran in the Law of April 6, 1830, such as limiting immigration from the United States and outlawing slavery. Thus begins the half-century struggle for the borders of Texas.
The trouble started at Anahuac, where Juan Davis Bradburn had established a military and trading outpost. John Bradburn as he was known to Americans, upheld the Mexican law outlawing slavery and withheld land titles from filibusters. Texians were further angered by his attempts to enforce customs laws to limit smuggling. The conflict escalated when Bradburn refused to return runaway slaves to their owners in the United States. William B. Travis, a local lawyer, tried to retrieve the slaves, but was arrested by Bradburn. Settlers were outraged that Travis did not receive some of the protections offered by the United States Bill of Rights, even though these rights were not guaranteed in Mexico. A large force of Texians marched on Anahuac to secure Travis's release but before they arrived were attacked by Bradburn, it was called the Battle of Velasco.
The Anglo-settlers were driven back to Turtle Bayou, where they wrote a document called the Turtle Bayou Resolutions, a petition where they condemned the action of the centralist Mexican government under Santa Anna, and aligned themselves with a federalist army resisting Santa Anna's rule, pledging loyalty to the Mexican Constitution of 1824. Anglo settlers were upset at not being able to own slaves and continue smuggling, filibustering, and not paying taxes. Under the guise of federalism, Texan rebels met at Conventions in 1832 and 1833, they made a list of demands and sent Stephen F. Austin to Mexico City to present their grievances. Austin was subsequently arrested for sedition (using speech to incite rebellion or treason) and held in Mexico City until his release a year later.
Before Stephen F Austin's arrest, Texans were unable to compromise and split into War and Peace Parties, but after Austin's arrest there was enough support to revolt. 56 delegates met in San Felipe de Austin to draft a series of petitions to the Government of Mexico. Under the guidance of Sam Houston, former governor of the US state of Tennessee, a committee drafted a state constitution to submit to the Mexican Congress. The proposed constitution was largely based on US political principles, yet retained several Spanish customs. The State Constitution was denied. Angry at a lack of progress, Stephen F. Austin wrote several letters while in prison encouraging Texans to form their own state government. The government of Mexico eventually released Austin and granted some due process such as trial by jury. But it would not be enough, Texans were preparing for war. The Texans appointed David Burnett as the temporary president during Texas' provisional, or ad-interim, government.
The Mexican government under Santa Anna had become increasingly centralized and continued to limit immigration from the United States. In 1835, Santa Anna repealed the Mexican Constitution. Colonists and Tejanos disagreed on whether the ultimate goal was independence or a return to the Mexican Constitution of 1824. 41 delegates in favor of complete independence met at Washington-on-the-Brazos in March 1836. Washington-on-the-Brazos declared independence, and established the military branches for the new Republic of Texas (called the Texian Army and Texian Navy), appointed leadership, and wrote a Constitution. George Childress was the author of the Texas Declaration of Independence and Jose Antonio Navarro was the first to sign it. Among the delegates was Lorenzo de Zavala, who helped the Texans write a new Republican Constitution. While delegates at the Consultation (provisional government) debated the war's motives, Texans and a flood of volunteers from the United States defeated the small garrisons of Mexican soldiers at the Siege of Béxar (San Antonio de Béxar) and the small "Grass Fight" that followed. The rising tensions and conflicts would lead to the first battle of the Texas Revolution, the Battle of Gonzales.
Determined to avenge Mexico's honor, Santa Anna vowed to personally retake Texas. His Army of Operations entered Texas in mid-February 1836 and found the Texians completely unprepared. Mexican General José de Urrea led a contingent of troops on the Goliad Campaign up the Texas coast, defeating all Texian troops led by James Fannin and executing most of those who surrendered, Fannin being among them. When a large group of people are executed without due process it's called a massacre. Santa Anna led a larger force to San Antonio de Béxar (or Béxar), which had been under siege by Ben Milam and the Texian army. Milam was shot by a Mexican marksman, but the Texian Army defeated Santa Anna's brother-in-law Martín Perfecto de Cos and the rest of the Texian Army entrenched themselves at the Alamo. A few months later Santa Anna returned to San Antonio where his troops defeated the Texian garrison in the Battle of the Alamo, killing almost all of the defenders. William B. Travis, one of the defenders, would write a letter on his deathbed "to the People of Texas and All Americans in the World" about the heroism and diversity of the defenders of democratic principles who gave their lives at the Alamo.
A newly created Texan army under the command of a man named Sam Houston was constantly on the move, while terrified civilians fled with the army to escape Santa Anna's executions. On March 31, 1836, Sam Houston paused his men at Groce's Landing on the Brazos River, and for the next two weeks, the Texans received rigorous military training. Becoming complacent and underestimating the strength of his foes. Houston's army staged a surprise assault on Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. During the Battle of San Jacinto Mexican troops were quickly routed, and vengeful Texans executed many who tried to surrender. Santa Anna was taken hostage; in exchange for his life, he signed the Treaties of Velasco while many Texans wanted Santa Anna hanged ("a just vengeance"). Sam Houston saved his life and extracted a promise from Santa Anna that Mexican troops would be removed from Texas.
Over the next ten days, delegates prepared a constitution for the Republic of Texas. Parts of the document were copied verbatim from the United States Constitution; other articles were paraphrased. The new nation's government was ratified and based entirely on the idea of separation of powers in the US Constitution, with three branches of government. However, the new constitution expressly permitted impressment (conscription) of goods and forced housing for soldiers. It also legalized slavery and recognized the people's right to revolt against government authority. After adopting the constitution, delegates elected representatives such as Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar to govern the country.
Mexico refused to recognize the Republic of Texas, and border disputes between the two countries continued into the 1840s. The annexation of Texas as the 28th state of the United States, in 1845, led directly to the Mexican–American War.
Throughout the Texas Revolution, rebels relied on the idea of consent of the governed in order to justify the fight for independence, despite the fact they used these democratic principles to justify the ownership of slaves and the concentration of capital into the wealthiest settlers.
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