Independence for Texas Part 1

Davy Crockett in Texas

• Davy Crockett of Tennessee gained recognition for his frontier skills, humor, and common sense in politics.
• After losing his seat in Congress in 1835, he went to Texas, seeking a fresh start and to aid the Texans in their fight for independence from Mexico.
• His actions in Texas would bring him more fame than his previous adventures or time in Congress.

Conflict Over Texas

• Conflict over Texas started in 1803 when the U.S. bought the Louisiana Territory from France.
• Americans believed present-day Texas was included in the purchase, but Spain protested.
• In 1819, the Adams-Onís Treaty saw the U.S. drop further claims to Texas.

Land Grants and Settlers

• Most of the residents (around 3,000) were Tejanos (Mexicans) who called Texas home.
• Native American tribes like the Comanches, Apaches, and Kiowas also inhabited the area.
• The Spanish aimed to boost Texas's population by offering land to people who brought families to settle.
• People who obtained land grants from the government were called "empresarios".
• Moses Austin, a businessman with mining interests in Missouri, secured the first land grant in 1821.
• Moses Austin died of pneumonia before establishing his colony.
• After Mexico's independence from Spain, Stephen F. Austin (Moses’ son) requested the Mexican government to uphold his father's land grant.
• Stephen F. Austin recruited 300 American families to settle near the Brazos and Colorado Rivers.
• These first settlers were known as the Old Three Hundred.
• Settlers received large tracts of land at low prices, with tax exemptions for several years, however they had to:
  • Learn Spanish
  • Become Mexican citizens
  • Convert to Catholicism
  • Obey Mexican law
• Mexican leaders wanted to attract settlers from everywhere, but most in Texas were from the United States.

Growing Tensions

• By 1830, the American population in Texas greatly outnumbered Mexicans.
• The American colonists did not adopt Mexican customs.
• Twice, the United States offered to buy Texas from Mexico.
• Alarmed by the rising American influence, the Mexican government issued a decree in 1830 halting all immigration from the U.S.
• Simultaneously, the government incentivized Mexican and European families to immigrate with generous land grants.
• Texas-U.S. trade was discouraged by imposing taxes on goods imported from the United States, which angered Texans.
• Many citizens relied on trade with the U.S. for their livelihoods.
• Colonists who owned slaves were concerned about the Mexican government's plans to abolish slavery.

Attempt at Reconciliation

• In 1833, General Antonio López de Santa Anna became Mexico's president.
• Stephen F. Austin went to Mexico City with demands to lift the ban on American settlers and to make Texas a separate state.
• Some American settlers wanted independence, while others preferred to remain in Mexico under better conditions.
• Santa Anna agreed to remove the ban on American settlers, but refused to make Texas a separate state.
• Austin sent a letter to Texas suggesting plans for independence.
• The Mexican government intercepted the letter and arrested Austin.
• Santa Anna declared himself dictator and overthrew Mexico's 1824 constitution while Austin was in jail.
• Texans felt betrayed because they lost their constitutional rights.
• Santa Anna reorganized the government, centralizing control over Texas, which dismayed many people due to the loss of local power.