In 1821, before Stephen Austin could establish his colony, Mexico won independence from Spain. Austin went to Mexico City to make sure that the new government still supported his land grant. The new leaders agreed to let Austin bring settlers to Texas. As Spain had been, Mexico was eager for settlers to develop the land and help control Indian attacks. At the time, only about 4,000 Mexicans lived in Texas.
By the 1820s, most of the good land in the United States was already occupied, and land there could be expensive. There was a scarcity, or short supply, of affordable, fertile land, or land that is good for growing crops. In Texas, by contrast, there was a large supply of fertile land that settlers could buy very cheaply.
This pulled many Americans to settle beyond the frontier. The eastern portion of the Spanish province of Texas contained some very fertile soil. The physical features of the land, especially the fertile soil, increased settlement to Texas, and agriculture remains important in this region to this day.
Austin began to gather the 300 families who would settle his colony in Texas. Starting in late 1821, they began settling the colony. Many settlers came from the cotton country of the Southeast. Some built large cotton plantations and brought in slaves to work the land. Austin's land grant was located between the Colorado and Brazos rivers. He made sure to divide the grant so that each colonist purchased a parcel of land that bordered a river to allow access to water. Having access to water was vital for the settlers as well as their farms and livestock.As Austin's colony grew and succeeded, Mexico gave Austin several more land grants. Grants were also given to other entrepreneurs like Austin to attract settlers to Texas. Some of these settlers were from Mexico, but the largest number came from the United States. By 1830, about 20,000 Americans had moved to Texas.Conflict With the Mexican Government
In return for land, Austin and the original American settlers agreed to become Mexican citizens and to worship in the Roman Catholic Church. Later American settlers, however, felt no loyalty to Mexico. They spoke little or no Spanish and most were Protestant. These and other differences led to conflicts between the settlers and the Mexican government.
Mexico Tightens Its Grip on Texas In 1830, Mexico barred any more Americans from settling in Texas. Mexico feared that the Americans would try to make Texas a part of the United States. It had good reason to fear this possibility. The United States had already tried twice to buy Texas from Mexico.Americans were not the only immigrants to settle in Texas. Mexico also encouraged Europeans, like these Germans, to settle there.To assert its authority, Mexico began to enforce laws that had long been ignored. One was the law requiring Texans to promise to worship in the Catholic Church. Another law banned slavery in the region. American settlers resented these laws. The law against slavery was a serious problem for American settlers. Many American settlers had brought enslaved people with them and relied on enslaved workers to grow cotton. Settlers' anger grew when Mexico sent troops to enforce its will.In 1833, General Antonio López de Santa Anna gained power in Mexico. Two years later, he threw out the Mexican constitution and began governing the nation as dictator. A dictator is a ruler with absolute power and authority. Rumors began to spread that Santa Anna intended to drive the Americans out of Texas.
Texans Rebel With Santa Anna in power, Americans in Texas felt that the time had come for action. They had the support of many Tejanos (teh HAH nohs), people of Mexican descent born in Texas. Tejanos did not necessarily want independence from Mexico. However, they did want to be rid of the dictator, Santa Anna.
In October 1835, Texan settlers in the town of Gonzales (gahn ZAH les) clashed with Mexican troops. They forced the troops to withdraw. Inspired by that victory, Stephen Austin vowed to “see Texas forever free from Mexican domination.” Two months later, Texan settlers surrounded and then occupied the town of San Antonio. Determined to stamp out the rebellion, Santa Anna marched north with a large army.While Santa Anna was on the move, a group of Texans declared independence for the Republic of Texas on March 2, 1836. Sam Houston was given command of its army. Volunteers from the United States and from other nations, along with African Americans and Tejanos, joined the fight for Texan independence from Mexico.As a young officer in the Spanish army, Antonio López de Santa Anna fought against Mexican independence. Later, he became president of Mexico. He personally led the Mexican forces against the Texan rebels.
Siege at the Alamo By the time Santa Anna reached San Antonio, the Texans had taken up positions in an old Spanish mission called the Alamo. There they waited for the Mexican attack.
The Texans were poorly equipped. Their supplies of ammunition, food, water, and medicine were low. Only about 150 Texans faced a force of 6,000 Mexican troops. Inside the mission, a young lieutenant colonel, William B. Travis, was in command. Among the volunteers at the Alamo were the famous frontiersmen Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett as well as several Tejano families, two Texan women, and two enslaved young African American men.On February 23, 1836, Mexican troops began the siege of the Alamo. In a siege, enemy forces try to capture a city or fort by surrounding and often bombarding it. The Texan defenders barely held out as cannons pounded the walls. Travis knew that without help the defenders were doomed. He sent a messenger through the Mexican lines with a letter addressed “to the people of Texas and all the Americans in the World”:
I shall never surrender or retreat…. I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all [speed]…. Victory or Death.
—William B. Travis, Letter, February 24, 1836
Travis also sent scouts to find more volunteers and food. About 40 men also managed to slip through enemy lines and joined the Texans in their fight inside the Alamo. Still, no large force arrived to help the defenders of the Alamo. For 12 days, the Mexican bombardment continued.Twelve feet high and two feet thick, the Alamo walls were good protection but unable to endure days of bombardment.
Hypothesize How might the defenders' confidence have changed during the siege?
At dawn on March 6, Mexican cannons shattered the mission walls. Santa Anna now launched an all-out attack. Thousands of Mexican soldiers poured over the broken walls, shouting “Viva Santa Anna!” (“Long live Santa Anna!”). Attackers and defenders battled in hand-to-hand combat. In the end, about 180 Texans and almost 1,500 Mexicans lay dead. Most of the few Texans who survived were executed.
The Battle of San Jacinto The fall of the Alamo sparked Texan cries for revenge. A few weeks later, Texan fury grew when Mexican troops killed several hundred soldiers fighting for the Texan cause after they had surrendered at Goliad. News of these events inspired new volunteers to join the Texan forces. Many came from the United States. Houston worked hard to turn the volunteers into an effective army. Even though the Texans were eager to attack, Houston held them back until the time was right.
Houston soon found the chance to attack Santa Anna. Scouts reported that the Mexican general and his army were camped near the San Jacinto (juh SIN toh) River. On the afternoon of April 21, 1836, the Texans caught their enemies by surprise. With cries of “Remember the Alamo!” and “Remember Goliad!” Texans charged into battle.
The Battle of San Jacinto lasted only 18 minutes. Although the Texans were outnumbered, the element of surprise was their greatest ally. They killed 630 Mexicans and captured 700 more.n battle, Texans had carried a flag with a single star. After winning independence, they nicknamed their new nation the Lone Star Republic. A constitution was written using the United States Constitution as a model. In September 1836, voters elected Sam Houston president of the Republic of Texas.
The new country faced several serious problems, however. First, the government of Mexico refused to accept the treaty that Santa Anna had signed. Mexicans insisted that Texas was still part of Mexico. Second, Texas was nearly bankrupt.
Third, Comanche and other Indian groups threatened to attack small Texan communities. Most Texans thought that the best way to solve these problems was to become part of the United States.
In the United States, people were divided about whether to annex, or add on, Texas to the Union. The arguments reflected sectional divisions in the country. White southerners generally favored the idea. Many northerners opposed it. The main issue was slavery. By the 1830s, antislavery feeling was growing in the North. Because many Texans owned slaves, northerners feared that Texas would join the Union as a slave-owning state, strengthening support for slavery in the U.S. government. In addition, President Andrew Jackson worried that annexing Texas would lead to war with Mexico. As a result, Congress refused to annex the Republic of Texas.The Lone Star flag was adopted by the Republic of Texas in 1839. It remains the Texas state flag to this day.
For the next nine years, leaders of the Republic of Texas worked to attract new settlers. The new Texas government encouraged immigration by offering settlers free land. During the Panic of 1837, thousands of Americans moved to Texas, where land was less expensive than in the United States.
Settlers also arrived from Germany and Switzerland. They helped the new nation grow and prosper. By the 1840s, about 140,000 people lived in Texas, including many enslaved African Americans and some Mexicans. The Republic of Texas remained an independent country until the United States annexed it in 1845
By reading this answer these questions Summarize the cooperation and conflict between American settlers in Texas and the Mexican government
Describe how the events at the Alamo affected Texans
Explain how Texas gained independence
The cooperation between American settlers in Texas and the Mexican government initially was positive. Stephen Austin went to Mexico City to secure support for his land grant and Mexico agreed to let him bring settlers to Texas. Mexico was eager for settlers to develop the land and assist in controlling Indian attacks. However, conflicts arose when the Mexican government began to enforce laws that American settlers resented, such as the requirement to worship in the Catholic Church and the ban on slavery. Mexico also barred any more Americans from settling in Texas out of fear that they would try to make Texas part of the United States. These conflicts eventually led to a rebellion by the Texans, who declared independence in 1836.
The events at the Alamo had a significant impact on Texans. The Texan defenders, although heavily outnumbered, valiantly fought against Mexican troops in a siege that lasted for 12 days. Eventually, the walls of the Alamo were breached, and Mexican troops stormed in, resulting in the death of approximately 180 Texans. The fall of the Alamo sparked a desire for revenge among the Texans, and their anger was further fueled by the massacre of Texan soldiers at Goliad. News of these events inspired more volunteers to join the Texan forces and fueled their determination to fight for independence.
Texas gained independence through the Battle of San Jacinto, which lasted only 18 minutes. With the element of surprise on their side, the Texans charged into battle, shouting "Remember the Alamo!" and "Remember Goliad!" They overwhelmed the Mexican troops, killing 630 and capturing 700 more. Following the victory, Texas became an independent country called the Republic of Texas, with Sam Houston serving as its president. However, the new nation faced challenges, including the refusal of the Mexican government to accept the treaty of independence signed by Santa Anna and financial struggles. Many Texans believed that the best solution to these problems was to join the United States. However, annexation faced opposition due to sectional divisions over the issue of slavery, and it was not until 1845 that Texas was finally annexed by the United States.
shorten answer and make them into bullet points and make it were kids can understand it
Cooperation and Conflict Between American Settlers and the Mexican Government:
- American settlers in Texas wanted to develop the land, and Mexico supported their arrival to help control Indian attacks.
- Mexico allowed Stephen Austin to bring settlers to Texas, but conflicts arose when the Mexican government enforced laws that American settlers resented.
- Mexicans wanted Texans to worship in the Catholic Church and banned slavery, which angered the American settlers.
- Mexico also barred more Americans from settling in Texas out of fear they would try to make Texas part of the United States.
- These conflicts led to a rebellion by the Texans, who declared independence in 1836.
Impact of the Events at the Alamo:
- Texan defenders bravely fought against Mexican troops in a siege that lasted for 12 days.
- The fall of the Alamo sparked anger and a desire for revenge among the Texans.
- The massacre of Texan soldiers at Goliad further fueled their determination to fight for independence.
- News of these events inspired more volunteers to join the Texan forces.
How Texas Gained Independence:
- Texas gained independence through the Battle of San Jacinto, which lasted for only 18 minutes.
- The Texans surprised the Mexican troops and overwhelmed them, capturing many and killing others.
- Texas became an independent country called the Republic of Texas, with Sam Houston as its president.
- Texas faced challenges, including the refusal of the Mexican government to accept the treaty of independence and financial struggles.
- Texas eventually joined the United States and was annexed in 1845.
shorter to wear you don't have to write a lot of notes
- American settlers went to Texas to develop the land and help control Indian attacks.
- They initially received support from the Mexican government.
- Conflicts arose when Mexico enforced laws that American settlers didn't like, such as mandatory worship in the Catholic Church and a ban on slavery.
- Texans rebelled and declared independence in 1836.
- The battle at the Alamo and the massacre at Goliad fueled Texans' desire for revenge and strengthened their determination.
- Texas gained independence through the Battle of San Jacinto, and became the Republic of Texas with Sam Houston as its president.
- Texas eventually joined the United States in 1845.
Shorten this
Cooperation and Conflict Between American Settlers and the Mexican Government:
- American settlers in Texas wanted to develop the land, and Mexico supported their arrival to help control Indian attacks.
- Mexico allowed Stephen Austin to bring settlers to Texas, but conflicts arose when the Mexican government enforced laws that American settlers resented.
- Mexicans wanted Texans to worship in the Catholic Church and banned slavery, which angered the American settlers.
- Mexico also barred more Americans from settling in Texas out of fear they would try to make Texas part of the United States.
- These conflicts led to a rebellion by the Texans, who declared independence in 1836.
Cooperation and Conflict Between American Settlers and Mexican Government:
- American settlers wanted to develop land in Texas, and Mexico supported their arrival.
- Conflict arose when Mexico enforced laws that American settlers disagreed with, such as mandatory Catholic worship and a ban on slavery.
- Mexico also restricted further American settlement in Texas to prevent it from becoming part of the United States.
- These conflicts led to a Texan rebellion and the declaration of independence in 1836.