The Texas Revolution (Texas War of Independence, 1835 to 1836) was a conflict between the Anglo and Tejano residents of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas (Texas) and the Mexican government over state and individual rights. The rebellion in Coahuila y Tejas was only one of many in what was known as the Mexican Federalist War (1835 to 1848), a series of revolts in Mexico against the Centralist Republic, which, until 1836, was led by Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794 to 1876), who had overthrown the more popular Federalist Republic, but it became the most significant in USA-Mexico relations because it led to the establishment of the Republic of Texas in 1836, its annexation by the United States in 1845 as the 28th state of the Union, and the resultant Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848.

The region of Mexico was taken as a colony of Spain in the 16th century and held until the Mexican War of Independence (1810 to 1821). After winning independence, however, Mexico's economy was in ruins, and it struggled to form a working government. The northern territory of Coahuila y Tejas faced constant threats from Apache and Comanche raids and, consequently, was sparsely populated. In an effort to revive the economy and win popular support for the government, Anglo-Americans were invited to settle in the region.

These new arrivals, it was thought, would provide a buffer between Mexican citizens to the south and the Native Americans to the north. They would also produce crops that would help the economy through sales and taxes. As Mexico was a Spanish-speaking, Catholic country, the only conditions the Anglo-Americans had to meet were to convert to Catholicism and learn Spanish when becoming Mexican citizens; these were ignored by the settlers, who were primarily English-speaking Protestants. As many came from the Southern states of the USA, they were also slaveowners, bringing along their slaves, whom they considered property like their tables and chairs.

The Anglo-Americans quickly came to outnumber the Tejanos of the region, Mexicans born in the territory, and, as more and more immigrants arrived, so did their slaves. The influx was encouraged by the policy of the Mexican government, which conferred upon certain people the title of Empresario – someone whose sole responsibility was to bring more settlers from the USA to Coahuila y Tejas – and the most successful of these was Stephen F. Austin (1793 to 1836), whose father, Moses Austin, had performed the same service.

By 1829, the Mexican government realized that Coahuila y Tejas was becoming overrun by Anglo-Americans who had refused to learn Spanish or convert to Catholicism and, further, were importing more slaves and taking jobs away from the Tejanos in the region. In 1829, Mexico abolished slavery, and the Anglo-Americans in Coahuila y Tejas threatened to revolt. Concessions were made, but in 1830, President Anastasio Bustamante (1780 to 1853) issued the Laws of April 6, 1830, rescinding the concessions, banning further immigration from the USA, and raising taxes in the region. Coahuila y Tejas was far from the Mexican capital, however, and the Laws could not be enforced. The Anglo-Americans continued on as they had before, invited friends and family to come, and imported more slaves. By 1834, there were approximately 30,000 Anglo-Americans living in the region.

In 1832, General Antonio López de Santa Anna overthrew Bustamante and replaced him with Valentín Gómez Farías (1781 to 1858). Farías addressed the problems in the north by allowing Anglo-Americans to keep their slaves, lowering taxes, and giving the region a greater voice in representation in the Federalist Republic of Mexico.

In 1834, Santa Anna overthrew Farías, became president, and established the Centralist Republic of Mexico. Scholar John S. D. Eisenhower writes:

The next year, Santa Anna went even further, replacing the established Constitution of 1824 with the Seven Laws, which (a) abolished the existing states of Mexico in favor of administrative "departments"; (b) set the term of the president at eight years; and (c) limited the franchise to a privileged few. To the average Mexican, these measures hardly mattered, but they did matter to the inhabitants of previously self-governing areas far from Mexico City. Foremost among such citizens were the twenty thousand Americans who had moved into Texas during the preceding few years. Those people cared very much.

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In 1832, the Anahuac Disturbances – skirmishes between Anglo-Americans and Mexican authorities – heralded more serious conflict ahead. By April 1835, unrest in Coahuila y Tejas was even more evident. Mexican military officials in the region sent messages to Mexico City warning of a potential uprising and requesting reinforcements. In September 1835, Santa Anna sent his brother-in-law, General Martín Perfecto de Cos (1800 to 1854), toward Coahuila y Tejas to take care of the problem.

Gonzales was among the earliest settlements in Coahuila y Tejas, established by Green DeWitt in 1825 and named in honor of Rafael Gonzáles, then governor of the region. In 1831, a cannon was given to the village by Mexican officials to help defend against Native American raids. Now, in 1835, with tensions rising, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, commander of the Mexican military in the region, sent Lt. Francisco de Castañeda to Gonzales to take the cannon back.

On 2 October 1835, Castañeda's small force of 100 was attacked by 140 Anglo-Americans, by this time known as Texians. Castañeda was under orders to try to keep the peace and avoid armed conflict, and so he retreated and requested a parlay with the Texian leader John Henry Moore. While Moore and Castañeda were meeting, the other Texians made a banner painted with the image of the cannon and emblazoned with the words "Come and Take It." After Moore returned to his side, James C. Neill (circa 1788 to 1848) fired the six-pound cannon at the Mexican camp. Castañeda understood he could not retrieve the cannon without further bloodshed and returned to give his report to Ugartechea.

Two Mexican soldiers were killed in the so-called Battle of Gonzales, and one Texian was injured (falling off his horse), but the details of the event were enlarged upon by writers who sent word to the USA, where the conflict became national news. More Anglo-Americans then began the trek to the region known to them as Texas, and, nine days after the Battle of Gonzales, Stephen Austin was elected commander of the Army of the People. The Texas Revolution had begun.

A provisional government, the Consultation, was formed to decide on a course of action and whether they sought only a return to the Federalist government established through the Constitution of 1824 or whether they wanted independence. The delegates to the Consultation would not meet until November 1835, when, among other actions, they would choose General Sam Houston (1793 to 1863) as commander of the regular army, made up of seasoned veterans of campaigns against Native Americans as well as the War of 1812. In October, however, Austin was the leader of an army of volunteers of varied military experience.

Austin led his men toward Béxar (modern-day San Antonio), while, on 10 October, Texians and Tejanos stormed the Presidio La Bahía in Goliad, hoping to acquire gold said to be held there, which would help fund the revolution. No gold was found, but the Presidio (which the victors named Fort Defiance) had been taken easily at what became known as the Battle of Goliad, and this boosted morale. The Texians under Captain Philip Dimmitt then took Fort Lipantitlán in San Patricio on 4 to 5 November.

Meanwhile, General Cos had reached Béxar, the destination of Austin and his troops, and fortified the town. Austin sent him terms, which were refused, and so the Texians laid siege to the town. A contingent of Texians, led by James Bowie (Jim Bowie, 1796 to 1836) and James Fannin (1804 to 1836), set up camp at Mission Concepción while Austin was organizing the siege of Béxar. The Mexicans, seeing an opportunity with Austin's forces divided, attacked Bowie and Fannin in what became known as the Battle of Concepción, but they were repulsed, resulting in another Texian victory.

Austin resigned as head of the army, and Edward Burleson took command. Burleson was considering lifting the siege but agreed to let Colonel Ben Milam (1788 to 1835) try leading troops into the town, taking it house by house, driving the Mexican army back. Milam led one column while Colonel Frank W. Johnson commanded another. On 7 December, Milam was killed by a Mexican sniper, but he was one of only approximately 30 Texians killed at the Siege of Béxar, while the Mexicans lost between 150 and 400.

General Cos retreated to an old Spanish mission complex in Béxar known as the Alamo on 9 December. The mission was indefensible owing to its size and state of disrepair, and Cos surrendered on 11 December 1835. He accepted the terms to leave Texas and never take up arms against Texians again, and then Cos marched his remaining forces out of the territory.

In November, the Consultation chose Stephen F. Austin as one of the delegates to the USA to request funds for the revolution and bring back more recruits. Houston was in command of the regular army, and Colonel James C. Neill took over the volunteers at the Alamo. Santa Anna had received news of the Battle of Gonzales as early as 23 October, but he needed time to mobilize his forces and so did not begin his march toward Texas until December.

Houston was concerned that the Alamo, which was then fortified by volunteers under Colonel Neill, could be taken by Santa Anna and used as a base from which to launch campaigns throughout Texas. He sent Jim Bowie with 30 volunteers to remove all weapons, artillery, and anything else of use and then blow the mission to pieces. Bowie, after surveying the Alamo, refused the order, claiming the Alamo could serve the Texian cause well as a first line of defense against the advancing Mexican army.

The Consultation had elected Henry Smith as governor, and Bowie bypassed Houston, appealing to Smith directly to allow the fortification of the Alamo. His request was approved, and the volunteers began repairing the mission and making it battle-ready. Men began trickling into Béxar to garrison the Alamo, including Colonel William Barret Travis (1809 to 1836) of the regular army and the famous frontiersman and former congressman, Davy Crockett (1786 to 1836) of Tennessee.

On 11 February, Colonel Neill turned over command to Travis, leaving to deal with a family matter. Travis had come with 30 men, and Bowie had his own, so the two agreed to co-command the garrison – Bowie in charge of the volunteers and Travis the regulars – until Bowie fell ill and Travis assumed sole command. Juan Seguín (1806 to 1890), a Tejano captain of the regular army under Houston, was present when hostilities began but was sent out as a messenger to bring reinforcements and was not able to return until they were over.

On 23 February 1836, Santa Anna's army arrived in Béxar and laid siege to the Alamo. He considered the Texians land pirates and so offered no terms, raising the red flag of no quarter; no prisoners would be taken. The siege lasted until the morning of 6 March when the fort was stormed, and its defenders killed. Crockett was among those who survived the assault but was executed with the others immediately afterwards. It was a costly victory for Santa Anna, who lost approximately 600 men, while the defenders of the Alamo numbered between 185 and 250.

While Santa Anna was marching toward Béxar, General José de Urrea (1797 to 1849) was approaching Goliad and defeated Texian forces at the Battle of San Patricio (27 February) and the Battle of Agua Dulce on 2 March. On 14 March, he won another victory at the Battle of Refugio and, on 19 to 20 March, defeated the Texians under Colonel James Fannin at the Battle of Coleto near Goliad. Urrea did not agree with Santa Anna's orders to kill prisoners, but he could not refuse to obey them; he left it to his junior officers to deal with. On 27 March, Palm Sunday, 1836, between 350 to 400 Texians, including James Fannin, were executed by firing squad in what became known as the Goliad Massacre.

The fall of the Alamo shocked many Texians who fled north in what is known as the Runaway Scrape. Texians had actually been leaving the region since hostilities began in October 1835, many as early as September, before a shot was fired, but in March 1836, people took whatever they could carry and left their homes and farms as quickly as possible. News of the Goliad Massacre only encouraged more to leave Texas for refuge in the United States.

On 2 March 1836, at Washington-on-the-Brazos, the Consultation declared Texas independent, but Santa Anna and Urrea were still marching forces through the region, and for the Consultation's declaration to mean anything, they had to be stopped and driven from Texas. With the Alamo defenders slain and Fannin's command executed, the only hope now was in Sam Houston's regular army, but Houston was nowhere to be seen. Interim President David G. Burnet, elected in March 1836, sent messengers out to find Houston with letters telling him to stand and fight.

Having heard of the fall of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre, Houston retreated north, enlarging his forces with volunteers who streamed in to avenge those killed in San Antonio and Goliad. Houston believed he could defeat Santa Anna's army, but not the combined forces of Santa Anna and Urrea. He had nothing to worry about because Santa Anna did not want Urrea claiming victory over Houston and so pursued him without sending for Urrea. Houston stayed ahead of Santa Anna until he reached the forest near the San Jacinto River, where he would make his stand.

Santa Anna, confident he could take Houston easily, camped in an open plain near the river, surrounded by marshland. His senior officers protested strongly against this vulnerable position, but Santa Anna dismissed them. Throughout 20 April, the two armies engaged in small skirmishes, but then Houston ordered his men back. On 21 April, Santa Anna was reinforced by General Cos, bringing the Mexican forces up to 1200 – against Houston's army of 900 – contributing further to Santa Anna's confidence in victory.

Houston kept his men in check throughout the 21st and, as it seemed no attack would be coming, Santa Anna allowed the men to rest, eat, and bathe. As the day wore on, the Mexican army relaxed further, but by around 4:00 p.m., the Texians (and Tejanos under Juan Seguín), moving quietly through the long grass, were in position, and, at 4:30, Houston ordered the cannon fired, beginning the Battle of San Jacinto. The Mexican army was taken completely by surprise. Yelling the now-famous cry, "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!", Houston led his troops to victory in 18 minutes.

Santa Anna was captured and, in return for sparing his life, signed the Treaties of Velasco, which, among other provisions, agreed to the removal of all Mexican troops from Texas. The declaration of 2 March 1836, declaring Texas an independent Republic, was now more than just words, and the Texas Revolution was over.

The Treaties of Velasco meant nothing to the Mexican government. While he had been campaigning in Texas, Santa Anna had been deposed, and the government was not about to recognize the validity of documents signed by a prisoner of war with no political power. The Mexican government, therefore, refused to recognize the Republic of Texas and tasked General Urrea (who almost certainly would have won the Battle of San Jacinto) with launching a new campaign to retake the territory. General Urrea had to put down rebellions in other Mexican states, however, and so there was no renewal of hostilities.

Sam Houston was elected as the first president of the new republic, and a constitution was ratified at the Convention of 1836. Delegates at the convention also approved a resolution that Texas be annexed by the United States. The USA was unwilling to do this, though, because it would upset the balance between free states and slave states, as Texas would most definitely be entering as a slave state. General Provisions, Section 9 of the Constitution of 1836 reads, in part:

All persons of color who were slaves for life previous to their emigration to Texas, and who are now held in bondage, shall remain in the like state of servitude…Congress shall pass no laws to prohibit emigrants from the United States of America from bringing their slaves into the Republic with them and holding them by the same tenure by which such slaves were held in the United States; nor shall Congress have power to emancipate slaves…No free person of African descent, either in whole or in part, shall be permitted to reside permanently in the Republic without the consent of Congress…

The Republic of Texas, therefore, remained an independent country from 2 March 1836 until it was annexed by the United States in December 1845, officially becoming the 28th state of the Union on 19 February 1846. The annexation of Texas started the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848, won by the United States, which then claimed 529,000 square miles (1,370,000 km²) of Mexican territory (including what would become California in 1850), achieving its vision of Manifest Destiny and a union of states stretching across North America from coast to coast.