The Texas Revolution (1835-1836) is one of the most important events in American history as it established the Texas Republic, leading to the annexation of Texas as the 28th state in 1846, which ignited the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). The Mexican-American War resulted in the Mexican Cession, through which the USA gained the territories of Alta California, New Mexico, and Texas in 1848. Texas was admitted to the Union as a slave state, but arguments over whether the other territories would be slave or free inflamed already rising tensions leading up to the American Civil War.
The Texas Revolution, then, could be understood as the war that made America – as it was the first step in realizing the vision of Manifest Destiny – a nation stretching from coast to coast.
