How Revolutionary was the Texas Revolution?
Historical Background:
In 1835, the Anglo-American colonists in the Mexican state of Texas revolted against Mexican rule.
They intended to separate Texas from Mexico and establish an independent Republic of Texas.
The Mexican Central Government had other ideas. A force of about 6,000 soldiers, led by General
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, was sent to put down the rebellion and throw the American colonists
out of Texas.
A force of 145 Texians, led by William Travis and James Bowie, gathered in the town of San
Antonio. On February 23, 1836, when General Santa Anna's army appeared outside of San Antonio,
the Texans retreated into the Alamo. Santa Anna demanded surrender. The Texans answered with
a cannon shot. Messengers rode out of the Alamo racing through Santa Anna’s soldiers with
messages calling on all Texans to come aid them in this great struggle. The message from William
Travis read in part: "... I have sustained a continued bombardment (from guns and cannons) for 24
hours and have not lost a man... Our flag still proudly waves from the wall. I shall never surrender or
retreat... VICTORY OR DEATH."
The number of fighters in the Alamo numbered around 189. The fight went on for 13 days. At 4 a.m.
on the morning of March 6, 1836, Santa Anna’s men stormed the Alamo. With bugles sounding the
"Deguello" (signaling fight to the death) the troops attacked the adobe walls from all four sides. The
first and second attacks were broken up. On the third try, Santa Anna’s soldiers broke thorough the
walls. The defenders fought from building to building and room to room, but by 8 a.m., all of the
Texas troops were dead. This included important people such as Jim Bowie, William Travis, James
Bonham, Antonio Fuentes, David Crockett, and one slave named John. The cost for the Mexican
soldiers was high as well. Over 1,500 Mexican soldiers were lost in the battle.
The surrender of Santa Anna, by William Huddle.
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Historical Background continued
The Runaway Scrape: As early as January 14, 1836, people began to evacuate such lower Texas
settlements as San Patricio, Refugio and San Antonio when they heard that Mexican armies were
gathering on the Rio Grande. Santa Anna declared all Texians traitors and ordered his soldiers to kill
all traitors. Therefore, when the Alamo fell on March 6, Gen. Sam Houston ordered all residents to
retreat eastward with him and the stampede was on. Settlements on both sides of the Brazos were
abandoned by April 1. Matters were made worse by cold, heavy rains, hunger and disease. Fear
and panic took control. Women, children, and the elderly were told to run for their lives!
The battle of San Jacinto was the final battle of the Texas Revolution. Sam Houston's scouts
reported Mexican troops west of the Colorado to number 1,325. On March 25 the Texans learned of
James W. Fannin's defeat at Goliad.
Houston and his men took the road to Harrisburg. Viewing this strategic situation on the morning of
April 19, Houston told his troops that it looked as if they would soon get action. He told them to
remember the massacres at San Antonio and at Goliad. Santa Anna made camp under the high
ground overlooking a marsh about three-fourths of a mile from the Texas camp. Both sides prepared
for the conflict. On Thursday morning, April 21, the Texans were eager to attack. Shortly before
noon, Houston held a meeting, then prepared his forces for battle. The Twin Sisters (canons), a gift
from Cincinnati, were wheeled into position. The whole front line, led by Sherman's men, sprang
forward on the run with the cry, "Remember the Alamo!" "Remember Goliad!" The battle lasted
eighteen minutes
San Jacinto was an important battle. The freedom of Texas from Mexico was won here. Although
women were not directly involved in the battles they supported the cause by providing meals,
supplies, and by nursing the wounded. Some women stayed home to continue the family business
or farm and to care for the children and elderly.
… As battles go, San Jacinto was but a skirmish; but with what mighty consequences! The lives and
the liberty of a few hundred pioneers at stake and an empire won! Look to it, you Texans of today,
with happy homes, mid fields of smiling plenty, that the blood of the Alamo, Goliad, and San Jacinto
sealed forever. Texas, one and indivisible!
- Ms. Kate Scurry Terrell, describing the scene among refugee families on the Sabine River.
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Document Based Questions
Directions:
Using information from the documents and your knowledge of social studies,
answer the questions that follow each document.
Texas Convention of 1836.
The Unanimous Declaration of Independence made by the Delegates of the People of
Texas in General Convention at the town of Washington on the 2nd day of March 1836.
When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the
people, from whom its (rightful) powers (come from), and for the advancement of
whose happiness it was (begun), and so far from being a guarantee for the
enjoyment of those (great) and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the
hands of evil rulers for their (tyranny).
We, therefore, the delegates (representing) the people of Texas, (assembled here
today), appealing to (the) world for the necessities of our condition, do hereby
resolve and declare, that our political connection with the Mexican nation has
forever ended, and that the people of Texas (are now forming) a free, Sovereign,
and independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and attributes
which properly belong to independent nations; …
1. What is happening in this painting, and who do you think is there? What
declaration did they make? Without the declaration, what would the battles
of the Texas Revolution have meant?
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(Original Republic of Texas Constitution)
Second Article, Declaration of Rights, The Constitution of the Republic of
Texas, March 17, 1836.
"All political power is natural in the people, and all free governments are
founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit; and (the people) have
at all times the inalienable (natural) right to (change) their government in such
manner as they might think proper."
2. What was the focus of the Second Article of the 1836 Texas Constitution?
Who did they believe should have the power in government?
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Fall of the Alamo, by Theodore Gentilz
“Rags were our uniform, sire! Nine out of ten of them
was in rags. And it was a fighting uniform.”
Texas Major and Quartermaster Valentine Bennett
3. According to the quote from Quartermaster Bennett, how might the Texas
army have compared to the Mexican army?
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The Runaway Scrape.
The following is a first personal account of the Runaway Scrape by Creed Taylor, 1900:
“…for several days, men in small groups passed our house on the Guadalupe River, almost every
hour, pushing on to Gonzales… Then came the terrible news of the Alamo slaughter; that Gonzales
was taken, all men, women and children slaughtered, and the town burned. Of course, such sudden
and terrible news created great excitement. Soon, the great evacuation began. Soldiers often desert
the army, but ours was a case of the army deserting the soldier….We had a full case of "runaway
fever." Here we found the entire neighborhood in a great panic, a messenger sent out by General
Houston had dashed through the settlements along the Guadalupe, the Navidad, and the Lavaca,
warning the people to get out of the country as fast as possible. When we left the old home, we barely
took time to close the doors.
People were moving along slowly, some on foot carrying heavy packs. Delicate women walked
alongside their packhorses, carts, or sleds, from day to day until their shoes were literally worn out.
They continued the journey with bare feet, cut and bleeding at almost every step. Their clothes were
torn, and with no means of cover from the frequent rains and bitter winds, they traveled on through the
long days in the wet and torn clothes. A Texas mother whose husband was with the army, had tied a
featherbed upon her pony, tied her oldest child on top, the next two on either end of the bed, and with
her little babe in her arms, walked along barefooted and at times so exhausted that she would sink
down almost unable to get up and keep going. When they were near San Augustine, they were
startled by the loud noise of cannons in the town. The mystery was explained when some men came
by at full speed, shouting at the top of their voices, "Hurrah for Texas, Houston has taken Santa Anna
and his army prisoners." This made every man a hero and every woman an angel. People wept for joy
and embraced each other. While many prayers of thanksgiving were offered up. It was my good
fortune to know and to neighbor with some of the refugees in the Runaway Scrape and I can testify
that better and nobler men and women have never lived. “
4. What was life like for the women and children?
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