Settlers Protest at
Anahuac

 May 1832, John Davis Bradburn arrests William B.
Travis and Patrick C. Jack for interfering with the
law
 Colonists protested the arrest and a small skirmish
occurred
 Colonists made camp at Turtle Bayou while John
Austin went to Brazoria for a canon
Turtle Bayou
Resolutions

 Colonists adopt Turtle Bayou Resolutions on June 13,
1832
 Colonists declared their loyalty to Mexico
 Denied rebelling against Mexican authority
 Insisted they were supporting Antonio Lopez de Santa
Anna
 Santa Anna was leading a revolt against Centralist
President in Mexico

 Santa Anna had promised to support the
Constitution of 1824, which was Texan favored
 Colonel Jose de las Pierdras, commander of the
Mexican garrison at Nacogdoches, arrives at
Anahuac
 Promises Texans that Bradburn would be removed
from command and he then releases Travis and jack
Velasco

 John Austin’s group had picked up a cannon at
Brazoria and loaded it onto a ship
 Colonel Ugartechea would not let them pass when
they reached Velasco
 Ugartechea surrendered and Austin’s group sailed to
Anahuac with the cannon
Conventions of 1832 and
1833

 58 delegates met in San Felipe on October 1, 1832,
where Stephen F. Austin was elected president of the
convention
 Texas was made a separate Mexican state and
immigration from the U.S. is permitted again
 Resolutions were never brought to Mexico City

 Met again April 1, 1833
 Convention of 1833, adopted resolutions like the
1832
 Prepared a constitution for the proposed Mexican
state of Texas
 Stephen F. Austin, Dr. James B. Miller and Erasmo
Seguin chosen to take resolutions to Mexico, but only
Austin went
Austin’s Mission is
Stalled

 Austin goes to Mexico and arrives in July 1833




Santa Anna is out of town so he waits
Cholera epidemic raged the capital
Waits through October and gets discouraged
Writes to authorities in San Antonio and tells them to
form their own government
Austin is Imprisoned

 November 1833, Santa Anna returns and agrees to
some of the reforms Austin requested
 Did NOT allow separate statehood but was willing
to do away with the law restricting immigration
from U.S.
 Austin leaves in December to return home

 In January 1834, Austin reached city of Saltillo in
northern Mexico and arrested because of the letter he
had written to authorities in San Antonio
 Taken back to Mexico City and was in prison for 1
year
 Local officials at various Texas towns began to press
for Austin’s freedom and he was released on bail on
Christmas day 1834

 In June 1835, given complete freedom and landed
back in Texas in September.
 He had been away for over 2 years
Reform Begins in Texas

 Reforms Santa Anna promised began in 1834
 English was now the official language for
transactions
 Allowed immigration from the U.S.
 Improved the court system
 Increased the number of Texas representatives in the
state legislature of Coahuila
 Regligious tolerance was granted
Trouble Erupts Again

 Local residents at Anahuac, lead by Andrew Briscoe,
quarreled with Captain Antonio Tenorio over
customs duties
 Argued that other ports weren’t collecting taxes and
they wanted the law enforced equally
 William B. Travis leads group from San Felipe to
Anahuac and forced Tenorio to surrender
 Some Texas didn’t approve of this action and wrote a
letter to Santa Anna’s brother in law for forgiveness
General Cos Rejects
Apology

 General Cos was upset with the Texans and
demanded Texas officials arrest those involved with
disturbance
 Wanted them turned over to military for trial
 Acted on Santa Anna’s orders
 Santa Anna no longer a Federalist, but a Centralist
 Also ordered arrest of Lorenzo de Zavala, a Mexican
politician who had taken refuge in Texas
Texans Call for
Consultation

 Texans called for a convention, known as
Consultation to discuss the matter
 Some though this Consultation might cause
problems, known as Peace Party
 War Party, favored the Consultation
 Favored an immediate declaration of independence
from Mexico, even if it meant war

 Austin gives his approval to the Consultation
 Had become convinced that Santa Anna was
becoming a dictator
 “War is our only recourse. There is no other remedy.
We must defend our rights, ourselves, and our
country by force of arms.’