The Texas Revolution
The War Begins
Many Texans were upset with the Mexican
government because Antonio López de
Santa Anna refused to follow the
Constitution of 1824.When a Mexican
officer ordered settlers at Gonzales to hand
over a cannon, they refused. They put a flag
with the challenge COME AND TAKE IT on
the cannon. On October 2, 1835, the settlers
attacked. The Battle of Gonzales signaled
the start of a war. General Martin Perfecto
de Cos ordered more troops to Texas. In
response, a group of settlers captured the
garrison at Goliad. The growing Texas force
set their sights on San Antonio and chose
Stephen F. Austin as their general. More
than 100 Tejanos—including Juan Seguín—
joined the Texas army.
Austin and his troops laid siege to San
Antonio. A siege is where an enemy is
surrounded and its supplies are cut off. The
siege seemed to have little effect. The
soldiers elected Edward Burleson to take
command. On November 26 the army
learned that Mexican soldiers with pack
animals were headed to San Antonio.
Hoping to find silver intended as soldiers’
pay, some Texans ambushed the Mexican
soldiers. They found that the animals were
carrying grass for feeding horses. This
became known as the Grass Fight. Burleson
decided to attack San Antonio. After fierce
fighting, the Texans captured the town.
The Consultation of 1835
In October 1835 Texans gathered in San
Felipe to debate the future of Texas. Pro-war
and pro-peace delegates to the Consultation
soon drafted the Declaration of November 7,
1835. The delegates pledged their loyalty to
Mexico, but they warned that they would
create an independent government if Mexico
did not restore the Constitution of 1824.
They then created a provisional, or
temporary, government. The Consultation
also created a General Council. The
delegates selected Sam Houston as
commander of a regular army.
Disagreements over strategy soon rose.
Some Texans wanted to cross the Rio Grande and attack Matamoros. Soon a force led by Francis Grant and James
Grant was marching south. This Matamoros expedition, however, only reached San Patricio and Agua Dulce Creek.
Texas did not have clear goals or leadership. In December the General Council scheduled a new convention for
March 1, 1836, to solve the government’s problems.
The Siege of the Alamo
Santa Anna led an army of approximately 6,000 soldiers to San Antonio while another group led by General José de
Urrea moved toward Goliad. Colonel James Neill had just more than 100 men in San Antonio, and about 400
soldiers were in Goliad. Sam Houston sent James Jim” Bowie to San Antonio to evaluate whether the Texans should
try to hold the town. After inspecting the Alamo’s defenses, Bowie wrote that the Texans should stay. Meanwhile,
William B. Travis raised a small force and headed to San Antonio. A few days after Travis arrived; Davy Crockett
led a dozen Tennessee volunteers there. When Neill left to care for an ill family member, Travis and Bowie took
command.
About 1,000 soldiers were needed to defend the Alamo, but the Texans numbered little more than 150. On February
23, 1836, a lookout spotted Santa Anna’s army. Santa Anna demanded the Texans’ surrender. The rebels refused,
and the Siege of the Alamo began. Travis wrote a famous plea “To the People of Texas and All Americans in the
World” requesting help. When Bowie fell ill, Travis took command. More volunteers arrived, bringing the Texas
force up to approximately 200 soldiers. Santa Anna’s army numbered at least 1,800. The Mexican soldiers attacked
on March 6, but were halted. They regrouped and soon overwhelmed the Texans. Almost every defender was killed.
Santa Anna wrongly concluded that the Alamo’s fall would convince Texans to surrender.
The Convention of 1836
In early March 1836 delegates began to arrive at Washington-on-the-Brazos for the Convention of 1836.Many of the
delegates had served in the U.S. government. Delegate Lorenzo de Zavala had served in the Mexican Congress. On
March 2, 1836, the delegates agreed upon a declaration of independence. The delegates then used the U.S.
Constitution as a model for a constitution. The document created a government with three branches. The legislative
branch would make the laws, which would be carried out by the executive branch. The judicial branch would
provide a court system. The Constitution of 1836 also contained a bill of rights. This is a statement of rights that the
government cannot take away. The constitution also ensured slavery as a legal institution. The delegates then set up
an ad interim, or temporary, government. David G. Burnet was selected as president.
Independence is Won
Sam Houston soon learned that Santa Anna was heading to Gonzales, where Houston had fewer than 400 men. He
ordered a retreat. As word spread about the Alamo, many civilians fled eastward. This became known as the
Runaway Scrape. On March 14 General Urrea won the Battle of Refugio, defeating a number of James Fannin’s
troops. Houston ordered Fannin to withdraw from Goliad to Victoria. Fannin did not act immediately, giving Urrea
the chance to catch up with him. Soon after Fannin left Goliad, Urrea’s forces captured the Texans in the Battle of
Coleto. On Santa Anna’s orders, Urrea’s troops shot more than 400 Texans outside of Goliad. Only a few escaped
the Goliad Massacre.
Houston continued to retreat, believing that the Texas force was too small and untrained to defeat Santa Anna’s
army. Houston moved his men to Groce’s Landing, 20 miles north of San Felipe. There Houston trained and drilled
his troops. They also received two cannons. On April 12, 1836, Houston’s troops marched to Harrisburg. There they
learned that Santa Anna’s army was camped nearby. On April 20 the Texans moved down Buffalo Bayou to a grove
of trees with a field in front of them. The Mexican troops moved to a nearby position. The Mexican army, however,
had chosen a site that was vulnerable to the Texans. Houston decided to launch a major attack on April 21. He
assembled some 900 soldiers that afternoon and ordered them to move across the field, where they surprised the
Mexican troops. The Battle of San Jacinto lasted only about 18 minutes. Some 630 Mexican soldiers were killed,
while only nine Texas soldiers were killed or died from their wounds. Santa Anna was captured the next day hiding
in the marsh.