Transcript After Gonzales: The Beginning of the Revolution

Revolution and Republic
The Battle of Gonzales to the Battle
of the Alamo
Unit Six, Section One Notes
Why were the Texans angry with the
Mexican Government?
Causes of the Texas Revolution
• Pressures of the United States
• The Instability of the new Mexican
Government
• Cultural Differences
• Governmental Differences
• Slavery
• The Physical Isolation of Texas
• The Creation of a Centralist Government
Important Events Leading to the
Revolution
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Mexican Constitution of 1824
Law of April 6, 1830
Turtle Bayou Resolutions – 1832
Stephen F. Austin’s Arrest – January 1834
Battle of Gonzales – October 2, 1835
The Battle of Gonzales: Oct. 2, 1835
The original “Come and Take
It” Flag was sewn from a
wedding gown.
The original brass cannon
from Gonzales was found in
1936 after a rainstorm
uncovered it a century after
it was buried in a creek
bed.
What Caused the Battle of Gonzales?
Capture of Goliad: Oct. 10, 1835
After the Mexican troops failed to retrieve the
cannon and fled the town of Gonzales, General
Martín Perfecto de Cos ordered 300 Mexican
troops to Texas to put down the rebellion at
Gonzales. The soldiers were met by settlers from
Matagordo and Victoria, Texas. Texas men named
George Collinsworth and Ben Milam commanded
the Texas forces. On October 10, they surrounded
the Mexican garrison and forced them to
surrender.
Where else have we heard the name
“Ben Milam”?
Siege of Bexar
(Also called the Battle of San Antonio):
October 12 to December 10, 1835
This gave the Texans the confidence to make a
planned attack on San Antonio, where General
Cos and his men were stationed. The Texans
chose Stephen F. Austin as their general and
began their long march to San Antonio. The
Texans had the help of some angry Tejanos
who disagreed with Santa Anna, including
Juan Seguin, the son of Erasmo Seguin. After a
few smaller battles that were won by the
Texans, Cos’ men were weak and unorganized.
What is a Tejano? And why would
they be angry, too?
Siege of Bexar:
October 12 to December 10, 1835
On December 5, 1835, the Mexican and Texas
armies began their fight in the city of San
Antonio. After three days, Milam was killed, but
the Texans were winning and the Mexican army
was forced to retreat. On December 10th, Cos
surrendered and almost every Mexican soldier
was forced out of Texas. This made many Texans
believe that they had won – that they could
create their own state government and operate
under the Constitution of 1824. But Santa Anna
did not agree.
If this battle is called the “Siege of
Bexar,” what does it suggest about
the situation for the two sides?
Debating Independence
During the debate about what to do next, two
factions emerged: the pro-war Texans and propeace Texans. The pro-war group believed
that Texas should declare independence from
Mexico, while the pro-peace group argued
that they would lose the support of Tejanos in
Texas if they did so.
What should the Texans decide?
Why?
A Compromise: The Declaration of
November 7, 1835
The factions reached a compromise with a
Declaration of November 7, 1835. With it,
they pledged their loyalty to Mexico and
claimed that they were only defending
themselves. They warned that if Mexico did
not restore the Constitution of 1824, they
would create an independent government of
Texas. While waiting for a reply, they created a
provisional government. Sam Houston was
chosen as commander of the army and Henry
Smith was elected governor.
What would be the importance of
creating a provisional government
while they waited for a reply?
Santa Anna Marches Into Texas
Though the Texans thought the fight was over,
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was far
from giving up. He decided that he would
march his own army of 6,000 soldiers into
Texas and end the revolution himself. He led
half of the forces to San Antonio, while his
senior general, José de Urrea, took the other
half towards Goliad. Sam Houston prepared
for war, though he was worried that they were
ill prepared to fight Santa Anna and his huge
army.
As Santa Anna Marched Toward
Texas…
Sam Houston sent Jim Bowie to San Antonio to
evaluate the situation there and to see if they
were ready to defend San Antonio if necessary.
Bowie told Houston and Governor Smith that he
believed that the Alamo should be defended, as it
could provide protection against Santa Anna.
Because of his recommendation, William B. Travis
was ordered to gather men and head to San
Antonio to help prepare the Alamo. More U.S.
volunteers came, including Davy Crockett and
James Bonham.
Santa Anna Arrives in San Antonio
Not long after William Barret Travis arrived at
the Alamo, Santa Anna and his army reached
San Antonio. The defenders and their families
rushed into the walls of the Alamo, along with
provisions and ammunition. Santa Anna raised
a red flag of no mercy over the church tower,
signaling that the men at the Alamo should
surrender. Travis replied with a cannon shot.
What do you think William B. Travis
was trying to say with the cannon
shot?
“To the People of Texas…”
Not long after Santa Anna’s arrival, Jim Bowie
became sick with pneumonia and collapsed.
Travis took over full command of the men at
the Alamo and began writing letters, begging
for reinforcements. On February 24th, Travis
wrote his famous plea “To the People of Texas
and All Americans in the World.” He then sent
Juan Seguin and others to Sam Houston to ask
for help.
“Fellow citizens & compatriots—I am besieged,
by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under
Santa Anna—I have sustained a continual
bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have
not lost a man.”
What does the word “besieged” mean in this
sentence?
As the Battle Nears…
As Davy Crockett and his men began firing on
nearby Mexican troops, the Mexicans tried to
cut off the water supply to the Alamo. Fearing
that the main battle was near, James Butler
Bonham was sent to Goliad to ask Col. James
Fannin to come help defend the Alamo. In an
attempt to forget some of their worries, the
Texans at the Alamo had a party, with Crockett
playing his fiddle, but his music was not as
loud as the Mexican army playing outside the
Alamo walls.
Lead Up to the Battle…
General Santa Anna soon began reorganizing his
troops and not long after, 32 men from Gonzales
rode into the Alamo. Travis wrote one last letter,
pleading for more soldiers, but the men from
Gonzales were the only ones who came to their aid.
The Texans began firing the cannon towards Santa
Anna’s headquarters, not knowing that at the same
time, the Texas Declaration of Independence was
being confirmed at Washington-on-the-Brazos.
A Line in the Dirt
Soon, James Bonham rode back through the
Mexican troops to the Alamo, where he
informed Travis that Fannin would not be
coming with the other 400 soldiers. Mexican
troops began sending shots into the north and
west walls of the Alamo, and Travis knew that
there was no hope. He drew a line in front of
the Alamo chapel, and asked any man who
would stay and fight to cross it. Jim Bowie was
carried across by other men on a cot. Only one
man left, and his name was Moses Rose.
Why was James Bonham brave?
The Fall of the Alamo
As the Mexican troops moved into position, the
band began playing “The Deguello,” meaning that
the Mexican army would take no prisoners. On
the morning of March 6, 1836, Travis told his men
not to surrender, and he was one of the first to
die. The battle was quickly over. At least 182
Texans died, which was every soldier in the
Alamo. Some historians believe there could have
been more unaccounted. There were 1800
Mexican soldiers, and 600 Mexican casualties.
Santa Anna allowed women and children to live,
along with one or two other noncombatants,
some who were slaves.
El Deguello
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPYIafVxMU
w&feature=related
Santa Anna’s Letter of Victory
Not long after the battle ended, General Santa
Anna wrote a letter of victory, stating that
their win was “a complete and glorious
triumph.” Santa Anna believed that the fall of
the Alamo would convince Texans to
surrender. Instead, the Alamo became a
symbol to many Texans that they must fight
for their freedom at any cost.