The Texas Revolution - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The Texas RevolutionSlide2

Battle of Gonzales –

victory for Texas

First battle of the Texas

Revolution – October 2, 1835

Mexican forces were ordered to take brass cannon from the town of Gonzales to San Antonio. The Texans refused to give up the cannon. They attacked the Mexicans and the battle ended quickly.

First significant challenge of Texas forces to Mexican

control

A few days later, Texans defeated another group of Mexican soldiers at Goliad – October 9, 1835Slide3

The Alamo –

General Cos

Victory for Texas

General Cos was Santa Anna’s brother in law. Texans defeated a strong Mexican force under the command of General Cos. The battle lasted 5 days.

General Cos was forced to surrender to the Texans – December 5-10, 1835

General Cos promised to never raise arms against Texans again.

Texans thought war was over.Slide4

The Alamo –

Santa Anna

Victory for MexicoSam Houston ordered James Bowie to remove ammunition from the Alamo and destroy it. Bowie defied Houston's orders and prepared to defend the position with 150 volunteers. Reinforcements brought the number to between 182 and 188 men. Santa Anna's forces of

approximately 6,000 soldiers

arrived February

23

rd

.

Date of the battle at the Alamo -> February

23 – March 6, 1836

Fighting lasted 12-13 days

Instead of symbolizing Mexican strength,

the fall of the Alamo represented Texas fortitude

.

All were killed at the Alamo except the women and children.

Susanna Dickenson - One of the few survivors of the

Alamo -> The most quoted

eyewitness source to the final and subsequent events surrounding the

Alamo

“Remember the Alamo

!”

became the battle cry.

Convention of 1836 took place at the same time while fighting was taking place at the Alamo.

Declared Texas independent of Mexico

Texas Declaration of Independence approved on March 2, 1836

Next, they wrote the Constitution of 1836Slide5

The Travis Letter

Commandancy of the

Alamo

Bejar, Feby. 24th. 1836To the People of Texas & All Americans in the WorldFellow 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 — The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken — I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls — 

I shall never surrender or retreat

.  Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch — The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days.  If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country — 

Victory or Death

.

William Barrett Travis.

Lt.  Col. comdt.

P

. S.  The Lord is on our side — When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn — We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves.

TravisSlide6
Slide7

Goliad Massacre –

Victory for Mexico

Santa Anna had over 300 more Texans executed at Goliad.

Date of the Goliad Massacre -> March 27, 1836“Remember Goliad!”

–

became a battle

cry Slide8

Battle at San Jacinto

–

Victory for Texas

Texan general, Sam Houston gathered more troops, 800 in all.It included Tejanos, American settlers, volunteers from the United States, and many free and enslaved African Americans.

They met Santa Anna at San Jacinto.

Their battle cry was,

“Remember the Alamo!”

It was over in 18 minutes. More than half the Mexican army was killed.

Date of the battle of San Jacinto -> April

21, 1836

Santa Anna was forced to sign a treaty giving Texas its freedom.

With the Battle of San

Jacinto, Texas

was now an independent country.Slide9

Battle of San Jacinto

Geography played a role in the Texas victory:

Texans’ battle line formed down the San Jacinto River, protected by the swamp and dense grove oak trees

Mexicans abandoned high ground and took position behind a ridge line that kept them from seeing the Texans’ battle line; marsh and water to their backHouston ordered Vince’s Bridge destroyed, cutting off Santa Anna's route to escape through the bayous

Mexican escape route also blocked by San Jacinto River and Peggy LakeSlide10

Treaty of Velasco, May 14, 1836

Treaty gives Texas it’s independence also boundary between Mexico and Texas established

Features of the treaty:

Rio Grande would be the Southern border of Texas

Mexico argues that it is the Nueces River

Mexico would never invade Texas

again -> Fighting was to end –

Public Treaty

Mexico would recognize Texas as an independent

nation –

Private Treaty

Santa Anna promised to sign a trade agreement with Texas