7-2 Flashcards
Why did Mexico invite Americans to come to Texas?
issues with Natives. Spanish-speaking Mexicans usually had settlements in the southern part of Texas and refused to move up north where mainly Natives lived.
What were the 3 colonization laws that Mexico introduced?
- offer of cheap land
- 10 year exemption from paying taxes
- become citizens, abide by Mexican law, and convert to Roman Catholicism
This person was the first American to set up a settlement in Texas.
Stephen F. Austin
These were agents or contractors that were given large land grants by Mexico.
empresarios
What did the National Colonization Act state?
- Mexico give 26 empresarios large amounts of land
- empresarios fill land with certain number of settlers
- empresarios ensure settlers follow Mexican laws and religion.
What was the first American settlement in Texas?
Washington-on-the-Brazos
How did Americans respond to first settling in Texas?
They agreed to Mexican citizenship at first, but didn’t adopt to customs or consider Mexico their country.
After Haden and Benjamin Edward first discussed independence, what did Mexico do?
- close borders to Americans
- banned importation of slaves
- taxed goods imported from US to discourage trade
What did Americans ask of Mexico in the two’s first convention in 1832?
to reopen borders to immigrants and decrease taxes
What did Americans demand from Mexico in the two’s second convention in 1833?
- separation of Texas and creating new Mexican state
- create a constitution for new state
They also sent Stephen F. Austin to negotiate, but it failed.
Why was Stephen F. Austin arrested?
treason
What did Santa Anna do that ensured the Americans would fight for their independence?
He, a democratic president, declared himself dictator. America no like dictatorship.
What was the Mexican Army like?
- politically instable, which led to lack of strong leadership
- little training
- lack of support
What was the early Texas Army like?
- few men had military training
- nobody wanting to emerge as a leader (until Sam Houston took command)
What happened at the Alamo?
The Alamo was an old abandoned mission where Colonel William B. Travis and his force held out for 13 days before being taken down by Mexican forces.
Why was the Alamo significant?
Sam Houston was given nearly 2 more weeks to develop his army, and it served as a rallying cry for the remainder of the war (Remember the Alamo)
What happened at Goliad?
The Texan Army surrendered the battle hoping that the Mexicans would just kick them out of Texas. However, Santa Anna demanded them all (~300 men) to be executed by firing squad.
What happened at the Battle of San Jacinto?
Santa Anna didn’t see Houston as a threat, so he allowed his army to rest in the afternoon thinking that he wouldn’t attack until the next day. However, Houston launched a surprise attack that afternoon, and swiftly won due to Santa Anna’s lack of preparedness.
What was the name of Texas as an independent country?
The Republic of Texas
Who was the first president of Texas?
Sam Houston
Why wasn’t Texas immediately annexed into the U.S.?
They had worry about admitting Texas as a slave state.
