what caused texans to seek revenge against santa annas troops

Santa Anna and the Texas Revolution

On September 29, 1835, a detachment of the Mexican army arrived in Gonzales, Texas, a Mexican land, to confiscate a cannon . The cannon was well hidden, just eighteen armed men stood in plain sight. They taunted the Mexicans to "come up and take information technology." The two sides talked and dickered, merely no action was taken. However, the little ring of men grew to 167 in two days. Early on the next morning the Texans attacked the Mexican camp believing they were going to attack that twenty-four hours (Lord 38). With this attack the Texas Revolution was started. It was a revolution that Texas would somewhen win. 1 of the greatest helps to the Texan cause was Santa Anna, the Mexican president, who provided the cause for revolution, stirred up the Texans' acrimony and zeal, and caused the Texans to win the final boxing at San Jacinto.

In a sense Santa Anna started the Texas Revolution by repealing the Mexican Constitution of 1824. In full general the Constitution gave considerable rights to the individual Mexican states. It was based on "a federal regime of sovereign states" (Woods). Nether this constitution, American settlers in Texas were exempt from any taxes, tariffs, and government services including defence, so the Texans governed themselves (Woods). They believed the constitution guaranteed self-government (Lord 32). In 1830, the Mexican congress passed a law saying that no more Americans could emigrate to Texas and it also allowed for the garrisoning of captive troops to police the area and enforce the laws (Binkley 41). Several factors led up to this conclusion. First, the U.s.a. repeatedly tried to buy Texas from Mexico, and the Mexicans were starting to wonder if the settling of Texas was some sort of covert effort to take over Texas (Binkley five). Second, according to Lamont Woods, ethnic prejudices were very much live. All someone had to do was exploit this to start a war (Wood). Third, many of the American settlers endemic and used slaves. However, slavery was outlawed in Texas, merely non in the residue of United mexican states where it was not skillful (Wood). Finally, the American settlers tended to settle in the areas around Gonzales, about 65 east of San Antonio (run across map). I reason Mexico opened Texas up for immigration in the first place was to have people settle between United mexican states and the fierce Comanche Indians who lived in key and northwest Texas thus forming a buffer. However, the Texans never settled there, and Mexico's expectation went unfulfilled (Wood).

Between 1833 and 1855 the Mexican presidency inverse hands at to the lowest degree thirty-six times, and Antonio 50�pez de Santa Anna ruled xi of those time (People). When he ruled, Santa Anna would oft exit the actual job of president to his advisors. During these various times, the liberal wing of United mexican states had tried some reforms that threatened the power of both the ground forces and clergy. Now the phase was set for a reactionary movement led by those two influential forces. Then in May 1834, the army and clergy persuaded Santa Anna to dissolve both Congress and the state legislatures and declare himself a dictator (Binkley 41). After all Santa Anna was a vain man who liked applause.

When Santa Anna dissolved the country legislature and brought all the ability to himself, Texas plant itself working under an illegal organisation of government. So, Texas rebelled forth with several other Mexican states (Binkley 41). The Texans originally fought for the Constitution of 1824 simply presently turned to independence. A good illustration of this is the convention which was organized in October 1835 with orders "to secure peace if it is to be obtained on ramble terms, and to prepare for war, if state of war be inevitable" (Binkley 60). The start real fight started on September 29, 1835 when General Cos of the Mexican army sent some men to accept a cannon from Gonzales. There was a stand up off which concluded in a skirmish. The Mexicans ran dorsum to San Antonio without the cannon (Lord 38). The Texas revolution had started. The Texans followed the Mexicans to San Antonio and the Alamo where the Texans forced General Cos to give up and leave Texas. Texas now was in control of the Alamo (Lord 56).

The Alamo was an sometime Spanish mission in San Antonio in central Texas. It had served equally a military garrison for the Castilian, Mexicans, and Texans. After the Texans chased General Cos out of Texas, they used the Alamo as a fort. Santa Anna decreed that "all foreigners who might be caught under arms on Mexican soil should be treated equally pirates and shot" (Binkley 97). This was an endeavor to scare everyone from fighting especially since foreigners fabricated up near of the Texan army .

At this time when Santa Anna marched into Texas in Feb 1836, he attacked the Alamo. On March 6, 1836 the Alamo fell after a thirteen mean solar day siege causing every man in the fort to exist either killed or wounded (Wood). The six wounded men who survived the assault were captured, and Santa Anna had them executed on the spot (Wood). His "take-no-prisoners" policy was initialized.

The way in which the Alamo was defeated raised the defenders to legendary status. It is probably the almost well known event in Texas history. Several movies have been fabricated near the defeat. Also the Alamo inspired the writing of the Ballad of the Alamo which was recorded past Marty Robbins.

The next move after the Alamo was east to the fort at Goliad (view a map) under the control of Colonel Fannin. He had spent all winter fortifying his control and preparing for war; however, when the Alamo called for help Fannin refused. Then when Santa Anna came to Goliad, Fannin packed up, and he and his men retreated due east toward the U.s.a. boarder. They remembered everything except food. A few hours later, the Mexican army caught upward and quickly surrounded Fannin's command. After a short fight, Fannin surrendered. He and his men were marched back to Goliad and, a week later, were led out into a field and shot (O'Connor). Three other divisions of the Texas army were likewise executed by the Mexicans: one in San Patricio and two that returned to Goliad afterward the surrender (O'Connor).

At offset Santa Anna'due south policy of execution carried the desired consequence; all the Texans ran toward the American edge (meet map). However, his policy backfired. All the weak hearted Texan soldiers quit the regular army leaving but the hard core men. They were staunch men who were "blazing, fighting mad" (Lord 191). The way the Alamo was destroyed also caused the remaining Texan army to exist fifty-fifty more determined. They had let the Alamo down by not sending reinforcements. They would not let her down once more (Lord 191). The next meeting with Santa Anna would prove a different outcome.

The next boxing was on an isle in a bayou next to the San Jacinto River well-nigh halfway betwixt San Antonio and the Louisiana border. Santa Anna lost this battle simply by stupidity. On April 20, 1836, Colonel Sidney Sherman, commander of the Texan cavalry, skirmished with the Mexican army nevertheless led past Santa Anna (Kemp). Nothing was accomplished except inspire the Texans for the next twenty-four hours. The Mexicans followed the Texas army beyond Vince'southward bridge which the Texans promptly cutting down thus cutting off their simply style of escape (Battle). The next day, April 21, showed no sign of Texan activeness, and so Santa Anna ordered the soldiers to stack the guns and become some slumber. The cavalry also dismounted and ate lunch (Lord 195).

At four o'clock in the afternoon, while the Mexican camp slept, the Texan army opened fire with their two six-pound cannons. The entire Texan line surged frontward shouting "Remember the Alamo!" "Call up Goliad!" (Kemp). The fighting was extremely intense. The Texans were driven by their anger for the manner Santa Anna had killed anybody he captured. They were so mad that General Houston, commander of the Texan army, did not want the Tejanos, Mexicans who sided with the Texans, to fight because he feared that the Texans would not distinguish between friend and foe during the battle. The Tejanos wanted to fight and went into boxing wearing cardboard signs in their hats to testify that they were on the Texan side (Marks). In the xviii minutes of battle, the Mexican army camp was turned into a blood bathroom. All the Mexican soldiers could practise was drop on their knees and shout, "Me no Alamo! Me no Goliad!" (Kemp). Seven hundred Mexicans were killed and another 730 taken prisoner (Battle), and no Mexicans escaped off the isle.

Santa Anna disappeared during the boxing, so the side by side day Full general Houston ordered a thorough search of the island. During the search, a Texan named Sylvester caught a Mexican dressed as a mutual soldier trying to escape. When the Mexican was brought dorsum to campsite the other Mexican prisoners shouted, "El Presidente!" thus betraying Santa Anna's identity (Kemp). Santa Anna surrendered to General Houston, and agreed to grant Texas independence (Binkley 109). Texas was free.

If only Santa Anna had not repealed the Constitution of 1824. If only Santa Anna had non dissolved the legislatures. If only Santa Anna had non killed every Texan prisoner. If just Santa Anna had not gone to sleep without posting a guard at San Jacinto. If but Santa Anna had done whatsoever of these things Texas would probably still be a Mexican state; however, Santa Anna did none of these things. In fact it was his failure to do whatsoever of these things that acquired Texas to become an independent commonwealth.

Works Cited
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Richard Wright Copyright 1999

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Source: https://www.andrews.edu/~rwright/Oldwww/Alamo/revolution.html

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