April 21, 2023 • 38 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, the official Texas State Historian Monte Monroe tells the sweeping story of how the Texas we know and love today found its footing as a nation in response to tyranny and oppression.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Lee Habib and this is Our American Stories,
the show where America is the star and the American people.
Search for the Our American Stories podcast go to the
iHeartRadio app, to Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Up next to story about the only state in our
nation to join US as a nation, I'm of course
(00:31):
talking about Texas. Here to tell the story of how
Texas gained its independence from Mexico is Monte Monroe, the
Texas state historian. Take it away, Monty.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I think it's necessary to tell just a little bit
about the first group of Europeans that came into this
geographical space that we now call Texas, the Spanish Conquistadors.
Prior to the discovery of the New World, Spain had
(01:05):
suffered under an extended period of war from about seven
eleven AD when the Moors from Africa invaded Spain. They
pushed the inhabitants all the way back across the Iberian
Peninsula to the vicinity of what is today France. Ultimately,
(01:27):
a small group of Spanish Christians defeated the Muslims at
the famous Battle of Covidanga, and this marked the beginning
of the so called Reconquista or reconquest period of Spain,
which lasted over seven hundred and seventy four years that
struggle took place. It ended basically in fourteen ninety two,
(01:51):
when Isabella and Ferdinand, who had unified the Iberian Peninsula
to a large extent, forced the Muslims out of Granada
following a ten year siege. It's in this atmosphere of
this general nationalistic expansion that Columbus made his great discovery
(02:12):
of the so called New World, and his discoveries started
this period of maritime reconnaissance and inland conquests that brought
great wealth to Spain and of course led to what
would ultimately become Texas and the conquerors of the Indies,
(02:33):
known as the Idel and Pados are the ones out front.
Were also driven by medieval tales about the Seven Cities
of Cibola's Seven Cities. Goal Ponce de Leon explored Florida
looking for the Fountain of Youth, another one of these
mythical stories that had been passed down during the period
of the Reconquista. Balboa, of course, searched for gold in
(02:57):
Central America. Other great explorers, Spanish explorers moved into the interior. Cortes,
as we well know, conquered the Aztecs by fifteen twenty one.
Francisco Pizarro in fifteen thirteen discovered the Great Inca Empire
and its fabulous wealth. And just to give you an
(03:17):
idea of what we were talking about when we say
fabulous wealth, Pizarro, with literally one hundred and fifty to
one hundred and seventy men, neutralized an Inca force of
some eighty thousand and they reaped the benefit of roughly
thirteen thousand, five hundred pounds of gold, Okay, that's a lot,
(03:42):
and over twenty six thousand pounds of silver. The thing
is remarkable about this whole period is within twenty years
Spain had conquered an empire larger than Rome's had ever been.
By sixteen eighteen we start to see the establishment of
(04:05):
San Antonio de Valerjo, what we call today the Alamo
is established. The Indians in that region didn't necessarily get
along with each other, so there were various missions that
were established amongst various groups. They flourished for a while,
became ranching centers in the center part of what would
become Texas. The Spanish brought in huge herds of cattle
(04:29):
and horses that would ultimately be important after the Civil
War for more modern day Texans. By seventeen thirty one,
you literally have Spanish colonists from the Canary Islands that
come to Texas and they're the ones that found the
first civil jurisdiction within Texas, and it's called the Via
(04:52):
of San Fernando de la Bejar, which becomes San Antonio. Ultimately,
Spanish interest in Texas starts to wane. There are problems
in Spain itself. But by seventeen sixty or seventeen fifty nine,
(05:14):
Charles the Third, who was the King of England, part
of the Bourbon Dynasty. He was a reformist and he
wanted to reform Spanish colonial institutions. To do that, he
wanted to undermine the existing bureaucracies, to economize things and
of course have more money come back to Spain than
(05:35):
stay in the New World. Ultimately, these reforms only had
limited success, and that will lead to the Spanish government
looking to change the situation. By around eighteen hundred, what
happened was at the same time you literally have what
(05:57):
we call filibusters coming in from Louisiana, and other places.
Like Philip Nolan was an American filibuster. He was coming
in trying to find wild mustangs, to capture these horses
to sell in the United States. He even attempted, or
was perceived by the Spanish to attempt insurrection. He was
(06:19):
ultimately killed near present day Waco. His people were taken
captive and they wound up working the mines in northern Mexico.
And so Spanish officials realized that Texas had economic potential,
but they had to have the right kind of folks
in there, okay. And so even those Spain's many century
(06:45):
role in what would be the history of Texas was
coming to it's nator, they felt like they had to
do something.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
And you're listening to Texas State historian Monte Monroe telling
the story of how Texas became an independent nation, and
of course it began with the Spanish exploration of the
Americas and from there well so much more. This story
is not just the story of US history and Texas history.
In the end, it's a world geography course as well.
(07:21):
When we come back more of this remarkable story of
how Texas became an independent nation. Here on our American
story folks, if you love the stories we tell about
this great country, and especially the stories of America's rich past,
know that all of our stories about American history, from
war to innovation, culture and faith, are brought to us
(07:43):
by the great folks at Hillsdale College, a place where
students study all the things that are beautiful in life
and all the things that are good in life. And
if you can't get to Hillsdale, Hillsdale will come to
you with their free and terrific online courses. Go to
Hillsdale dot edu to learn more. And we returned to
(08:10):
our American stories and the story of Texas. When we
last left off, Monty Monroe, the Texas State Historian, was
telling us about the conquerors of the New World, the Spanish,
and how they desired to see the large swath of
land that would become the Texas we know and love today,
developed economically. Let's continue with the story.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
As Spain is starting to lose their grip on Texas,
colonization becomes stagnant. The Spanish realized this, and they've realized
they had to instigate something to keep their toe hold
in what was then Tajas. What they did was that
(08:57):
they reached out and they created a plan called defensive Immigration.
And what they wanted to do was find the right
kind of so called Anglo Americans to move into Texas
to serve as a buffer not only against the Apache
in the Comanchee, but also against other Americans. But they
(09:21):
wanted to draw them in and make Texas an economically
viable place. They look for Americans who could speak Spanish
or were willing to speak Spanish, who were Catholic, and
they found one such person who had been at that
(09:42):
time living in Spanish Louisiana. This man's name was Moses Austin.
He was a former Spanish subject. He was a friend
with a Texan, the Baron de Bastrop, and he made
a request to bring three hundred families to Texas and
(10:06):
settle in land between the Colorado and Brazos river. But
ultimately Austin, Moses Austin dies in eighteen twenty one, and
he calls upon his son, Stephen F. Austin on his
deathbed to fulfill his dream of bringing colonists to Texas,
and that's what happened. He issued over fifteen hundred grants
(10:29):
and brought in over four thousand people and that was
a larger population than during the entire three hundred plus
year history of Spanish colonial efforts. By the end of
the Mexican period, and right at the cusp of the
(10:50):
Texas Revolution, you have some twenty thousand immigrants who had
come from the Mississippi River Valley in the Southern States
had come to Texas, and by eighteen thirty five, the
population of Texas, not counting Native Americans, was over thirty
thousand people. So that was a huge influx of people
(11:10):
into Texas.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
By that time.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
But by eighteen thirty the Mexicans decided that they needed
to have a little bit more control over Texas because
by then there are a number of things that are
occurring that frighten them about the number of Americans coming
in and the motivations of the Americans that were coming
(11:33):
into Texas. In eighteen twenty six, the impresario Hayden Edwards
had gotten into conflict with some of the older residents
by Barbos in East Texas. He went over to the
United States in Louisiana and he raised an independent army.
He came back, he started the so called for Donia Rebellion,
(11:53):
declared part of East Texas independent from Mexico. So the
Mexicans started to realize they were going to have a problem. Thankfully,
they had the right man in Texas during this period,
and that person was Stephen F. Austin. Austin brought together
his militia forces from his colony and he was able
(12:14):
to put down the Fredonia rebellion. But the Mexican saw
this as clear evidence that Anglo Texans secretly wanted to
join the US. So what they did was start to
clant down. That brought about a law that would set
Texans on a trajectory towards revolution, and that was the
(12:37):
so called Law of six April eighteen thirty. It banned
further immigration from the US, It prohibited trade with United States.
There were to be no more slaves imported into Texas,
no more land could be taken up along the border
with the US, and convict soldiers were to be garrison
(13:00):
near the borders to enforce immigration policies. So Texans weren't
very happy. The aftermath of this law kind of has
parallels to the American colonies because Mexico, like Britain, was
attempting to reassert its control over her territory and to
tax them that should sound familiar, and this led to
(13:22):
a reaction in Texas. As you might suspect you had
a revolt at Anniwak. The Mexican government had established a
new presidio or fort at Anniwac to guard the coast
of Texas and enforce terraf for tax laws. That the
(13:43):
Mexican commander at the presidio there at Annihac was the
Texans thought he was more like a military occupier. His
name was Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn. He was an Irishman,
but was a Mexican citizen working for the Mexican government.
He tended to impose arbitrary rule. He impressed supplies from
(14:04):
the colonists and slave labor. As a matter of fact,
he ultimately arrested a young lawyer by the name of
William B. Travis for trying to release some runaway slaves
that were held at the presidio or the fort there
at Aniwak. And so that caused the Texans to lay
siege to Bradburn's garrison in eighteen thirty two, and there
(14:29):
was a standoff and ultimately intervention by moderates like Stephen F.
Austin and the rebels pulled back to a little creek
or a little bio called turtle Bio, and they drafted
a pro federalist in other words, the type of document
that you would expect Americans to draft where you have
(14:49):
a dispersal down to local government, not a centralized government,
which Mexico is increasingly starting to become, as we'll find
out here in a minute. And they write this Turtle
Bio resolutions. In their defense, they said, we're loyal Mexican citizens.
We claim loyalty to the so called federalist ideas of
(15:11):
the Constitution of eighteen twenty four, but we're against these
increasingly centralist notions that are starting to emerge in Mexico. Ultimately,
Mexican authorities replaced Bradburn. Most of the Texans that were
living in Texas at that time condemned these radicals, and
(15:32):
the majority adhered to a so called Peace Party, and
this was led by Stephen F. Austin, who is a
major player in all things leading up to the Texas Revolution.
In the establishment of Texas as a republic, he sought
to handle grievances through political and legislative means versus through
reactionary means as such had happened with William Travis. In
(15:56):
contrast to the War Party, the Peace Party in October
of eighteen thirty who held a meeting called the Consultation
of eighteen thirty two, and they voiced their complaints to
Mexican officials. Ultimately, they wanted the Law of sixth April
eighteen thirty repealed. They especially wanted terror productions. They wanted
to lift restrictions on immigration. They wanted more local control.
(16:20):
They wanted independent statehood for Texas. Texas at this time
is paired with the Mexican territory of Koila, and the
Texans wanted more independence. They wanted their own legislative body,
they wanted to be able to appoint their own government officials,
and they wanted funding for primary schools. Well, these resolutions
(16:46):
never got past the authorities in San Antonio because the
consultation was considered an extra legal or illegal gathering. Well,
because nothing came of these first complaints. The Texans met
again at San Felipe for another consultation. But at this
consultation there were new leaders, and these are leaders that
(17:07):
will start to have a prominent role in Texas politics.
For instance, one of the new leaders of the Consultation
of eighteen thirty three was Sam Houston, a name that
virtually everybody is familiar with.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
State sovereignty, battles over immigration and who controls whose destiny,
and sovereignty questions. Then they were fighting about questions. Today,
citizens around the world are still fighting about the story
of how Texas became an independent nation, as told by
Texas State Historian Monte Monroe. The story continues after these
(17:49):
messages here on our American story, and we returned to
our American stories in the Story of Texas with Monte Monroe,
(18:13):
the Texas State Historian. When we last left off, Monty
was telling us about the empresario system, a land grant
policy by the Spanish and then Mexican governments which brought
Americans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston to Texas.
This policy would eventually come to haunt the Mexican government
as some Americans began to revolt. In response, Mexico would
(18:35):
issue a law that would infringe upon the rights of many.
This led to Texans attempting to consult with the Mexican government,
and the first attempt would fail. Nevertheless, they decided to
try again. Let's return to the story.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
At this consultation there were new leaders, and these are
leaders that will start to have a prominent role in
Texas politics. For instance, one of the new leaders of
the Consultation of eighteen thirty three was Sam Houston, a
name that virtually everybody is familiar with. He was a
(19:12):
protege of Andrew Jackson. He had been former governor of
Tennessee in eighteen twenty seven. He had been a US
Indian agent living in the so called Indian Nations in
what is today Oklahoma. Among the Cherokee, these guys became
vocal and they had different opinions from Steven F. Austin.
(19:35):
They opposed the authoritarian government that had existed in Spain
and Mexico, believing that Mexico, like Spain, was governed by
something called the unholy alliance of the Church and army
and the large landowners who tended to dominate. This consultation
ultimately sent Stephen F. Austin to Mexico City to present
(19:59):
the grievances. Just bypassed the authorities in San Antonio, and
by January eighteen thirty three, Santa Anna is elected the
new president, and initially he embraces federalist principles, and so
everything seemed fine. He immediately retires. He goes to his home.
He installs one of the preeminent liberal federalists, Valentine Gomez Farius,
(20:24):
as the interim president, and Gomez actually worked to weaken
the power and privileges of the Unholy Alliance. Even Santa
Anna met with Austin, agreed to revoke the Law of
April sixth, eighteen thirty but refused to separate Texas and Koela,
you know, fearing that if you separate those Texans out there,
(20:45):
they're going to drift towards the United States. Well, prior
to this breakthrough, Austin had become frustrated down in Mexico.
He couldn't seem to get answers to his questions, and
he sent a letter back to the Texans telling them
to prepare to seek independence on their own. Well, that
(21:05):
letter would ultimately haunt him, because by May eighteen thirty four,
Santa Anna comes out of his self imposed retirement. He
returns to power not as a federalist but as a
conservative centralist supporter of the Church in the military, and
he removes Gomez from office, and Austin's letter is intercepted,
(21:27):
Santa Anna has him arrested for treason. He's imprisoned for
a year. Following his return to power as a centralist,
Santa Anna calls for new congressional elections that brought a
centralist conservative majority into the National Congress. He replaces the
Constitution of eighteen twenty four with something called the Siete
(21:48):
Les or the Seven Laws, which dissolved the state legislatures
and replace them with military departments led by presidential appointees.
Of what do you have a military dictatorship that is
going to be ruling Texas. Kuela and Texas State legislature
(22:09):
rejected these centralist orders, but Texans were divided over this
call for independence at first. But Austin is released from prison,
he makes his way back to Texas. When he gets there,
he throws his support behind the War Party. He's had enough.
This former person who was willing to work to achieve
(22:31):
the status quo and work within the Mexican government now
no longer sees that well. Santa Annas and his brother
in law, Martine Perfecto Cost to Texas as the new
Commandant general under this Siete LEAs. General Costs arrives on
the Gulf of Mexico. He marches in from the bay
(22:55):
to Goliad. He reinforces the garrison there, then he heads
towards San Antonio, and that leads us to what we call,
generally in Texas history, the first phase of the Texas Revolution.
In September, the commander of the San Antonio Garrison dispatches
up troops to Gonzales to retrieve a cannon that had
(23:16):
been given to the Deitt Colony for protection against the Indians.
The colonists refuse to turn the cannon over, and in
a famous confrontation, the settlers stretch a banner across the
cannon that reads, come and take it, and then they
fire on the Mexican troops. When the Mexicans ultimately withdraw,
(23:40):
the Texans claim victory and that you can see people
going up and down the road with window stickers now
in Texas that say come and take it, and that
hearkens back to this confrontation. A week after this incident
at Gonzales, in the DeWitt Colony, troops under Captain George
(24:00):
Collinsworth and Ben Milem take to presidio at Goliad. That
victory effectively blocks any water retreat for general Costs in
the Mexican troops. So by the end of October, the
Texas Volunteers start to amass. They unanimously elect Stephen F.
(24:21):
Austin's their first commander in chief of Texas Volunteers and
they march from Gonzales to Bahar and they surround Costs
in San Antonio. Well, a number of things happen. In December,
Ben Milem and ed Burlison defeat Costs at the so
(24:41):
called Battle of San Antonio and force him to retreat
overland to Mexico. Remember, cost is the brother in law
of Santa Anna. Milem, who was a very capable commander,
was killed during this three day house to house battle. Ultimately,
after the battle, Sam Houston sim Jim Bowie, another important
(25:03):
name in early Texas history, to destroy the Alamo in
San Antonio and take the guns from the Alamo to Gonzales.
And shortly thereafter, another famous individual arrives in Texas, and
that's Davy Crockett. He brings with him about a dozen
Tennessee volunteers and Davy Crockett, as we know, was a
(25:26):
great frontiersman, had a reputation within the United States is
a great frontiersman. He had been a congressman. He had
lost his congressional seat. He said, you folks, go to Hell.
I'm going to Texas. Travis and Bowie prepared defenses against
Santa Anna, who they knew would be coming. He had
(25:49):
professed that his intention to run every American out of
Texas by this time. By February, Santa Anna arrived in
San Antonio with some six thousand troops, and he immediately
lays siege to the old mission. And on March the sixth,
four days after Texas independence has declared, it Washington on
(26:13):
the Brass in the Austin Colonies. There at San Felipe,
Santa Anna attacks the small garrison there at the Alama,
following the bugle call of the Duguayo, which was a
Moorish tune for taking no quarter. Santa Anna attacks the
Alima with some eighteen hundred troops. All these numbers are
(26:34):
subject to argument and debate amongst historians. The Texans numbered
somewhere between one hundred and eighty two and one eighty nine.
They repulse this first wave of attackers, but were ultimately overrun.
The battle lasts about twenty minutes. The slaughter lasted for
another hour or so. Only Susannah Dickerson and her little daughter,
(26:57):
Travis's slave, and families of roughly nine Tohnald defenders were spared.
Davy Crockett of Tennessee survived the battle, only to be
summarily executed outside of Santa Ana's tent, So most all
of the defenders of the Alamo were lost.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
More of this story here on our American stories. After
these messages and we returned to our American stories and
the final portion of our story of Texas with Monte Monroe,
(27:44):
the Texas State Historian. When we last left off, Santa Ana,
the so called Napoleon of the West, had risen to
power and installed a military dictatorship in Mexico. Rather than
live under tyranny, Texans revolted and this would ultimately lead
to a bloody and decisive battle at the Alamo. Nearly
every defender there would be killed or executed. Let's return
(28:07):
to this story. Here again is Monte Monroe.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Now there was a problem in all of this, Santa
Anna's diversion at the Alamo. He didn't have to go
to Bayhart, he really didn't. But what he was trying
to do was recoup General Cause's honor and the family honor.
He didn't have to go to bayhar in the first place.
He should have gone to San Felippe because the bulk
(28:36):
of the Anglo population was situated there. But he diverted
himself in at the Alamo, and this bought time for
Sam Houston to train his meager volunteer troops, and it
had a great psychological effect on the Texans at that time.
(28:58):
They wanted to reap revenge, and so his delay in
San Antonio. I'm talking about Santa Ana now delaying in
San Antonio for three weeks after the battle. In fact
May it makes the Battle of the Alamo one of
the most important turning points in the war for Texas independence.
(29:22):
There were other battles at Goliad, Houston had retreated eastward.
He had Colonel James Fannin abandoned the Goliad presidio in
advance of the arrival of General Urero, who was one
of Santaana's lieutenants. But Fannin, for whatever reason, lingered too long.
He was ultimately defeated at the Battle of the Prairie
(29:46):
and his men were captured, and a week later, acting
upon the orders of Santa Anna. Some three hundred and
fifty of Fannin's troops or prisoners of war were massacred.
Some of Fannin's guys were able to escape into the woods.
A few a few of the prisoners of war were
(30:06):
saved by the pleadings of the so called wife of
one of the Mexican army officers, Senora Francisca Alvarez, the
so called Angel of Goliad. The Angel of Goliad ultimately
would be abandoned by her Mexican officer husband. She would
move to Madam Morris and live with her family, and
(30:30):
some of those children would be brought by Captain King
Richard King from Madam Morris with cattle up to Texas
and they would help found the King Ranch. And there
are many Canenios the King's people that are descendants of
Francisca Alvarez. Now after Goliad Houston, when he learns that
(30:54):
Fannin had been captured, he moves eastward towards the Louisiana
border retreat and the news of Santa Ana's troops on
the March prompted fear and a mass exodus amongst the
settlers of central Texas. This was called the Famous Runaway Scrape.
There was crowding at the streams and the crossings, and
(31:15):
it was raining, and it was muddy, and usually at
this time of year it's always rainy and drizzly in
that part of the state. And there were epidemics in
cold weather and flooded rivers and misery, and the volunteers
who were at the river crossings felt sorry for the
women and the children who were trying to escape the
Mexican army coming towards them. Many soldiers and officers and settlers.
(31:38):
Even the President of Texas called Houston a coward, but
Houston was buying time so he could train his fourteen
hundred ill disciplined troops. Santa Anna ultimately chases the rebel
government from sam Felipa all the way to Houston or
what would become or what was Harrisburg then and would
ultimately become the city of Houston. Sam Houston moves a
(32:01):
little bit further north. He encamps upriver from San felipe
on the Brazis River, and it's here that he takes
time to train his army. When he learns that Santa
Anna had driven the government the Texas government from Harrisburg
to Galveston and was marching to capture them. Houston decides
(32:22):
to move across the Brass River. By this time he's
received the so called Twin Sisters cannons from Cincinnati, Ohio
that were a gift. He turns south in pursuit of
Santa Anna. Santa Anna moves back to an encampment on
Buffalo Bio, just south of his junction with the San
Jacana River, and that brings us to the culminating event
(32:45):
of the Texas Revolution. Houston moves his army of about
nine hundred or so men less than a mile from
Santa Anna. He has a man by the name of
Deaf Smith who was Deaf County is named after him.
He had captured a Mexican courier and he knew where
Santa Anna was, but Houston. On the morning of April
(33:09):
the twenty first, he has Deaf Smith blow up the
bridge over Vince's Biome, which was the only escape route
for either army. Either Santa Anna's army or Houston's army.
The fate of Texas would be decided at San Jacinto
or San Jacino, as some people say. On the morning
(33:36):
of the twenty first General Costs arrives in the Mexican
encampment with the reinforcement, bringing the Mexican contingent to about
fifteen hundred troops. Because Costs had had them on an
all night forced march, Santa Anna allows the troops to
arrest and take a siesta, and it's right at this time.
(34:00):
After consultation with his Houston had been playing this all
close to his vest, but finally he has a council
of war with his officers to determine what would happen
at San Jacinto. They decide on a surprise attack, which
occurs between three point thirty and four pm while the
Mexican army is rested and cloaked by a slight rise
(34:23):
between these two camps, right where the obelisk is today
down at Sanjasin of the Sanjasina Monument. Houston's troops got
very close to Santa Anna's army, and soon the Mexicans
are surprised by Texas troops yelling remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad,
And in eighteen minutes the Texans had control of the
(34:45):
Mexican camp and the battle was over. But the slaughter
continued much longer because the Texans wanted revenge, and in
the end, the Texas killed six hundred and thirty Mexicans
and took seven hundred and twenty prisoners. The Texans lost
nine men and thirty four wounded, including Houston, who was
(35:07):
shot in the leg. Santa Anna was nowhere to be
found when the Texans attacked. He was distracting himself with
a so called mulatto slave girl, who ultimately became the
inspiration for the song the Yellow Rose of Texas because
of the so called yellow complexion of her skin. Santa
(35:29):
Anna was captured the following day. Many in the army
wanted to hang him immediately, but Houston had other plans.
For the so called Napoleon of the West. Santa Anna
was forced to sign the Treaty of Alasko. Actually there
was two. There was a secret treaty and there was
a public treaty, and basically they stipulated that the hostilities
(35:51):
with Texas were over, that Texas was an independent republic,
that the prisoners were to be exchanged, and that Santa
Anna would leave and never return. Santa Ana promised to
convince the Mexican Congress to ratify the treaty. Texas would
remain an independent republic and Mexico could do little about it.
(36:15):
This period distinguishes Texas from other states of the Union.
And when I say the Union, I'm talking about the
United States, because Texas goes through a period as an
independent nation prior to becoming a state.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
And a terrific job on the storytelling and production and
editing by Monty Montgomery, and a special thanks to Texas
State historian Monte Monroe and what a story he told.
And it turns out with the Battle of the Alamo. Well,
it was a short term win for Santa Anna and
his army, but in the end, the three week delay
(36:54):
and the revenge factor both played a part in Texas's
epic win at San Jacinto. The fate of Texas in
that battle hung in the balance, and in eighteen minutes,
Texans controlled the camp and over six hundred Mexicans would
be killed. Santa Anna, forced to the negotiating table, made
(37:16):
the claim Texas was an independent nation and would be
left alone. And by the way, this is the true
difference between Texas and the other states in this country
and why Texas is always referred to as a state
that's different, and why Texans well, in the end, carry
themselves a bit differently, because in the end Texas is
(37:36):
a nation and a state. The story of Texas how
it became an independent nation here on our American story.
This is Lee Habib and this is Our American Stories,
the show where America is the star and the American people.
Search for the Our American Stories podcast go to the
iHeartRadio app, to Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Up next to story about the only state in our
nation to join US as a nation, I'm of course
(00:31):
talking about Texas. Here to tell the story of how
Texas gained its independence from Mexico is Monte Monroe, the
Texas state historian. Take it away, Monty.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I think it's necessary to tell just a little bit
about the first group of Europeans that came into this
geographical space that we now call Texas, the Spanish Conquistadors.
Prior to the discovery of the New World, Spain had
(01:05):
suffered under an extended period of war from about seven
eleven AD when the Moors from Africa invaded Spain. They
pushed the inhabitants all the way back across the Iberian
Peninsula to the vicinity of what is today France. Ultimately,
(01:27):
a small group of Spanish Christians defeated the Muslims at
the famous Battle of Covidanga, and this marked the beginning
of the so called Reconquista or reconquest period of Spain,
which lasted over seven hundred and seventy four years that
struggle took place. It ended basically in fourteen ninety two,
(01:51):
when Isabella and Ferdinand, who had unified the Iberian Peninsula
to a large extent, forced the Muslims out of Granada
following a ten year siege. It's in this atmosphere of
this general nationalistic expansion that Columbus made his great discovery
(02:12):
of the so called New World, and his discoveries started
this period of maritime reconnaissance and inland conquests that brought
great wealth to Spain and of course led to what
would ultimately become Texas and the conquerors of the Indies,
(02:33):
known as the Idel and Pados are the ones out front.
Were also driven by medieval tales about the Seven Cities
of Cibola's Seven Cities. Goal Ponce de Leon explored Florida
looking for the Fountain of Youth, another one of these
mythical stories that had been passed down during the period
of the Reconquista. Balboa, of course, searched for gold in
(02:57):
Central America. Other great explorers, Spanish explorers moved into the interior. Cortes,
as we well know, conquered the Aztecs by fifteen twenty one.
Francisco Pizarro in fifteen thirteen discovered the Great Inca Empire
and its fabulous wealth. And just to give you an
(03:17):
idea of what we were talking about when we say
fabulous wealth, Pizarro, with literally one hundred and fifty to
one hundred and seventy men, neutralized an Inca force of
some eighty thousand and they reaped the benefit of roughly
thirteen thousand, five hundred pounds of gold, Okay, that's a lot,
(03:42):
and over twenty six thousand pounds of silver. The thing
is remarkable about this whole period is within twenty years
Spain had conquered an empire larger than Rome's had ever been.
By sixteen eighteen we start to see the establishment of
(04:05):
San Antonio de Valerjo, what we call today the Alamo
is established. The Indians in that region didn't necessarily get
along with each other, so there were various missions that
were established amongst various groups. They flourished for a while,
became ranching centers in the center part of what would
become Texas. The Spanish brought in huge herds of cattle
(04:29):
and horses that would ultimately be important after the Civil
War for more modern day Texans. By seventeen thirty one,
you literally have Spanish colonists from the Canary Islands that
come to Texas and they're the ones that found the
first civil jurisdiction within Texas, and it's called the Via
(04:52):
of San Fernando de la Bejar, which becomes San Antonio. Ultimately,
Spanish interest in Texas starts to wane. There are problems
in Spain itself. But by seventeen sixty or seventeen fifty nine,
(05:14):
Charles the Third, who was the King of England, part
of the Bourbon Dynasty. He was a reformist and he
wanted to reform Spanish colonial institutions. To do that, he
wanted to undermine the existing bureaucracies, to economize things and
of course have more money come back to Spain than
(05:35):
stay in the New World. Ultimately, these reforms only had
limited success, and that will lead to the Spanish government
looking to change the situation. By around eighteen hundred, what
happened was at the same time you literally have what
(05:57):
we call filibusters coming in from Louisiana, and other places.
Like Philip Nolan was an American filibuster. He was coming
in trying to find wild mustangs, to capture these horses
to sell in the United States. He even attempted, or
was perceived by the Spanish to attempt insurrection. He was
(06:19):
ultimately killed near present day Waco. His people were taken
captive and they wound up working the mines in northern Mexico.
And so Spanish officials realized that Texas had economic potential,
but they had to have the right kind of folks
in there, okay. And so even those Spain's many century
(06:45):
role in what would be the history of Texas was
coming to it's nator, they felt like they had to
do something.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
And you're listening to Texas State historian Monte Monroe telling
the story of how Texas became an independent nation, and
of course it began with the Spanish exploration of the
Americas and from there well so much more. This story
is not just the story of US history and Texas history.
In the end, it's a world geography course as well.
(07:21):
When we come back more of this remarkable story of
how Texas became an independent nation. Here on our American
story folks, if you love the stories we tell about
this great country, and especially the stories of America's rich past,
know that all of our stories about American history, from
war to innovation, culture and faith, are brought to us
(07:43):
by the great folks at Hillsdale College, a place where
students study all the things that are beautiful in life
and all the things that are good in life. And
if you can't get to Hillsdale, Hillsdale will come to
you with their free and terrific online courses. Go to
Hillsdale dot edu to learn more. And we returned to
(08:10):
our American stories and the story of Texas. When we
last left off, Monty Monroe, the Texas State Historian, was
telling us about the conquerors of the New World, the Spanish,
and how they desired to see the large swath of
land that would become the Texas we know and love today,
developed economically. Let's continue with the story.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
As Spain is starting to lose their grip on Texas,
colonization becomes stagnant. The Spanish realized this, and they've realized
they had to instigate something to keep their toe hold
in what was then Tajas. What they did was that
(08:57):
they reached out and they created a plan called defensive Immigration.
And what they wanted to do was find the right
kind of so called Anglo Americans to move into Texas
to serve as a buffer not only against the Apache
in the Comanchee, but also against other Americans. But they
(09:21):
wanted to draw them in and make Texas an economically
viable place. They look for Americans who could speak Spanish
or were willing to speak Spanish, who were Catholic, and
they found one such person who had been at that
(09:42):
time living in Spanish Louisiana. This man's name was Moses Austin.
He was a former Spanish subject. He was a friend
with a Texan, the Baron de Bastrop, and he made
a request to bring three hundred families to Texas and
(10:06):
settle in land between the Colorado and Brazos river. But
ultimately Austin, Moses Austin dies in eighteen twenty one, and
he calls upon his son, Stephen F. Austin on his
deathbed to fulfill his dream of bringing colonists to Texas,
and that's what happened. He issued over fifteen hundred grants
(10:29):
and brought in over four thousand people and that was
a larger population than during the entire three hundred plus
year history of Spanish colonial efforts. By the end of
the Mexican period, and right at the cusp of the
(10:50):
Texas Revolution, you have some twenty thousand immigrants who had
come from the Mississippi River Valley in the Southern States
had come to Texas, and by eighteen thirty five, the
population of Texas, not counting Native Americans, was over thirty
thousand people. So that was a huge influx of people
(11:10):
into Texas.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
By that time.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
But by eighteen thirty the Mexicans decided that they needed
to have a little bit more control over Texas because
by then there are a number of things that are
occurring that frighten them about the number of Americans coming
in and the motivations of the Americans that were coming
(11:33):
into Texas. In eighteen twenty six, the impresario Hayden Edwards
had gotten into conflict with some of the older residents
by Barbos in East Texas. He went over to the
United States in Louisiana and he raised an independent army.
He came back, he started the so called for Donia Rebellion,
(11:53):
declared part of East Texas independent from Mexico. So the
Mexicans started to realize they were going to have a problem. Thankfully,
they had the right man in Texas during this period,
and that person was Stephen F. Austin. Austin brought together
his militia forces from his colony and he was able
(12:14):
to put down the Fredonia rebellion. But the Mexican saw
this as clear evidence that Anglo Texans secretly wanted to
join the US. So what they did was start to
clant down. That brought about a law that would set
Texans on a trajectory towards revolution, and that was the
(12:37):
so called Law of six April eighteen thirty. It banned
further immigration from the US, It prohibited trade with United States.
There were to be no more slaves imported into Texas,
no more land could be taken up along the border
with the US, and convict soldiers were to be garrison
(13:00):
near the borders to enforce immigration policies. So Texans weren't
very happy. The aftermath of this law kind of has
parallels to the American colonies because Mexico, like Britain, was
attempting to reassert its control over her territory and to
tax them that should sound familiar, and this led to
(13:22):
a reaction in Texas. As you might suspect you had
a revolt at Anniwak. The Mexican government had established a
new presidio or fort at Anniwac to guard the coast
of Texas and enforce terraf for tax laws. That the
(13:43):
Mexican commander at the presidio there at Annihac was the
Texans thought he was more like a military occupier. His
name was Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn. He was an Irishman,
but was a Mexican citizen working for the Mexican government.
He tended to impose arbitrary rule. He impressed supplies from
(14:04):
the colonists and slave labor. As a matter of fact,
he ultimately arrested a young lawyer by the name of
William B. Travis for trying to release some runaway slaves
that were held at the presidio or the fort there
at Aniwak. And so that caused the Texans to lay
siege to Bradburn's garrison in eighteen thirty two, and there
(14:29):
was a standoff and ultimately intervention by moderates like Stephen F.
Austin and the rebels pulled back to a little creek
or a little bio called turtle Bio, and they drafted
a pro federalist in other words, the type of document
that you would expect Americans to draft where you have
(14:49):
a dispersal down to local government, not a centralized government,
which Mexico is increasingly starting to become, as we'll find
out here in a minute. And they write this Turtle
Bio resolutions. In their defense, they said, we're loyal Mexican citizens.
We claim loyalty to the so called federalist ideas of
(15:11):
the Constitution of eighteen twenty four, but we're against these
increasingly centralist notions that are starting to emerge in Mexico. Ultimately,
Mexican authorities replaced Bradburn. Most of the Texans that were
living in Texas at that time condemned these radicals, and
(15:32):
the majority adhered to a so called Peace Party, and
this was led by Stephen F. Austin, who is a
major player in all things leading up to the Texas Revolution.
In the establishment of Texas as a republic, he sought
to handle grievances through political and legislative means versus through
reactionary means as such had happened with William Travis. In
(15:56):
contrast to the War Party, the Peace Party in October
of eighteen thirty who held a meeting called the Consultation
of eighteen thirty two, and they voiced their complaints to
Mexican officials. Ultimately, they wanted the Law of sixth April
eighteen thirty repealed. They especially wanted terror productions. They wanted
to lift restrictions on immigration. They wanted more local control.
(16:20):
They wanted independent statehood for Texas. Texas at this time
is paired with the Mexican territory of Koila, and the
Texans wanted more independence. They wanted their own legislative body,
they wanted to be able to appoint their own government officials,
and they wanted funding for primary schools. Well, these resolutions
(16:46):
never got past the authorities in San Antonio because the
consultation was considered an extra legal or illegal gathering. Well,
because nothing came of these first complaints. The Texans met
again at San Felipe for another consultation. But at this
consultation there were new leaders, and these are leaders that
(17:07):
will start to have a prominent role in Texas politics.
For instance, one of the new leaders of the Consultation
of eighteen thirty three was Sam Houston, a name that
virtually everybody is familiar with.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
State sovereignty, battles over immigration and who controls whose destiny,
and sovereignty questions. Then they were fighting about questions. Today,
citizens around the world are still fighting about the story
of how Texas became an independent nation, as told by
Texas State Historian Monte Monroe. The story continues after these
(17:49):
messages here on our American story, and we returned to
our American stories in the Story of Texas with Monte Monroe,
(18:13):
the Texas State Historian. When we last left off, Monty
was telling us about the empresario system, a land grant
policy by the Spanish and then Mexican governments which brought
Americans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston to Texas.
This policy would eventually come to haunt the Mexican government
as some Americans began to revolt. In response, Mexico would
(18:35):
issue a law that would infringe upon the rights of many.
This led to Texans attempting to consult with the Mexican government,
and the first attempt would fail. Nevertheless, they decided to
try again. Let's return to the story.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
At this consultation there were new leaders, and these are
leaders that will start to have a prominent role in
Texas politics. For instance, one of the new leaders of
the Consultation of eighteen thirty three was Sam Houston, a
name that virtually everybody is familiar with. He was a
(19:12):
protege of Andrew Jackson. He had been former governor of
Tennessee in eighteen twenty seven. He had been a US
Indian agent living in the so called Indian Nations in
what is today Oklahoma. Among the Cherokee, these guys became
vocal and they had different opinions from Steven F. Austin.
(19:35):
They opposed the authoritarian government that had existed in Spain
and Mexico, believing that Mexico, like Spain, was governed by
something called the unholy alliance of the Church and army
and the large landowners who tended to dominate. This consultation
ultimately sent Stephen F. Austin to Mexico City to present
(19:59):
the grievances. Just bypassed the authorities in San Antonio, and
by January eighteen thirty three, Santa Anna is elected the
new president, and initially he embraces federalist principles, and so
everything seemed fine. He immediately retires. He goes to his home.
He installs one of the preeminent liberal federalists, Valentine Gomez Farius,
(20:24):
as the interim president, and Gomez actually worked to weaken
the power and privileges of the Unholy Alliance. Even Santa
Anna met with Austin, agreed to revoke the Law of
April sixth, eighteen thirty but refused to separate Texas and Koela,
you know, fearing that if you separate those Texans out there,
(20:45):
they're going to drift towards the United States. Well, prior
to this breakthrough, Austin had become frustrated down in Mexico.
He couldn't seem to get answers to his questions, and
he sent a letter back to the Texans telling them
to prepare to seek independence on their own. Well, that
(21:05):
letter would ultimately haunt him, because by May eighteen thirty four,
Santa Anna comes out of his self imposed retirement. He
returns to power not as a federalist but as a
conservative centralist supporter of the Church in the military, and
he removes Gomez from office, and Austin's letter is intercepted,
(21:27):
Santa Anna has him arrested for treason. He's imprisoned for
a year. Following his return to power as a centralist,
Santa Anna calls for new congressional elections that brought a
centralist conservative majority into the National Congress. He replaces the
Constitution of eighteen twenty four with something called the Siete
(21:48):
Les or the Seven Laws, which dissolved the state legislatures
and replace them with military departments led by presidential appointees.
Of what do you have a military dictatorship that is
going to be ruling Texas. Kuela and Texas State legislature
(22:09):
rejected these centralist orders, but Texans were divided over this
call for independence at first. But Austin is released from prison,
he makes his way back to Texas. When he gets there,
he throws his support behind the War Party. He's had enough.
This former person who was willing to work to achieve
(22:31):
the status quo and work within the Mexican government now
no longer sees that well. Santa Annas and his brother
in law, Martine Perfecto Cost to Texas as the new
Commandant general under this Siete LEAs. General Costs arrives on
the Gulf of Mexico. He marches in from the bay
(22:55):
to Goliad. He reinforces the garrison there, then he heads
towards San Antonio, and that leads us to what we call,
generally in Texas history, the first phase of the Texas Revolution.
In September, the commander of the San Antonio Garrison dispatches
up troops to Gonzales to retrieve a cannon that had
(23:16):
been given to the Deitt Colony for protection against the Indians.
The colonists refuse to turn the cannon over, and in
a famous confrontation, the settlers stretch a banner across the
cannon that reads, come and take it, and then they
fire on the Mexican troops. When the Mexicans ultimately withdraw,
(23:40):
the Texans claim victory and that you can see people
going up and down the road with window stickers now
in Texas that say come and take it, and that
hearkens back to this confrontation. A week after this incident
at Gonzales, in the DeWitt Colony, troops under Captain George
(24:00):
Collinsworth and Ben Milem take to presidio at Goliad. That
victory effectively blocks any water retreat for general Costs in
the Mexican troops. So by the end of October, the
Texas Volunteers start to amass. They unanimously elect Stephen F.
(24:21):
Austin's their first commander in chief of Texas Volunteers and
they march from Gonzales to Bahar and they surround Costs
in San Antonio. Well, a number of things happen. In December,
Ben Milem and ed Burlison defeat Costs at the so
(24:41):
called Battle of San Antonio and force him to retreat
overland to Mexico. Remember, cost is the brother in law
of Santa Anna. Milem, who was a very capable commander,
was killed during this three day house to house battle. Ultimately,
after the battle, Sam Houston sim Jim Bowie, another important
(25:03):
name in early Texas history, to destroy the Alamo in
San Antonio and take the guns from the Alamo to Gonzales.
And shortly thereafter, another famous individual arrives in Texas, and
that's Davy Crockett. He brings with him about a dozen
Tennessee volunteers and Davy Crockett, as we know, was a
(25:26):
great frontiersman, had a reputation within the United States is
a great frontiersman. He had been a congressman. He had
lost his congressional seat. He said, you folks, go to Hell.
I'm going to Texas. Travis and Bowie prepared defenses against
Santa Anna, who they knew would be coming. He had
(25:49):
professed that his intention to run every American out of
Texas by this time. By February, Santa Anna arrived in
San Antonio with some six thousand troops, and he immediately
lays siege to the old mission. And on March the sixth,
four days after Texas independence has declared, it Washington on
(26:13):
the Brass in the Austin Colonies. There at San Felipe,
Santa Anna attacks the small garrison there at the Alama,
following the bugle call of the Duguayo, which was a
Moorish tune for taking no quarter. Santa Anna attacks the
Alima with some eighteen hundred troops. All these numbers are
(26:34):
subject to argument and debate amongst historians. The Texans numbered
somewhere between one hundred and eighty two and one eighty nine.
They repulse this first wave of attackers, but were ultimately overrun.
The battle lasts about twenty minutes. The slaughter lasted for
another hour or so. Only Susannah Dickerson and her little daughter,
(26:57):
Travis's slave, and families of roughly nine Tohnald defenders were spared.
Davy Crockett of Tennessee survived the battle, only to be
summarily executed outside of Santa Ana's tent, So most all
of the defenders of the Alamo were lost.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
More of this story here on our American stories. After
these messages and we returned to our American stories and
the final portion of our story of Texas with Monte Monroe,
(27:44):
the Texas State Historian. When we last left off, Santa Ana,
the so called Napoleon of the West, had risen to
power and installed a military dictatorship in Mexico. Rather than
live under tyranny, Texans revolted and this would ultimately lead
to a bloody and decisive battle at the Alamo. Nearly
every defender there would be killed or executed. Let's return
(28:07):
to this story. Here again is Monte Monroe.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Now there was a problem in all of this, Santa
Anna's diversion at the Alamo. He didn't have to go
to Bayhart, he really didn't. But what he was trying
to do was recoup General Cause's honor and the family honor.
He didn't have to go to bayhar in the first place.
He should have gone to San Felippe because the bulk
(28:36):
of the Anglo population was situated there. But he diverted
himself in at the Alamo, and this bought time for
Sam Houston to train his meager volunteer troops, and it
had a great psychological effect on the Texans at that time.
(28:58):
They wanted to reap revenge, and so his delay in
San Antonio. I'm talking about Santa Ana now delaying in
San Antonio for three weeks after the battle. In fact
May it makes the Battle of the Alamo one of
the most important turning points in the war for Texas independence.
(29:22):
There were other battles at Goliad, Houston had retreated eastward.
He had Colonel James Fannin abandoned the Goliad presidio in
advance of the arrival of General Urero, who was one
of Santaana's lieutenants. But Fannin, for whatever reason, lingered too long.
He was ultimately defeated at the Battle of the Prairie
(29:46):
and his men were captured, and a week later, acting
upon the orders of Santa Anna. Some three hundred and
fifty of Fannin's troops or prisoners of war were massacred.
Some of Fannin's guys were able to escape into the woods.
A few a few of the prisoners of war were
(30:06):
saved by the pleadings of the so called wife of
one of the Mexican army officers, Senora Francisca Alvarez, the
so called Angel of Goliad. The Angel of Goliad ultimately
would be abandoned by her Mexican officer husband. She would
move to Madam Morris and live with her family, and
(30:30):
some of those children would be brought by Captain King
Richard King from Madam Morris with cattle up to Texas
and they would help found the King Ranch. And there
are many Canenios the King's people that are descendants of
Francisca Alvarez. Now after Goliad Houston, when he learns that
(30:54):
Fannin had been captured, he moves eastward towards the Louisiana
border retreat and the news of Santa Ana's troops on
the March prompted fear and a mass exodus amongst the
settlers of central Texas. This was called the Famous Runaway Scrape.
There was crowding at the streams and the crossings, and
(31:15):
it was raining, and it was muddy, and usually at
this time of year it's always rainy and drizzly in
that part of the state. And there were epidemics in
cold weather and flooded rivers and misery, and the volunteers
who were at the river crossings felt sorry for the
women and the children who were trying to escape the
Mexican army coming towards them. Many soldiers and officers and settlers.
(31:38):
Even the President of Texas called Houston a coward, but
Houston was buying time so he could train his fourteen
hundred ill disciplined troops. Santa Anna ultimately chases the rebel
government from sam Felipa all the way to Houston or
what would become or what was Harrisburg then and would
ultimately become the city of Houston. Sam Houston moves a
(32:01):
little bit further north. He encamps upriver from San felipe
on the Brazis River, and it's here that he takes
time to train his army. When he learns that Santa
Anna had driven the government the Texas government from Harrisburg
to Galveston and was marching to capture them. Houston decides
(32:22):
to move across the Brass River. By this time he's
received the so called Twin Sisters cannons from Cincinnati, Ohio
that were a gift. He turns south in pursuit of
Santa Anna. Santa Anna moves back to an encampment on
Buffalo Bio, just south of his junction with the San
Jacana River, and that brings us to the culminating event
(32:45):
of the Texas Revolution. Houston moves his army of about
nine hundred or so men less than a mile from
Santa Anna. He has a man by the name of
Deaf Smith who was Deaf County is named after him.
He had captured a Mexican courier and he knew where
Santa Anna was, but Houston. On the morning of April
(33:09):
the twenty first, he has Deaf Smith blow up the
bridge over Vince's Biome, which was the only escape route
for either army. Either Santa Anna's army or Houston's army.
The fate of Texas would be decided at San Jacinto
or San Jacino, as some people say. On the morning
(33:36):
of the twenty first General Costs arrives in the Mexican
encampment with the reinforcement, bringing the Mexican contingent to about
fifteen hundred troops. Because Costs had had them on an
all night forced march, Santa Anna allows the troops to
arrest and take a siesta, and it's right at this time.
(34:00):
After consultation with his Houston had been playing this all
close to his vest, but finally he has a council
of war with his officers to determine what would happen
at San Jacinto. They decide on a surprise attack, which
occurs between three point thirty and four pm while the
Mexican army is rested and cloaked by a slight rise
(34:23):
between these two camps, right where the obelisk is today
down at Sanjasin of the Sanjasina Monument. Houston's troops got
very close to Santa Anna's army, and soon the Mexicans
are surprised by Texas troops yelling remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad,
And in eighteen minutes the Texans had control of the
(34:45):
Mexican camp and the battle was over. But the slaughter
continued much longer because the Texans wanted revenge, and in
the end, the Texas killed six hundred and thirty Mexicans
and took seven hundred and twenty prisoners. The Texans lost
nine men and thirty four wounded, including Houston, who was
(35:07):
shot in the leg. Santa Anna was nowhere to be
found when the Texans attacked. He was distracting himself with
a so called mulatto slave girl, who ultimately became the
inspiration for the song the Yellow Rose of Texas because
of the so called yellow complexion of her skin. Santa
(35:29):
Anna was captured the following day. Many in the army
wanted to hang him immediately, but Houston had other plans.
For the so called Napoleon of the West. Santa Anna
was forced to sign the Treaty of Alasko. Actually there
was two. There was a secret treaty and there was
a public treaty, and basically they stipulated that the hostilities
(35:51):
with Texas were over, that Texas was an independent republic,
that the prisoners were to be exchanged, and that Santa
Anna would leave and never return. Santa Ana promised to
convince the Mexican Congress to ratify the treaty. Texas would
remain an independent republic and Mexico could do little about it.
(36:15):
This period distinguishes Texas from other states of the Union.
And when I say the Union, I'm talking about the
United States, because Texas goes through a period as an
independent nation prior to becoming a state.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
And a terrific job on the storytelling and production and
editing by Monty Montgomery, and a special thanks to Texas
State historian Monte Monroe and what a story he told.
And it turns out with the Battle of the Alamo. Well,
it was a short term win for Santa Anna and
his army, but in the end, the three week delay
(36:54):
and the revenge factor both played a part in Texas's
epic win at San Jacinto. The fate of Texas in
that battle hung in the balance, and in eighteen minutes,
Texans controlled the camp and over six hundred Mexicans would
be killed. Santa Anna, forced to the negotiating table, made
(37:16):
the claim Texas was an independent nation and would be
left alone. And by the way, this is the true
difference between Texas and the other states in this country
and why Texas is always referred to as a state
that's different, and why Texans well, in the end, carry
themselves a bit differently, because in the end Texas is
(37:36):
a nation and a state. The story of Texas how
it became an independent nation here on our American story.
Host
Lee Habeeb
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