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Howdy partner, and welcome to Feature History - featuring the Texas Revolution, a time back when the US liked illegal border-crossing.
Edgy humor aside, that time was back in the early 19th century
The area today known as Texas was a part of Mexico, the US had yet adopted manifest destiny and the frontier was very much alive
Today things are different -
No shit, but this video is going to delve into how much change the Texas Revolution made, just how revolutionary it was
But I won't spoil you and start our story there. We're starting with European colonization - roll the slide
Europe first began colonizing the continent of America in the 15th century
Unless you count Norse, but I'm not going to
Colonization would not be a walk in the park - the British, French and Spanish all found themselves
struggling against the natives, the elements and each other in their attempts to colonize the new world
Deep within this new world was Texas
Spain and France would both claim the region, but the French would be the first to settle it in the 17th century
But then everyone died so the fertile plains of Texas were untapped
Spain would follow up the French attempt and, through much struggle and even more stubbornness, saw limited success by the 18th century
Settled - yes, but it was the least populated area of New Spain with between only a few hundred - to a thousend settlers
After the Seven Years War, France would relinquish its claim to Texas and French Louisiana to Spain -
But then in 1799 Spain gave Louisiana back, and then in 1803 the United States bought it,
Now, was Texas included in these deals?
Maybe, Maybe not - there was disagreement as to actually how far these borders went, and so a line had to be drawn
With the US's purchase of Louisiana,
The young nation doubled in size the Republic now shared an extensive land border with the British and Spanish empires
Relations with them weren't great
The US's kick-started expansion and growing population led to the idea of manifest destiny.
Well, manifesting. Early proponents of the idea envisioned a continent united under their republic - a republic that stretched from sea to shining sea,
A republic that didn't share with the old European powers
Spain felt the pressure from the US, especially given the discrepancies in the Louisiana Purchase
The US believed itself entitled the lands as far as the Rio Grande and soon Spain's territory was being infringed upon by American filibusters
That isn't filibuster in a political sense, but a military one
Filibusters were armed men that took to the frontier to seize land from nations that the US
was technically at peace with, but all this was a very minor problem compared to what happened in 1808,
As back in Europe Spain was invaded by Napoleon, and after that - much of New Spain began to push, and even fight for independence
Mexico would break out in revolt and quickly descent into chaos -
During this conflict a Mexican-American filibuster expedition would claim Texas,
Declaring it as the Independent Green Flag Republic, but Spanish forces would soon offer the rebels no quarter - And tear down that flag
Texas was firmly in Spain's hands
However, in this rapidly deteriorating situation Spain sought compromise and agreed to define a common border with the US
It would not surrender Texas, instead would cede Florida in the transcontinental treaty signed February 1819
Stability was finally achieved between Spain in the US, but Spain wouldn't stick around
The Empire's colony fell apart and gave way to many independent Latin Republics under the constitution of 1824
Texas now belonged to the Federal Republic of Mexico
As the dust settled on Mexico the threat of filibustering persisted and so the new government under the presidency of
Guadalupe, Victoria
sought to address the issue with the general colonization law of
1824 it would introduce the Empresario system that sought to turn American filibusters into Mexican citizens
Empresarios on the behalf of the Mexican government would be recruited to sell Texan land to immigrants at low low
Prices and the empresario themselves were paid in land
The population of Texas which had sat at three and a half thousand
exploded as the empresarios established their settlements all over the many new immigrants to Texas or
Texians as they became known quickly outnumbered Tejanos Mexican born residents
These immigrants were offered their citizenship as long as they learned Spanish and converted to Catholicism
But it was very typical they didn't in fact even with promoted immigration many Texians were illegal
America wouldn't be sending its best either many of those flooding Texas were outcasts
Even the most famous Texians had their foibles
Jim Bowie was a violent frontiersman Sam Houston a disgraced politician William Travis and indebted lawyer and even Davy Crockett
Arrived to Texas off the tail end of a disappointing political career, but as it turned out even with all its flaws
Mexican government was now finally turning a profit off Texas the new frontier a
Turning point would however arise in 1826 when the empresario Hayden Edwards declared his settlement
Independent other empresarios were having none of it. They didn't wish to ruin a good thing
So Edwards rebellion would be put down with ease but now empresarios were starting to get a bad rap
Things only got worse in 1829 the Mexican government abolished slavery
many Texians were slave owners and bordered on revolt until the Mexican government allowed them some exceptions so clearly
Texas was trouble and so the US
Twice offered to take it off Mexico's hands to which President Victoria declined twice
Victoria ended his term in March 1829 and after him Mexico suffered a myriad of coups and rebellions
Usually as a result of conflict between those desiring a strong centralized Mexico or a Federal Republic similar to that of the US
During this time of flux, it was decided within the government Texians
had to be stopped the Laws of April 6 1830 were introduced
banning any further American immigration and raising import tariffs
Texas was pissed but jumping back for a moment the afore mentioned flux of power
Would finally settle in 1833 when the soldier and politician
Antonia Lopez de Santa Anna was elected president
He won his election off his support for federalism
and then in 1834 completely swapped sides when he ordered the disarmament of all civic militias dissolved Congress and in
1835 repealed the Mexican Constitution
Santa Anna was a dictator
Much of Mexico would openly rebel against him and he was ruthless in his suppression in May of 1835
He would crush the militia in Zacatecas and allow his army to pillage loot and raid for two days
He gained his reputation quickly and soon Texians were not very fond of him
military commanders in Texas feared Texians joining the revolt and so maybe
counter-intuitively began to crack down in September
1835 the military was ordered to retake a cannon they had given to the militia in Gonzales
When the residents of Gonzales learned of the Mexican military's intentions, they had only one response
When Mexican forces arrived in Gonzales, they found the militia armed with firearms the cannon and a banner that read come and take it
Significantly outnumbered the soldiers were routed with one shot of the cannon one shot that won the battle
One shot that started the revolution
after this the Texians would quickly hurry to assemble the provisional government and decided Sam Houston would lead as Major General of the new
Texian army that army would be responsible for running the Mexican garrison out of Texas and with their series of victorious skirmishes
They were able to recruit many more Texians, Tejanos, and volunteers from the US and even Europe in his lifetime
The army would amass almost 4,000 troops
Even with that it was dwarfed by the might of the Mexican Republic
Santa Anna would take personal command of an army of six and a half thousand men to quickly and decisively crush the revolt
with limited time before the Mexican Army's arrival the Texians began to entrench
Colonel Jim Bowie Colonel William Travis and the frontiersman Davy Crockett would set up their men at an old Spanish mission turned a military base
The Alamo Major General Houston was well aware the Alamo couldn't hold out against the siege
But Bowie reckoned to allow the force capture would be detrimental and so the Alamo remained garrisoned
Santa Anna and 1,800 experienced soldiers met the Alamo in late February 1836 the
defenders numbered only a couple hundred and
Santa Anna made his intentions clear when he rose a red flag against the fort he would offer no quarter
The siege began immediately with a constant barrage of artillery fire
Jim Bowie would be bedridden with disease and so command in this trying time was left in the hands of young William Travis
Travis would smuggle letter after letter urging for reinforcements
But there was little in the way of response on March 2nd in Washington on Brazos
The Republic of Texas would formally declare its independence But on March 6 back at the Alamo
The walls would be stormed. With both an advantage in numbers and experience the Mexican army soon broke through the defenses
Travis died almost instantly. Jim Bowie would be shot dead in his bed and David Crockett captured and executed
survivors were few and far between
The Alamo was a slaughter
Santa Anna had learned this way of war back when he was a lieutenant
Fighting the green flag Republic and he believed it would work again, that it would crush, Texas
Santa Anna's terror continued in the very same month
425 prisoners were rounded up after the Battle of Kalia and massacred piled up and burned
Santa Anna believed this way of war would crush the Texian spirit
but instead the now commander-in-chief Sam Houston used these losses to uplift it with the cry of
Remember the Alamo remember Goliad he managed to amass many men to join the cause of the revolution
Even as it seemed to be in its death throes
Mexican forces
Continued to move further and further into Texas as a population fled from it
It was very much a time of retreat for the Texians
and so the Mexicans became accustomed to little resistance on
The 21st of April that Mexican army was suddenly ambushed
Sam Houston's surprised Santa Annas forces with roughly 900 men of his own and in a battle that lasted only
18 minutes he was able to wrap the Mexican forces
That route turned into a full-blown retreat many Mexican soldiers would attempt to surrender to the Texians to no avail
Repeating the battle cry. Remember the Alamo remember Goliad the Texians took to murder
650 Mexicans died compared to only 11 Texians
Santa Anna himself was found hiding in the marsh and was captured by the Texian army and
As much as I wanted to execute him
It was far more advantageous to have the president of the Mexican Republic as their prisoner
The remainder of the Mexican forces dared not to move from the Texians while they held Santa Anna and so the president entered negotiations
For three weeks. He was held and made to sign off the treaties of Velasco on May 14th
1836 the Mexican army would withdraw south of the Rio Grande and respect the border but keep in mind not actually recognize it
After signing this Santa Anna would safely sail off back to Mexico City
With one decisive victory the Texian army had achieved the unlikely they had won their independence
But what was even more unlikely was them being able to keep it
Before the end of the war the provisional government had convened and drawn up a constitution for their nation
One that almost copy and pasted the US Constitution just with more revolt and slavery sprinkled in
It was clear that the leaders of the Republic wished to join the Union
however
Annexation isn't just said and done Mexico didn't recognize Texas as independent and much of the u.s
Was torn on whether to actually annex the country so Texas the Lone Star Republic existed in limbo for almost a decade
Sam Houston served as president for the Republic until in
1845
United States would officially annex the 28th state of Texas, of course
Mexico didn't like that, but that's a story for another time as it stood
American expansion had just begun the seeds of the union's problems had been planted and an era of US dominance
Just beginning
However, it must be said that this episode of history contains a lot more than I had time to go over or that I even
Could go over
History isn't just a story of war and politics but also of concepts like math science and physics now admittedly
I've never been the strongest in these fields
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This is the end card where I thank the patrons and him obligated to especially thank Thomas Curley Harry Berkeley Enel scrubs
Amira's and Skyler Hagler
The next video should I'm going to say should because I can never confirm anything be out later this month and will be another
studio one
that means my acne face again so until then
adios amigos
