The Texas Revolution, Part

1:The “Happy” Year

1835

Battle of Gonzales –Oct. 2, 1835• 1st battle of the

Texas Revolution

• Nickname is “The Lexington of Texas” because of the similarities between this battle and the first battle of the American Revolution

• Texans WON!!! 1835

The Battle at Goliad- Oct. 9, 1835

• A week after Gonzales, Texans take the Presidio at Goliad

• They realize they may actually be able to beat the huge Mexican Army

• They decide to go to San Antonio– the biggest town in TX with the most soldiers

The Mission at Goliad 183

5

• Everybody goes back to Gonzales to organize• Stephen F. Austin and other leaders gather a bunch of Texans

(American and Tejano) to march to San Antonio• They start their march and call their group the “Army of the

People”• Texans have about 600 soldiers when they get to SA (as per

TSHA)• General Cos has about 750 soldiers in SA

The Army of the People’s March to San Antonio (Late Oct., 1835)

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• A siege is where one army is inside a fort or city and the other army tries to block all supplies and people from getting in or out

• Mexicans were inside the Alamo and the Texans surrounded them

• It started in on Oct. 28 and lasted FOREVER!! (At least that’s what the Texan volunteers started to think)

The Siege of Bexar: Oct. 28 – Dec. 5, 1835

General Cos and Mexican

soldiers in the Alamo

The Alamo (In San Antonio de

Bexar)

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• Write a “Declaration of the People”… NOT of independence… it just tries to explain their actions to MX

1. they are loyal citizens of Mexico2. they would support the Constitution of

18243. fighting only to defend themselves from

Santa Anna4. ask all Mexican citizens to fight for a

democracy (SA was a dictator)

Consultation of 1835Nov. 3-14, 1835 (as per TSHA)

• Remember? They had called for this meeting at the end of Ch. 8

• 58 delegates from 14 towns meet

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War PartyPeace Party

• There had been very little military activity in Oct. and Nov. because sieges were BORING

• A TX scout named “Deaf” Smith heard that the MX Army had some cavalry and mule train headed to San Antonio

• Some of the Texans, thinking it has silver for Cos’ soldiers ATTACK!!!

• It ends up to be just grass for their horses!• This is the final straw… the siege is called off and the Texans

start packing to go home

The Grass Fight: Nov. 26, 1835

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The Battle of San AntonioDec 5-9, 1835

• Ben Milam, an empresario, heard that the Texans were leaving and tried to rally the troops to fight (he really wanted independence)

• He and Frank Johnson organized about 300 of the troops that were left and attacked the Mexicans in the Alamo!!!

• The battle lasted about 4 days… and the Texans had won!!

• Cos surrendered and went home. Yay!

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With Cos gone… the Texans realized that he took with him the last of the Mexican soldiers in Texas… many Texans thought they had won the war!!!!

Or so they thought…..

Mexico City

General Cos

Santa Anna

President Santa Anna! The Texans have run us out of Texas!!!

Geez, Cos!!! Can’t you do anything right? If you want something done right you have to do it yourself! Come on! Let’s go back to Texas and I’ll show you how to stop this rebellion!!!!

Overview of the Texas Revolution

San FelipeConsultation of 1835

The Battle at GoliadMarch of the Army of the PeopleSiege of BexarConsultation of 1835The Grass FightBattle of San AntonioCos surrenders and returns to Mexico

1835The Battle of Gonzales

“Lexington of Texas”1st Battle of the AMERICAN Revolution

1st Battle of the TEXAS Revolution

Gonzales, TX

April 19, 1775

October 2, 1835

Battle of Gonzales

Battle of Lexington

Mexican officials had gone to Gonzales to get the cannon that had been loaned to them by the Mexican government to protect themselves from Native Americans

British soldiers went to Lexington to get any military supplies or weapons that the Americans had stored

Because of these similarities, the Battle of Gonzales is sometimes called “The Lexington of Texas”

Texans won!!!Americans won!!!

Lexington, MA

Review Questions

1. What was the FIRST battle of the Texas Revolution?2. What was that battle’s nickname?3. Why did it get that nickname?4. What did the Battle of Goliad make the Texans realize?5. What did the Texans decide to DO after the Battle of Goliad?6. How did the Texans get to San Antonio? Who was in charge?7. Who was in San Antonio and what were the Texans going to do about it?8. What is it called when an army traps another group and tries to “wait them

out”? What was the one in San Antonio called? What is the other name for it?

9. Who did that to whom in October of 1835?10.What was the meeting called that started in November of 1835?11. What did they do at the meeting?12.What event during the siege was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”?

(What event during the siege led to the battle?)13.Who led the Texans into battle? What happened to him?14.Who won the Battle of San Antonio? What is another name for it?15.Who lost the Battle of San Antonio? What did he (and they) do next?16.What did the Texans think after they won the Battle of San Antonio?

1835