Editing Texas Revolution (section)

==Background==
{{Main|Mexican Texas}}
After a failed attempt by France to [[French colonization of Texas|colonize Texas]] in the late 17th century, Spain developed a plan to settle the region.<ref>Weber (1992), pp. 149–154.</ref> On its southern edge, along the [[Medina River|Medina]] and [[Nueces River]]s, [[Spanish Texas]] was bordered by the province of [[Coahuila]].<ref name=edmondson6>Edmondson (2000), p. 6.</ref>  On the east, Texas bordered [[Louisiana (New France)|Louisiana]].<ref name=edmonson10>Edmondson (2000), p. 10.</ref>  Following the [[Louisiana Purchase]] of 1803, the United States also claimed the land west of the [[Sabine River (Texas–Louisiana)|Sabine River]], all the way to the Rio Grande.<ref name=weber291>Weber (1992), p. 291.</ref> From 1812 to 1813 anti-Spanish republicans and U.S. [[filibuster (military)|filibusters]] rebelled against the [[Spanish Empire]] in what is known today as the [[Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition]] during the [[Mexican War of Independence]]. They won battles in the beginning and captured many Texas cities from the Spanish that led to a declaration of independence of the state of Texas as part of the Mexican Republic on April 17, 1813. The new Texas government and army met their doom in the [[Battle of Medina]] in August 1813, 20 miles south of [[San Antonio]], where 1,300 of the 1,400 rebel army were killed in battle or executed shortly afterwards by royalist soldiers. It was the deadliest single battle in Texas history. 300 republican government officials in San Antonio were captured and executed by the Spanish royalists shortly after the battle. [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]], future [[President of Mexico]], fought in this battle as a royalist and followed his superiors' orders to take no prisoners. Another interesting note is two founding fathers of the [[Republic of Texas]] and future signers of the [[Texas Declaration of Independence]] in 1836, [[José Antonio Navarro]] and [[José Francisco Ruiz]], took part in the Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qfm01 |title= Medina, Battle of |website=Handbook of Texas |publisher=TSHA |first1=Robert H. |last1=Thonhoff |date=1952 |access-date=September 2, 2017}}</ref> Although the United States officially renounced that claim as part of the [[Transcontinental Treaty]] with Spain in 1819,<ref group=Note>Spain did not ratify the treaty until February 1821, in the hopes that the delay would stop the Americans from recognizing Mexico as an independent country. Weber (1992), p. 300.</ref> many Americans continued to believe that Texas should belong to their nation,<ref name=weber299and300>Weber (1992), pp. 299–300.</ref> and over the next decade the United States made several offers to purchase the region.{{sfn|Lack |1992 |p=5}}

Following the [[Mexican War of Independence]], Texas became part of [[Mexico]]. Under the [[1824 Constitution of Mexico|Constitution of 1824]], which defined the country as a [[federal republic]], the provinces of Texas and Coahuila were combined to become the state [[Coahuila y Tejas]].<ref group=Note>For the purposes of this article, "Texas" refers to the area north of the Medina and Nueces Rivers and west of the Sabine River. "Coahuila y Tejas" comprises both Texas and the province of Coahuila. The "Republic of Texas" includes Texas and the land between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande.</ref><ref name=manchaca161and62>Manchaca (2001), pp. 161–162.</ref><ref name=vazquez51>Vazquez (1997), p. 51.</ref> Texas was granted only a single seat in the state legislature, which met in [[Saltillo]], hundreds of miles away.<ref name=davis63>Davis (2006), p. 63.</ref><ref name=edmndson72>Edmondson (2000), p. 72.</ref> After months of grumbling by ''[[Tejano]]s'' (Mexican-born residents of Texas) outraged at the loss of their political autonomy, state officials agreed to make Texas a [[Department (country subdivision)|department]] of the new state, with a ''de facto'' capital in [[San Antonio|San Antonio de Béxar]].<ref name=davis63/>

Texas was very sparsely settled, with fewer than 3,500 non-Native residents, and only about 200 soldiers,<ref name=edmondson75>Edmondson (2000), p. 75.</ref><ref name=weber162>Weber (1992), p. 162.</ref>  which made it extremely vulnerable to attacks by native tribes and American [[Filibuster (military)|filibusters]].<ref name=weber161>Weber (1992), p. 161.</ref>  In the hopes that an influx of settlers could control the Indigenous resistance, the bankrupt Mexican government liberalized immigration policies for the region. Finally able to settle legally in Texas, [[Anglo#United States|Anglo]]s from the United States soon vastly outnumbered the ''Tejanos''.<ref group=Note>David Weber (1992), p. 166, states that in 1830, there were approximately 7,000 foreign-born residents and 3,000 Mexican-born residents. Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 4, states that there were 16,000 Anglos and only 4,000 Mexican-born residents in Texas in 1830.</ref><ref name=weber166>Weber (1992), p. 166.</ref><ref name=manchaca164>Manchaca (2001), p. 164.</ref> Most of the immigrants came from the [[Southern United States]]. Many were slave owners, and most brought with them [[Racism in the United States|significant prejudices]] against other races, attitudes often applied to the ''Tejanos''{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}. Mexico's official religion was Roman Catholicism, yet the majority of the immigrants were Protestants who distrusted Catholics.<ref name="davis60 and 64">Davis (2006), pp. 60, 64.</ref>

[[File:Mexico 1835-1846 administrative map-en-2.svg|350px|thumb|left|alt=A map of Mexico, showing state and territory divisions as of 1835. Texas, Coahila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas and the Yucatán are shaded, marking them as having separatist movements.|A map of Mexico, 1835–1846, showing administrative divisions. The red areas show regions where separatist movements were active.]]
Mexican authorities became increasingly concerned about the stability of the region.{{sfn |Lack |1992 |p=5}} The colonies teetered at the brink of revolt in 1829, after Mexico abolished slavery.<ref name=edmondson80>Edmondson (2000), p. 80.</ref>  In response, President [[Anastasio Bustamante]] implemented the [[Law of April 6, 1830|Laws of April 6, 1830]], which, among other things, prohibited further immigration to Texas from the United States, increased taxes, and reiterated the ban on slavery.<ref name=manchaca200>Manchaca (2001), p. 200.</ref> Settlers simply circumvented or ignored the laws. By 1834, an estimated 30,000 Anglos lived in Coahuila y Tejas,<ref name=manchaca201>Manchaca (2001), p. 201.</ref> compared to only 7,800&nbsp;Mexican-born residents.<ref name=manchaca172>Manchaca (2001), p. 172.</ref> By the end of 1835, almost 5,000 enslaved Africans and African Americans lived in Texas, making up 13 percent of the non-Indian population.<ref name="Baptist">Baptist (2014), p. 266.</ref>

In 1832, [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]] led a revolt to overthrow Bustamante.<ref name=davis78>Davis (2006), p. 78.</ref><ref name=winders20>Winders (2004), p. 20.</ref>  Texians, or English-speaking settlers, used the rebellion as an excuse to take up arms{{according to whom?|date=May 2024}}{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}. By mid-August, all Mexican troops had been expelled from east Texas.<ref name=davis89>Davis (2006), p. 89.</ref>  Buoyed by their success, Texians held two political conventions to persuade Mexican authorities to weaken the Laws of April 6, 1830.<ref name=davis92and95>Davis (2006), pp. 92, 95.</ref>  Bustamante was replaced by the liberal federalist [[Valentin Gomez Farias]], who would attempt to reach a compromise with the Texans. In November 1833, the Mexican government attempted to address some of their concerns, repealing some sections of the law and granting the colonists further concessions,<ref name="davis110 and 117">Davis (2006), pp. 110, 117.</ref> including increased representation in the state legislature.<ref name=vazquez69>Vazquez (1997), p. 69.</ref>  [[Stephen F. Austin]], who had brought the first American settlers to Texas, wrote to a friend that "Every evil complained of has been remedied."<ref name=davis117>Davis (2006), p. 117.</ref>  Mexican authorities were quietly watchful, concerned that the colonists were maneuvering towards secession.<ref name=vazquez67>Vazquez (1997), p. 67.</ref><ref name=davis120>Davis (2006), p. 120.</ref>

Santa Anna overthrew Gomez Farias in April 1834, and soon revealed himself to be a centralist, inaugurating the [[Centralist Republic of Mexico]]. In 1835, the 1824 Constitution was overturned; state legislatures were dismissed, militias disbanded.<ref name=davis121>Davis (2006), p. 121.</ref><ref name=hardin6>Hardin (1994), p. 6.</ref>  Federalists throughout Mexico were appalled. Citizens in the states of [[Oaxaca]] and [[Zacatecas]] took up arms.<ref name=davis121/>  After Santa Anna's troops subdued the rebellion in Zacatecas in May, he gave his troops two days to pillage the city; over 2,000 noncombatants were killed.<ref name=hardin7>Hardin (1994), p. 7.</ref>  The governor of Coahuila y Tejas, [[Agustín Viesca]], refused to dissolve the legislature, instead ordering that the session reconvene in Béxar, further from the influence of the Mexican army.<ref name=davis122>Davis (2006), p. 122.</ref>  Although prominent ''Tejano'' [[Juan Seguín]] raised a militia company to assist the governor, the Béxar ''ayuntamiento'' (city council) ordered him not to interfere,{{sfn |Lack |1992 |pp=21–22}} and Viesca was arrested before he reached Texas.<ref name=hardin23>Hardin (1994), p. 23.</ref>

Public opinion in Texas was divided.{{sfn |Lack |1992|pp=24–26}} Editorials in the United States began advocating complete independence for Texas.<ref name=davis131>Davis (2006), p. 131.</ref> After several men staged a minor revolt against customs duties in [[Anahuac, Texas|Anahuac]] in June,{{sfn |Lack |1992 |p=25}} local leaders began calling for a public meeting to determine whether a majority of settlers favored independence, a return to federalism, or the status quo. Although some leaders worried that Mexican officials would see this type of gathering as a step towards revolution, by the end of August most communities had agreed to send delegates to the [[Consultation (Texas)|Consultation]], scheduled for October 15.{{sfn |Lack |1992 |pp=31–32}}

As early as April 1835, military commanders in Texas began requesting reinforcements, fearing the citizens would revolt.{{sfn |Lack |1992|p=20}} Mexico was ill-prepared for a large civil war,<ref name=davis198>Davis (2006), p. 198.</ref> but continued unrest in Texas posed a significant danger to the power of Santa Anna and of Mexico. If the people of Coahuila also took up arms,   Mexico faced losing a large portion of its territory. Without the northeastern province to act as a buffer, it was likely that United States influence would spread, and the Mexican territories of [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México|Nuevo Mexico]] and [[Alta California]] would be at risk of future American encroachment. Santa Anna had no wish to tangle with the United States, and he knew that the unrest needed to be subdued before the United States could be convinced to become involved.<ref name=davis199>Davis (2006), p. 199.</ref> In early September, Santa Anna ordered his brother-in-law, General [[Martín Perfecto de Cos]], to lead 500 soldiers to Texas to quell any potential rebellion. Cos and his men landed at the port of [[Copano, Texas|Copano]] on September 20.<ref name="davis136and138">Davis (2006), pp. 136, 138.</ref> Austin called on all municipalities to raise militias to defend themselves.<ref name=davis133>Davis (2006), p. 133.</ref>