Chapter 11: The Texas RevolutionSection 1: The War Begins

Thinking Question

What events caused a build up in tensions between Texans and

the Mexican government?

The Capture of Gonzales & Goliad

•Santa Anna—president of Texas in the 1830s

•Texans angry Santa Anna would not follow the Constitution of 1824

Antonio López de Santa Anna

The Capture of Gonzales & Goliad

• Mexican officials demand that U.S. settlers at Gonzales turn over a cannon

• Refused to hand over cannon

Gonzales Cannon

The Capture of Gonzales & Goliad

•Bury the cannon in an orchard

•Seek reinforcements

•Removed a ferry crossing the Guadalupe River

The Capture of Gonzales & Goliad

• “Come and Take It”

• October 2, 1835: Texans attack Mexican force

• One Mexican killed, no Texans killed

The Capture of Gonzales & Goliad

• Mexicans retreat to San Antonio

• General Martín Perfecto de Cos orders 300 more troops to Texas General Martín

Perfecto de Cos

The Capture of Gonzales & Goliad

•After Gonzales, the Texans attacked and defeated an army at Goliad

•George Collinsworth and Ben Milam commanded a Texas force of about 50 settlers

The Capture of Gonzales & Goliad

•Outnumbered, the Mexicans at Goliad surrender

•Texas had cut off the Mexican army’s supply route

•Rebel army sets sights on San Antonio

The March on San Antonio

•Volunteers at Gonzales begin to organize and attack on San Antonio

•Stephen F. Austin elected general

The March on San Antonio

•October 1835: Austin sets up camp outside of San Antonio

•Received aid from Tejanos who had suffered after the arrival of Cos

The March on San Antonio

•Texas Army ill trained and equipped

•Infantry—foot soldiers

•Cavalry—group of soldiers on horseback

The March on San Antonio

• 90 men sent out to search for a good defensive position

• Search Party attacked by a force of 400 Mexican soldiers

Jim Bowie James Fannin Andrew Briscoe

Jim Bowie

• Born 1796 in Kentucky

• Spent most of his life in Louisiana

• Caught & rode wild horses, rode alligators, & trapped bears

Jim Bowie

• Signed up to fight in the War of 1812

• Engaged in illegal slave trading with Jean Lafitte

• Had a fiery temper and got in many fights

Bowie Knife

• Designed by Jim’s brother, Rezin Bowie, Jeff Cleft created the first knife

• Given to Jim for protection

• Gained fame after the “Sandbar Fight”

The March on San Antonio

• Texans had a good defensive position

• Texans possessed more accurate rifles

• Texan troops won

• Stephen F. Austin waits for reinforcements

The Grass Fight• Austin & troops lay

siege to San Antonio

• Austin chosen as a commissioner to the U.S.

• Col. Edward Burleson takes command Col. Edward Burleson

The Grass Fight

•“Deaf” Smith, a scout, reports of approaching Mexican soldiers

•Rumors spreads that soldiers are carrying silver

Erastus “Deaf” Smith

The Grass Fight

• Texas troops attack

• Find out Mexicans are carrying straw

• Realize siege is effective

The Capture of San Antonio

• Dec 4, 1835: Col Burleson orders a withdrawal from San Antonio

• Captured Mexican officer says that the Mexican camp is weak and disorganized

• “Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?”

The Capture of San Antonio

• 300 rebels under the command of Milam and Francis Johnson attack San Antonio

• Dec 5, 1835: Fighting begins

• House-to-house fighting

Ben Milam

The Capture of San Antonio

•Milam killed on third day of fighting

•December 10: Cos surrenders

•Cos allowed to lead his troops out of Texas

The Capture of San Antonio

•By December of 1835, Texans had driven nearly all the Mexican soldiers out of Texas

•Most Texans thought the conflict was over

“First Battle of the Alamo”

• Cos used the Alamo as his headquarters

• Made improvements to the Alamo

• Surrendered at the Alamo