Timeline of the Texas Revolution
One thing that makes Texas different from other states is the way that it became a state. Many of the early states started as colonies that were at one point controlled by European nations like the United Kingdom, France, or Spain. Texas was controlled by Mexico. But by the 1830s, this was an uncomfortable relationship. The Mexican government tried to tighten its grasp on Texas, in part because they were nervous that the United States wanted Texas to join their union. By the time fighting broke out in 1835, Texans and the Mexican government had been clashing with each other for a decade.
April 6, 1830: Worried about Americans influencing Texans, Mexican President Anastasio Bustamante ends American immigration to Texas. However, Americans keep moving to the Mexican territory. By 1836, around 35,000 American citizens called Texas home.
1833: Texans compile a list of changes they want to see, one of which is the creation of their own constitution. The Mexican government rejects their requests.
Oct. 2, 1835: Mexican soldiers arrive to remove a cannon that had been stationed at Gonzales, Texas, in order to prevent attacks by Native Americans. Gonzales residents refuse to allow the soldiers to enter the town and soon fire the first shots of the revolution.
Oct. 9, 1835: Mexican soldiers gathered at Presidio La Bahia are attacked by Texans. The Texans force the Mexican soldiers to retreat and capture their ammunition and food.
Oct. 28, 1835: In the first major battle at Concepcion, Mexican soldiers outnumber Texan soldiers 5 to 1, but Texans win the battle. This proves to the Texans that the Mexican armed forces are poorly prepared for battle.
Dec. 11, 1835: The Mexican Army still outnumbers the Texas forces by a ratio of about 2 to 1, but that doesn't stop the Texans from attacking the Mexican troops gathered at Bexar, which today Texans know as San Antonio. The Texans take the area; they now control most territories in Texas.
March 1, 1836: Texans convene the Convention of 1836. During the convention, Texans first write a declaration of independence. Next, they write the Constitution of the Republic of Texas. Also during this time, the members of the convention name Sam Houston as the commander of the Texas military forces. Texas has now officially formed the independent Republic of Texas.
March 6, 1836: Mexico isn't ready to let Texas go, and so Mexican soldiers attack the Texans at the Alamo Mission. The siege lasts for 13 days before Mexico takes the mission. The brutality of that attack sways many Texans who had been reluctant to support independence to join the cause. The Battle of the Alamo also leads many American citizens to join the Texas army to fight Mexico.
March 27, 1836: The Mexicans win the Battle of Goliad. More than 400 Texas soldiers surrender to Mexican forces. Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna gives orders that all of the Texas soldiers should be executed. This makes Texans even more determined to secure their independence.
April 21, 1836: Sam Houston leads the Texas Army against Santa Anna's troops in the Battle of San Jacinto. Houston is successful, and with this victory, Texas secures its independence.
May 14, 1836: A few weeks later, representatives of the Republic of Texas meet with Santa Anna. Together, they sign the Treaties of Velasco. But the Mexican government argues that Santa Anna didn't have the authority to sign treaties, and they never agree to ratify them.
Oct. 22, 1836: Houston, who was born in Virginia, is inaugurated as the first president of the Republic of Texas. Later, when Texas becomes part of the United States, Houston will be its first governor.
Dec. 29, 1845: Texas joins the United States, becoming the 28th state in the nation and the only state that was formerly an independent nation, a distinction it would hold until Hawaii joined the union.
April 25, 1846: A long-standing dispute over who controls a piece of real estate between the Rio Grande and Nueces River erupts into violent when Mexican troops attack United States soldiers stationed on the land, setting off the Mexican-American War.
Feb. 2, 1848: The Mexican-American War ends when both parties sign the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico admits in the treaty that Texas is not a part of Mexico and that Mexico has no claim to the state. The United States also claims about 500,000 square miles that it adds to Texas as part of the treaty.
By: Jim Olenbush