The Texas Revolution
After years of grievances going unresolved between the people living in Texas and the Mexican government who ruled over the area known as Tejas, the Texians declared their independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. Four days later, almost all 200 of the Texians who were defending the Alamo died in their battle against General Santa Ana and his Mexican forces. When General Sam Houston heard the news on March 13th, he advised everyone to flee. General Houston retreated, as well, with his rag-tag army. This was called the “Runaway Scrape” and lasted until the Texas Revolution was over. On March 27th, the Mexican army killed 342 Texian soldiers, and this was called the Goliad Massacre.
It seemed that it was over for the Texians and that Santa Ana had won. But General Houston, who had been following the Texas settlers to protect them as they headed east away from the Mexican army, turned his soldiers around. General Santa Ana and his army were camped on a wide plain between Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River. As the Mexicans took their afternoon siesta on April 21, 1836, General Houston and his men sneaked up on the sleeping army and took them by surprise.
The Battle of San Jacinto only lasted eighteen minutes, with Texians crying, “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!” Mexican soldiers abandoned their camp and fled for their lives. At the beginning of the battle, the Texians numbered less than 800, while General Santa Ana had an army of around 1,500. By the end of the battle, 11 Texians had been killed and 30 injured, including General Houston with a shattered ankle. Six hundred fifty men of General Santa Ana’s were killed, 208 were wounded, and 300 had been captured. However, General Santa Ana had escaped.
The next day, April 22nd, Santa Ana was found, wearing the jacket of an army private. At first, the Texians just thought he was another Mexican soldier, until the prisoners called out to their general. General Houston didn’t execute General Santa Ana. Instead they signed a treaty where all of the remaining Mexican armies in Texas would retreat back to Mexico. With that treaty, the newly birthed nation became the Republic of Texas. It stayed an independent nation from 1836 until December 29, 1845 when Texas became the 28th state of the United States of America.
I’m a 5th generation Texan and 4th generation Houstonian, and I’ll admit that my very brief summary is lacking in so many details. How Texas became an independent nation is a fascinating subject to me, and one that every 4th grader in Texas used to study. I don’t know if that’s still true, but I would hope so. When I was a child, San Jacinto Day (which is today) was always a school holiday. Too bad that they haven’t kept that tradition.
Happy San Jacinto Day!
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