The Texas territory has been governed by several nations since Spain first claimed the land in the 1500s. The journey from Spain’s claim to Sam Houston’s Battle of Jacinto is a very interesting one that includes settlers, politicians, armies and nine different constitutions. After the Battle of San Jacinto, Sam Houston and governments to follow had many obstacles to overcome with the forming of a solid state constitution. The development of Texas came from two areas: Mexico and the Anglo settlement.
Texas was included as part of the territory of The Republic of Mexico from when secured its independence from Spain in 1821, about the time Stephen F. Austin began to bring Anglo colonist to the sparsely populated …show more content…
As the population developed and the financial burdens grew with the inhabitants, the look to the Western frontier became more and more attractive to many. The western frontier was still very unsettled past the Appalachian Mountains which may the transition less appealing to women. The frontier was seen by many, as a vast opportunity for daring men to move out and go make their fortune. This move required men to gamble the safety of their current situations for the unknown. Failure by men during this time was often caused by business failure or just gambling on a chance at a better future or promise of great …show more content…
Houston’s army began disobeying orders leading to more difficulties and a lot of death. Most of the rebellious activity stemmed from Austin’s rebellious officers. Travis and Bowie had rebelled against Houston’s order to destroy the San Antonio fortress known as the Alamo and retreat. Instead the colonels sieged the Alamo for thirteen days, where Santa Anna stormed the Alamo and massacred more than 180 defenders. Another of Austin’s disobedient officers, James Walker Fannin, was also defeated by the Mexican army. Fannin and his army were imprisoned at the mission at Goliad before being lined up and shot on orders by Santa Anna. “Sam Houston had finally managed to establish himself in command of the Texas army, but he was in full retreat even as he was trying to train and to drill them into an effective fighting force.” (Hadley 75).
Santa Anna continued to chase Houston’s army across the entire territory, but it was on the twenty-first of April in the year of eighteen hundred and thirty-six that Santa Anna’s army would cease their pursuit of Houston’s army. The famous Battle of San Jacinto was “led by General Sam Houston. The Texas Army engaged and defeated General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s Mexican forces in a fight that lasted less than twenty minutes.” (“Descendants”) This Battle made Texas’s