MASARYK UNIVERSITY Birth of Texas
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MASARYK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF EDUCATION Department of English Language and Literature Birth of Texas: the Revolution, Republic and the USA Bachelor Thesis Brno 2019 Supervisor: Author: Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. Kristýna Lukschová Bibliografický záznam Lukschová, Kristýna. Zrod Texasu: Revoluce, Republika a USA. Bakalářská práce, Masarykova univerzita, 2019. Anotace Bakalářská práce „Zrod Texasu: Revoluce, Republika a USA“ se zaměřuje na historii Texasu, konkrétně na Texaskou revoluci, období nezávislosti a anexi ke Spojeným státům americkým. Cíl této práce je nahlédnout do vývoje Texasu a událostí, které vedly ke vzbouření kolonistů proti mexické vládě, specifikovat život v Texaské republice, a okolností doprovázející připojení se jako 28. stát k USA. První dvě kapitoly se zaměřují na první obyvatelstvo Texasu a na rané evropské průzkumy. Následující tři kapitoly se zabývají Texasem v období španělské a mexické nadvlády. Sedmá a osmá kapitola je koncentrována na revoluci, Texaskou republiku, a také anexi. Výzkum pro bakalářskou práci se uskutečnil během studia na McLennan Community College ve Waco v Texasu. Klíčová slova Indiánské kmeny, evropské průzkumy, mise, pevnost, Španělé, Francouzi, Mexiko, vývoj, Stephen F. Austin, vláda, válka, nezávislost, Sam Houston, Texaská revoluce, Texaská republika, anexe Abstract The bachelor thesis “Birth of Texas: the Revolution, Republic and the USA” focuses on the history of Texas, specifically on the Texas Revolution, the times of independence, and the annexation to the United States of America. The aim of the paper is to examine the development of Texas, and the events which led to the rebellion of colonists against Mexico's government, specify the life in the Republic of Texas, and the circumstances of becoming the 28th state of the United States. The first two chapters focus on the first people in Texas, and early European explorations. The next three chapters deal with Texas in the times of Spanish, and also Mexican, occupation. The seventh and eigth chapter concentrate on the Revolution, and the Republic of Texas, together with the annexation. The research for the paper was done in Texas while studying at McLennan Community College in Waco. Keywords Indian tribes, European explorations, mission, presidio, the Spanish, the French, Mexico, development, Stephen F. Austin, government, war, independence, Sam Houston, Texas Revolution, the Republic of Texas, annexation Declaration I hereby declare that I worked on my bachelor thesis independently and that I used only the sources listed in the references. Brno, 29 November 2019 ……………………….. Kristýna Lukschová Acknowledgement First, I would like to thank my supervisor Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. for his help, suggestions, and valuable comments. I also want to express my gratitude to John and Kathy Hillman who helped me greatly with the research at the beginning. Lastly, I appreciate all the support from my family and friends. Table of Contents 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 8 2 Brief Summary of the History of the First Texans.................................................. 10 2.1 Indian Tribes in Texas.............................................................................................. 10 2.1.1 Caddos .............................................................................................................................. 11 2.1.2 Atakapans ......................................................................................................................... 12 2.1.3 Karankawas ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.1.4 Coahuiltecans .................................................................................................................... 12 2.1.5 Jumanos ............................................................................................................................ 13 2.1.6 Tonkawas .......................................................................................................................... 13 2.1.7 Wichitas ............................................................................................................................ 14 2.1.8 Apaches ............................................................................................................................. 14 2.1.9 Comanches ........................................................................................................................ 15 3 The First European Contacts with Texas Land ...................................................... 16 3.1 The Spanish Make the First Visits to the Area ........................................................ 16 3.2 Establishing the Presidio and Mission System ......................................................... 17 3.3 Accidental Arrival of the French and Its Impact on the Spanish ........................... 18 4 Spanish Texas ......................................................................................................... 20 4.1 Struggles with the Initial Attempts to Convert the Indians .................................... 20 4.2 The Birth of the San Antonio Mission ..................................................................... 21 4.3 The Influence of Franco-Spanish Relations on the Settlements in East Texas ....... 23 4.4 The Reasons for Relocations to San Antonio and Its Consequences ....................... 25 4.5 The Spanish Reaction on the Apache Raids ............................................................ 26 4.6 The Impact of Franco-British Conflict on Spanish Texas ....................................... 27 5 Texas and the Age of Revolutions ........................................................................... 29 5.1 The Role of Texas in the American Revolution ....................................................... 29 5.2 Continuous Conflicts with the Natives and Eventual Secularization of Missions... 30 5.3 The First Signs of Trying to Detach Texas from New Spain ................................... 31 5.4 French Impact on the Boundary between Texas and Louisiana ............................. 31 5.5 Beginnings of the Struggle for Mexican Independence ........................................... 32 5.5.1 The Situation in Texas during the Mexican War for Independence ................................ 33 5.6 Settling the Final Boundary between Texas and Louisiana and Its Consequences 34 6 The Development in the Times of Mexican Texas .................................................. 35 6.1 The Establishment of the First Anglo-American Settlement in Texas .................... 35 6.2 Other Colonizing Efforts and their Development.................................................... 36 6.3 The Introduction of a New Governing Approach and Texan Resistance ............... 37 6.4 The Growth of Political Oppression ........................................................................ 38 7 The Revolutionary War for Texas Independence ................................................... 40 7.1 The Battle of Gonzales: the Beginning of the War for Independence ..................... 40 7.2 The War Progress and Establishment of Provisional Government ........................ 41 7.3 The First Significant Texan Victory ........................................................................ 42 7.4 Fall of the Alamo and Circumstances of the Battle ................................................. 43 7.5 The Adoption of the Declaration of Texas Independence ....................................... 44 7.6 The Final Battle of the Texas Revolution and the Preceding Events ...................... 45 8 The Republic of Texas: Ten Years of Independence .............................................. 48 8.1 The First Presidential Election in the Texas Republic ............................................ 48 8.2 Texas at the time of Sam Houston’s Administration ............................................... 49 8.2.1 Relations with the Natives during Houston’s Presidency................................................. 49 8.3 Presidential Election of 1838 and Mirabeau B. Lamar’s Administration .............. 50 8.3.1 Lamar’s Policy toward Native Americans........................................................................ 51 8.4 The Development of the Republic during the Second Houston Administration ..... 52 8.5 The Struggle for Annexation .................................................................................... 53 9 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 56 10 References........................................................................................................... 58 11 Appendices .......................................................................................................... 62 1 Introduction The state of Texas is recognized not only for its enormous ranches, cowboys, and rodeos but also for its impressive past, which, in contrast with the history of the other states in the United States of America, is perceived by many as rather extraordinary. The development of the land reflects long-lasting conflicts, and significant decisions, which involved numbers of immigrants, and also local Indian tribes. Being a Spanish colony, and consequently Mexican territory, Texas was often a disputed area. The end of the disputes was initiated by Anglo-American immigration, which