The Genesis of Texas Exceptionalism Michael G
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Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University History Dissertations Department of History Spring 5-7-2011 Most Desperate People: The Genesis of Texas Exceptionalism Michael G. Kelley Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_diss Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Kelley, Michael G., "Most Desperate People: The Genesis of Texas Exceptionalism." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2011. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_diss/24 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of History at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MOST DESPERATE PEOPLE THE GENESIS OF TEXAS EXCEPTIONALISM by MICHAEL G. KELLEY Under the direction of Wendy H. Venet ABSTRACT Six different nations have claimed sovereignty over some or all of the current state of Texas. In the early nineteenth century, Spain ruled Texas. Then Mexico rebelled against Spain, and from 1821 to 1836 Texas was a Mexican province. In 1836, Texas Anglo settlers rebelled against Mexican rule and established a separate republic. The early Anglo settlers brought their form of civilization to a region that the Spanish had not been able to subdue for three centuries. They defeated a professional army and eventually overwhelmed Native American tribes who wished to maintain their way of life without inference from intruding Anglo settlers. This history fostered a people who consider themselves capable of doing anything—an exceptional population imbued with a fierce sense of nationalistic and local rooted in the mythic memoirs of the first Anglo settlers. The purpose of this study is to explore the origin and development of Texan exceptionalist beliefs. The “taming of the Texas wilderness,” the Alamo, the defeat of Santa Anna at San Jacinto, the formation of a republic that earned recognition by major foreign powers, Stephen F. Austin, Davy Crockett, William Travis, are all elements in the great Texas myth. From the letters and documents of the early settlers, the extensive papers of Stephen F. Austin, the war papers of the Texas Revolution, newspapers of the era, and other sources, it is apparent that the early Texas settler did not come to Texas for any altruistic purpose. Texas provided a second chance for many who had been previously unsuccessful and an opportunity to gain riches from the extensive land bounty granted by the Mexican government. This research provides additional depth to a neglected part of Texas history. Removing the mystique of the Texas legend reveals a far more colorful and complex period. These early Texans were a complex, divided, greedy, racist people who changed the course of the United States and established a legend that has withstood the test of time. INDEX WORDS: Empresario, Spanish colonies, Texas, Mexico, Alamo, San Jacinto, Goliad, Texas Revolution, Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, William B. Travis, James Bowie, Santa Anna, James Fannin, Stephen F. Austin, Eugene Barker, Texas Indians, Texas settlers, Andrew Jackson MOST DESPERATE PEOPLE THE GENESIS OF TEXAS EXCEPTIONALISM by MICHAEL G. KELLEY A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2011 Copyright Michael George Kelley 2011 MOST DESPERATE PEOPLE THE GENESIS OF TEXAS EXCEPTIONALISM by MICHAEL G. KELLEY Committee Chair: Wendy H. Venet Committee: H. Robert Baker Christine Skwiot Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University May 2011 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is with profound gratitude to thank those that made this dissertation possible. Dr. Wendy Venet has been my friend and mentor through two degrees. She is a dedicated true professional who inspired me to be the best that I can. The members of my committee, Dr. Christine Skwiot and Dr. H. Robert Baker who gave me direction and guidance. Without the commitment of Drs. Skwiot and Baker, this dissertation would not be possible. I would also like to express my profound gratitude to my wife who had to endure ten years of reading my history papers. In the middle of writing this dissertation, I was deployed by the U.S. Army to Iraq and she was able to keep the family on an even keel and send me books so I could continue to perform research. I would be remiss if I did not express my gratitude to Dr. Hugh Hudson who admitted me to graduate work at Georgia State in spite of my lack of academic credentials. Finally, I owe deepest gratitude to Kathryn Alexander who provided editorial assistance and humor. In my darkest hour, she was like an angel catching my numerous errors and suggesting organizational changes. This is just a sample of friends, colleagues, librarians, archivists, and professors who gave me the inspiration to finish this undertaking. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... vi PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................... 1 I MIGRANTS TO TEXAS: A SPECIAL PEOPLE ............................................................... 5 II SETTING THE STAGE ....................................................................................................... 48 III THE FIRST YEARS ............................................................................................................. 96 IV THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD, 1830 – 1836 .......................................................... 150 V MYTH AND PROSPERITY .............................................................................................. 208 ENDNOTES............................................................................................................................... 264 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 293 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Native American groups in early Texas (used with permission of native-languages.org) ................................................................................................... 52 Figure 2. Map of Spanish Texas (J. H. Colton & Co., Prints and Photographs Collection, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission) ................................................................................................................. 55 Figure 3. Texas empresario grants (courtesy of The University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin) ............................................................................. 118 Figure 4. The Alamo Chapel, the most visited historic site in Texas (image in public domain, http:/www.pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?mat=&pg=5402) .......... 235 Figure 5. Dawn at the Alamo (Prints and Photographs Collection, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission) .......................... 239 Figure 6. San Jacinto Monument (image in public domain, Tijuana Brass, Fall 2006) ......... 245 Figure 7. Fannin Monument, Goliad, Texas (reprinted with permission of Stephen Arthur, photographer) ............................................................................................................. 247 Figure 8. Texas, A Land of Opportunity (reprinted with permission of Dalhart Windberg, artist) ........................................................................................... 260 1 PREFACE Since the founding of the Texas Republic in 1836, the first Anglo settlers to the then Mexican province have enjoyed an almost mythical status. This attitude has carried over to the present day. In a recent discussion concerning the deployment of the Texas National Guard to Iraq, an eight-year-old exclaimed, “We are Texans—we never give up.” This exceptionalist mind-set pervades modern-day Texas society and culture. Historians appear reluctant to submit the Texas myth to close examination. Presently there is little extensive research into the character, motivations, and actions of the early Anglo Texans. Eugene C. Barker, the dean of Texas historians and the author of numerous books and journal articles on early Texas, had already classified these people as exceptional in the early twentieth century, and numerous historical societies throughout the state steadfastly adhere to and promote the Texas legend as historically accurate. Modern historians have found borderlands and Tejano studies less controversial and more relevant in the period of New West history than the research of early Anglo settlers. Thus, the settlers who moved to Texas during the empresario years have remained perched upon their exceptionalist pedestal. The roots of Texas exceptionalism began in 1821 and matured during the empresario and revolutionary period. This was the era of the “Old Three Hundred,” the Alamo, and San Jacinto, as well as larger-than-life figures such as Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and William B. Travis. The period between 1821 and 1836 was complex and dynamic. While research indicates that the first Anglos in Texas did