In the year 1821, Mexico had won independence from Spain. They allowed for Americans to settle in Texas, they were given the land that no Mexicans had yet to claim. The only catch was for Americans to become Mexican citizens, learn Spanish and convert to Catholicism. They never really became “Mexican”, they kept speaking English and were still the same Americans as before arriving in Texas. Most of the Americans that had settled into Texas were from the southern states, which slavery was still legal in. They would bring their slaves with them, but slavery was illegal in Mexico. Mexico did not want them to have slaves and was upset about this slave problem. The settlers made their slaves sign agreements, saying that they are not slaves but “indentured servants”, which was not the case. The Mexican …show more content…
Americans were desperate for land, and were always seeking new places to discover. Texas had great land for farming and cattle which was very appealing to Americans. Many Americans believed that Texas should belong to the U.S. According to the Manifest Destiny, they believed the U.S should extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and that any Mexicans or Indians they encountered should be kicked out. They were many Americans who immigrated to Texas with the intention of being good citizens of Mexico, for example: Stephen F. Austin. Austin spent a year in Mexican prison for supporting Texas statehood. This possibly the worst thing Mexico could have done. On October 2nd in 1835, in the town of Gonzales the first shots were fired. General Santa Anna marched north with a massive army, after the Texans had captured San Antonio. They overran the defenders at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. The Mexicans were defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto. Santa Anna was captured, which led to Texas independence. Mexico still tried to reclaim Texas in the following years, but essentially Texas joined the U.S in the year