1810-1825

Mexican Independence

Vocabulary – Lesson 2Equality – the same rights for all people.Rebellion – fighting against the government.Dictator – government leader with total authority.Grants – gifts of land.Empresario – a person given a grant by Mexican

government to bring settlers to Texas.Militia – a group of unpaid people that acts as an

army formed to keep order.Tejanos – Mexican settlers in Texas.Bilingual – able to speak two languagesTitle – the ownership of land or property.Anglos – people whose ancestors are from Britain;

or white people.

The Fall of New SpainIn 1808 Napoleon Bonaparte

took over Spain and removed the king of Spain from the throne. He placed his own brother as the ruler of Spain. Spain no longer had a strong leader.

Criollos (kree*OH*yohs), people who were born in New Spain, but had ancestors from Spain, and Spanish-born (those from Spain) began fighting each other for control of Mexico.

Neither group wanted the Indians or the mestizos to have power.

Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Gave a speech, the Grito de Dolores, demanding equality and same rights for all people in Mexico.

He led the Indians and mestizos against the Spanish Government.

He was captured, tried and executed.

Outside help for Mexican Independence

Dr. James Long led a expeditions in September of 1821, from Mississippi into Texas to help drive out Spanish.

His wife, Jane Long, vowed to wait for him to return to Galveston.

The fort was deserted when supplies ran out except for Jane, her 6 year old daughter and a 12 year old servant.

She gave birth to her third child.Dr. Long was killed during the expedition and

never returned and she left the area the following March.

Because of her devotion to her family and staying during the long winter, Jane Long is known as the Mother of Texas.

Jean LafitteA French pirate that

attacked Spanish ships in the Gulf of Mexico.

He helped build and had complete control of Galveston Island for a long period of time.

Fighting begins again…Five years later in 1820

fighting began again. This time, Agustin de

Iturbide announced the Plan de Iguala which sought to make Mexico Independent.

Many people, including some Spanish soldiers agreed.

Widespread rebellion eventually forced Spain to give up control of Mexico.

Flag of Spain

Mexican Texas

In 1822 the Emperor of Mexico, Agustin I, ruled with complete power as a dictator.

Within a year, he was removed from power by another rebellion.

In the following years, Mexico had several other leaders.

Settlements in Texas

Years of fighting in Mexico had destroyed Spanish missions and presidio buildings in Texas.

Farming and ranching nearly stopped.The city of Nacogdoches was turned into a ghost

town. Fewer people lived in Texas.Mexico feared it would lose Texas to the United

States because so few people lived there.

Grants given to Texas

The new Mexican government began working with Empresarios, giving them land grants (gifts of land) in order to bring settlers to Texas.

Empresarios were paid for their expenses in addition to receiving land.

Tejanos SettlersUnder new Mexican law, Coahuila and Texas

were a single state.Most people in Texas were natives of Mexico.When Spain was in charge, many Mexican

settlers moved into Texas.These settlers, Tejanos, lived in San Antonio

de Bexar, La Bahia del Espiritu Santo and Nacogdoches.

Some Tejanos began farms and ranches. One of the well-known Tejano ranchers was Erasmo Seguin. He and his son, Juan Seguin, helped the “Texians”, as some Americans that moved into Texas called themselves.

Many Tejanos loyal to Spain left Texas. The remaining Tejanos became loyal to the new Mexican government.

Juan Seguin