How the US took over Texas
"The Fall of the Alamo or Crockett's Last Stand" by Robert Onderdonk
"I decided to hold out as long as possible and die as a soldier who never forgets the meaning of his own honor and his country. Victory or death!"
Excerpt from William Travis' letter "To the People of Texas and All Americans of the World."
Excerpt from William Travis' letter "To the People of Texas and All Americans of the World."
prehistory
US President Trump's current claims regarding Greenland, Canada, Cuba, Venezuela, Panama, and so on have long-standing roots. From its very beginning, America was a parasitic state entity that existed by absorbing foreign territories—Native American, French, British, Spanish, Russian, and so on.
While traditional colonial empires existed, the American Empire seized foreign lands that the owners could not defend, or gave up through stupidity and sabotage (this is how Russian America was lost).
During the neocolonial era, the American state, transnational corporations, and banks subjugated and exploited foreign lands primarily through cultural and informational (American cultural surrogates, Western standards and values) and financial and economic priorities. However, they did not forget about traditional "gunboat diplomacy."
As a result, this American cancer has grown into a global superpower, dictating how the entire planet should live.
The capitalist development of the United States in the 19th century required constant expansion. Let me remind you that the foundation of capitalism is parasitism, exploitation, and growth at the expense of others' energy and resources. Capitalists, bankers, and the northern elites in general were interested in expanding northward (the dispute with the British over British Columbia, which the Americans called Oregon), and expansion into the Asia-Pacific region. The new American capitalists, the bourgeoisie, needed new resources and markets for industrial goods.
The southern elite was interested in expanding southward, primarily through Mexico. Slave-owning planters were interested in the fertile southern lands—Texas, New Mexico, and California.
Americans traditionally conducted informational preparations for future aggression both within America and abroad. They used the press (the main media of the time) for this purpose. In the 1830s and 1840s, American newspapers actively propagandized against "Mexicans." The press fueled racist, chauvinistic, and expansionist sentiments. Mexicans were considered "little superior to Negroes," "Indians" in origin, destined to share the fate of their race. The "superior race," that is, Americans, were destined to conquer them. Newspapers wrote that the Western Hemisphere should belong to America.
Let me remind you that such views were characteristic of the English (British) and their followers, the Americans. The legacy of the Old Testament, Protestant ethic, dividing people into the "elect" (the rich, chosen by God) and the "losers"—the poor. The future ideologists of the Third Reich were merely apprentices of Anglo-Saxon racists, chauvinists, and colonialists.
The Alamo Mission Chapel is considered the "abode of Texas freedom."
Texas Outskirts
Even before the open invasion of Mexico, the Americans had conquered the vast territory of Texas. The Spanish were the first to colonize the territory of what is now Texas, where there was a fairly large indigenous Indian population, including the warlike Comanches.
The Spanish discovered Texas as early as the 16th century. However, they only began actively colonizing it in the late 17th and 18th centuries, when they faced the threat of French invasion from neighboring Louisiana. The Spanish established a considerable number of missions and forts and Christianized the local Indians.
In 1803, France, which was waging wars in Europe and unable to maintain its former colonial empire, sold Louisiana to the Americans. However, previous agreements between France and Spain had not specified the exact border between Texas and Louisiana. This gave the Americans the right to insist that West Florida and Texas were part of the purchased territory.
The third US President, Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809), insisted that Louisiana extended west to the Rocky Mountains and included the entire Mississippi, Missouri, and tributary basins, with the Rio Grande River as the southern boundary. The Spanish protested.
An 1846 map of Mexico, according to American cartographers, where Texas is designated as the entire left bank of the Rio Grande. West of Texas, what remains of New Mexico is shown in green.
In 1819, under the Adams-Onís Treaty, Spain renounced West Florida, in exchange for the Americans recognizing Texas as Spanish property.
In 1821, following an 11-year war against Spain, Mexico (including Texas) gained independence. From this time on, active settlement of Texas by American colonists began. Americans acquired land in this northeastern edge of Mexico. Planters were interested in the fertile lands.
Planters brought slaves with them to work the cotton fields. Mexico abolished slavery in 1829, but settlers circumvented this law by turning slaves into lifelong servants.
Mexican authorities initially welcomed American colonization of their sparsely populated outskirts. This allowed for the region's development and the creation of a barrier against warlike Indian tribes. The settlers received land, but were required to abide by Mexican laws and convert to Catholicism (this was largely a formality).
A replica of the building where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. The inscription at the entrance reads, "Here a new nation was born." Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas
Texas Revolution
From that time on, the US began promoting the idea of "purchasing" Texas. That is, the informational preparation for annexation began.
In 1830, Mexican authorities, seeing the threat, banned further immigration of American citizens to Texas. However, the law was only on paper; there was no force to enforce it. At the time, Mexico itself was rife with coups, rebellions, and uprisings. Consequently, the region continued to be inundated with Americans. Local settlers were also irritated by the imposition of customs duties.
Taking advantage of the armed struggle for power in Mexico at the time, Texans rebelled and expelled all Mexican soldiers. In 1832–1833, two conventions were proclaimed, in which Texans demanded greater political liberties, free immigration, and independence.
In 1833, General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the "Savior of the Fatherland" (who successfully fought the Spanish), seized power in Mexico. This adventurer, also nicknamed the "Napoleon of the West," established a military dictatorship, pursuing a policy of "vertical power." Federalists immediately opposed him. In 1835, rebellions broke out in 11 states, including Texas.
Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794–1876), a Mexican military, statesman, and political figure, was a general. He served as President of Mexico 11 times over a period of 22 years.
In March 1836, the Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted in Washington-on-the-Brazos. The Republic of Texas was established, encompassing parts of what are now New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming. The new republic's forces consisted primarily of American adventurers and soldiers. Mexican authorities, rightly believing that the uprising in the region was caused by outside forces, authorized the execution of any foreigner fighting in Texas. They were equated with bandits and pirates.
Texas Declaration of Independence
Remember the Alamo and Goliad!
Having defeated his most powerful adversary, the Zacatecas militia, Santa Anna decided to retake control of Texas. In early 1836, the Mexican general's 6-strong corps launched an offensive. Near the Rio Grande, the Mexican forces split. The Mexican president led his force (1800 soldiers) to San Antonio de Béxar (now San Antonio). The Texan garrison was stationed in the Alamo, a former Catholic mission that served as a fortress.
On February 23, 1836, Santa Anna's soldiers besieged the Alamo, where a small force led by Colonels James Bowie (who had a reputation as a dangerous fighter, the name of which goes to the Bowie knife) and William Travis (180-250 men) had taken up positions. Among the garrison's men was the famous hunter and "King of the Wild Frontier" Davy Crockett, who became a figure in American folklore even during his lifetime.
Previously, the commander-in-chief of the Texan army, Sam Houston, reacting to the warnings of the former garrison commander, Neill, proposed evacuation, demolishing the fortifications, and removing the cannons. However, the Texan freemen decided to hold the line.
At first, the Texans asked for an honorable surrender, but the Mexicans refused, demanding unconditional surrender. Knowing that such a surrender would lead to execution, the garrison decided to fight to the death.
The Mexicans set up batteries and began shelling the fort. The Texans responded as best they could, launching sorties. The blockade was weak, so Travis, who led the defense (Bowie had fallen ill), sent out numerous letters asking for help. These letters were widely distributed throughout Texas, the United States, and the world. Small groups of volunteers even broke into the Alamo, but they were unable to decide the outcome of the siege.
Having received reinforcements of several hundred fighters, Santa Anna decided to end the siege with an assault. Early in the morning, the Mexicans launched an attack. The Texians repelled two attacks, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. Each cannon shot (lacking grapeshot, the guns were loaded with any metal they could find, including door hinges, nails, horseshoes, and so on) inflicted heavy damage on the Mexican assault columns. The Mexicans lost several hundred men killed and wounded. Travis died on the walls.
However, during the third attack, the Mexicans broke through the Texian defenses, finding weak spots in the northern and western walls. The defenders made their last stand in the barracks and chapel, where they attempted to barricade themselves. Most of the garrison fell in the fierce fighting, which erupted into bloody hand-to-hand combat. Crockett's group perished in the melee at the church. Bowie, apparently killed in his bed, offered resistance. Several small groups attempted to break through but were annihilated by enemy cavalry. Several were captured and executed on the orders of the Mexican dictator. The wounded were finished off.
On Santa Anna's orders, the bodies of Travis, Bowie, and Crockett were identified, identified, and burned. Only the civilians, a slave, and a freedman were spared.
The fall of the Alamo had a profound impact on Texas. "Remember the Alamo!" became their battle cry.
Upon receiving news of the fall of the Alamo, Houston called for the entire civilian population of the region to evacuate east and ordered all troops to retreat. President David Burnett and the Texan government abandoned Washington-on-the-Brazos, the temporary capital of Texas, and fled to the Gulf of Mexico. The seat of government was moved to Harrisburg (now a suburb of Houston), and later to Galveston.
Texans mobilized. Many settlers who had previously been demobilized returned to the army.
Meanwhile, General José de Urrea led the remaining troops along the Gulf Coast. Mexican troops successfully suppressed all Texan resistance along the coast, occupying Goliad. At the end of March, approximately 400 Texan prisoners were executed there. This massacre enraged the Texans, giving rise to the battle cry "Remember Goliad!"
Bowie's Death. Illustration by Charles A. Stevens.
Independence
After several weeks of maneuvering, on April 21, 1836, Houston's Texans (900 fighters) caught Santa Anna's force at San Jacinto (approximately 1500 soldiers). Confident of victory, the Mexican commanders neglected to guard their positions and missed the Texans' attack, who suddenly counterattacked with cries of "Remember the Alamo and Goliad!"
The battle almost immediately turned into a massacre. Panic set in. General Manuel Castillon, the dictator's right-hand man, tried to organize resistance but was killed. General Juan Almonte, who led the largest pocket of resistance, was forced to resign. weapon.
The massacre lasted just 18 minutes. Hundreds of Mexican soldiers were killed, wounded, and captured. The Texans lost only 35 men. Houston was wounded in the leg. This decisive victory made him a celebrity.
Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. Painting by Harry Arthur McArdle.
In fact, the United States created a whole heroic mythology around these events, where pitiful units were transformed into "armies," mundane skirmishes into "battles," and thugs became "heroes," etc. This is our enemy's forte—creating beautiful and appealing myths, images, and figures. A national myth that unites the nation.
Santa Anna escaped in the uniform of a common soldier, but was captured the next day. The general was spared, but forced into a deal. He withdrew his troops from Texas and recognized the republic's independence. Generals de Urrea and Filisola protested, as there had been no military defeat. The Mexicans had superior forces to suppress the rebellion. But the captive Santa Anna persisted. In June, Mexican troops left Texas. Urrea soon rebelled against the dictator, but it was too late. He lost.
On May 14, 1836, Santa Anna and provisional Texas President Burnet signed the Velasque Accords, according to which Santa Anna, "in his official capacity as head of the Mexican nation, recognizes the complete and absolute independence of the Republic of Texas." In exchange, Santa Anna received his freedom; his adventures were not yet over (he regained power in 1839).
The new Mexican government refused to recognize this agreement or acknowledge Texas's independence. But there was nothing it could do. Might and might were the deciding factor. Preparations began for Texas's direct annexation to the United States.
The Capture of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. American artist William Henry Huddle.
To be continued ...
Information