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Commandant General Juan de Ugalde led Spanish troops to defeat more than 300 Lipans, Lipiyans, and Mescaleros at the Sabinal River Canyon. This led to peace with the Nortenos and Comanches, allowing expansion of the cattle and ranching industry in Texas(97).
Picture Credit: https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/forts/clark/battles.html -
In March 1801, American filibuster Philip Nolan entered Texas with a group of men to capture wild horses and trade with local tribes, despite Spanish authorities denying him a license. A Spanish patrol attacked his camp in present-day Hill County, killing Nolan with a cannonball(105).
Picture Credit: https://americanliteraryblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/philip-nolan-man-without-country.html -
Baron Bastrop, with a letter of recommendation from the Spanish governor of Louisiana, proposed to establish a colony between Bexar and the Trinity River, bringing in Louisiana families and friendly Choctaws. The plan failed, but Bastrop later became an influential supporter of colonization in Texas(106).
Picture Credit: https://officialalamo.medium.com/baron-de-bastrop-the-fake-nobleman-who-helped-settle-texas-3067d9b38931 -
General Simon de Herrera and U.S. General James Wilkinson agreed to create a "neutral zone" between the Sabine River and Arroyo Hondo to prevent war over the Louisiana-Texas boundary(106).
Picture Credit: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/neutral-ground -
San Marcos de Neve was founded in April 1808 by Felipe Roque de la Portilla with families from Nuevo Santander. Like Salcedo, it was part of Spain's effort to settle and secure Texas, but it failed by 1813(111).
Picture Credit: https://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/article/20272,historic-marker-at-site-of-first-town-of-san-marcos-to-be-unveiled -
On September 16, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo rang the bells of his church in Dolores and delivered his famous "Grito de Dolores," calling for Mexicans to rise against Spanish rule. He urged loyalty to religion and Mexico, while condemning bad government. The revolt spread rapidly and marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence, which would later influence Texas(117).
Picture Credit: https://www.historynet.com/mexican-war-of-independence-father-miguel-hidalgos-revolt/ -
In August 1812, Jose Bernardo Guiterrez de Lara and Augustus Magee led the Republican Army of the North into Texas, capturing Nacodoches and La Bahia. In March 1813, they defeated Spanish forces at the Battle of Rosillo and entered San Antonio on April 1, 1813, marking an early revolutionary victory in Texas(120).
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In February 1819, U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and Spanish ambassador Luis de Onis signed the Adams-Onis Treaty. Spain gave Florida to the United States but retained control of Texas. This treaty temporarily secured Spanish claims, though many Americans still believed Texas should belong to the U.S.(128).
Picture Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams%E2%80%93On%C3%ADs_Treaty -
On February 24, 1821, Agustin de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero issued the Plan of Iguala, declaring Mexico's independence from Spain. The plan established a constitutional monarchy, equality between criollos and peninsulares, and protection of the Catholic Church. By July 19, leaders in Bexar swore loyalty to the new Mexican nation, marking the end of Spanish Texas(129).
Picture Credit: https://casamariatucson.org/miguel-hidalgo-the-virgen-of-guadalupe-and-mexicos-day-of-independence/ -
Mexico adopted a federal constitution in 1824, creating a republic with executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It made Catholicism the official religion and joined Texas with Coahuila as the state of Coahuila y Tejas, a union that later fueled tensions(138-140).
Picture Credit: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/constitution-of-1824