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Battle of the Alamo
Santa Anna’s Army began to arrive in San Antonio de Bexár on February 23, 1836. On March 6, the battle commenced between the Republic of Texas and Mexico. It lasted only ninety minutes, and Mexico defeated all of the Texans inside the fort. -
Texas Declares Independence from Mexico
Delegates at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos drafted the Texas Declaration of Independence and adopted it on this day. This document focused on the rights of citizens to “life” and “liberty.” It emphasized "the property of the citizen." -
Runaway Scrape
People in Texas ran away from Santa Anna's army because they feared for their lives after the Battle of the Alamo. Sam Houston retreated on March 11, and it marked the beginning of the evacuation on a large scale. Colonists began to leave their communities in the south central portions of Texas as early as January 14. Many suffered from disease and exhaustion until the news of the Battle of San Jacinto got around. -
Battle of San Jacinto
Texas won this engagement with Mexico on April 21, 1836. The battle lasted eighteen minutes, and the victory gave Texas independence from Mexico, as well as opened the door for westward expansion of the United States. The Texans defeated Santa Anna's army shouting "Remember the Alamo!" during the battle. -
Sam Houston Is Elected President of the Republic of Texas
Sam Houston was elected president of the Republic of Texas on September 5, 1836. He received strong support from the army and those who believed his election would bring out early annexation to the United States. Houston served two terms as president, and he ensured stability throughout the republic. -
Mirabeau B. Lamar Is Elected President of the Republic of Texas
Lamar was inaugurated on December 10, 1838. He declared the purposes of his administration to be promoting the wealth, talent, and enterprises of the country. He was known as the "Father of Texas Education" during his presidency for proposing that Congress established a system of education endowed by public lands. -
Battle of the Neches
Fought on July 15 and 16, this battle was the principal engagement of the Cherokee War. Mirabeau B. Lamar, president of the Republic of Texas, sent General Thomas J. Rusk to occupy Indian lands after refusing to recognize earlier treaties with the Cherokees who lived in East Texas. He announced that the time had come for an "exterminating war" on Texas Indians. -
Mier Expedition
William S. Fisher and more than 300 elected volunteers crossed the Rio Grande and entered the town of Mier on December 23. However, the expedition was launched in November by Alexander Somervell to raid Mexico with 700 volunteers. They demanded supplies from the town. While they waited for supplies, Mexican troops arrived and fought a bloody battle that lasted almost 24 hours with Fisher and his men. The Mexicans outnumbered the Texian militia and won the battle of Mier. -
Naval Battle of Campeche
This naval battle was another struggle for the Republic of Texas in asserting its independence from Mexico. Mexico refused to acknowledge Texas' independence, and the Republic of Texas allied with Yucatán because they were fighting for independence from Mexico rule. The head of the Texan navy accepted payment from the Yucatán rebels to aid them against Mexico. Texans returned as heroes in Galveston after using their sailing ships against the British-manufactured steamships on May 16. -
Texas Enters the United States
On this day in 1845, Texas formed a new state government and a new state constitution. The annexation of Texas came after many years of heavy debate. The majority of Texians wanted Mexican Texas to be its own nation, and the annexation gave the U.S. a large area of land and a border between them and Mexico.