Southerners thought that Texas was one of the most important land pieces to acquire.  It was suitable for growing cotton, one of the most important cash crops in the southern states.  This would greatly help them out. 

        Moses Austin was a banker and a businessman who wanted to start an American Colony in Spanish Texas.  His dream came true in 1821 when Spanish officials granted Austin a huge strip of land.  Moses died suddenly and his son Stephen took over his father's dreams.  When Stephen arrived to Texas, Mexico had already gained its independence from Spain.  This meant that Texas belonged to Mexico and he had to cooperate with new officials.  Luckily, they let him start a colony under these conditions: he had to choose moral and hardworking settlers, and the citizens had to agree to become Mexican citizens and to join Catholic Church.  Desperately wanting to have a colony he agreed to these terms so by 1827, the colony had attracted 297 families. 

        People all over the country started going to Texas and by 1830 there were over 25,000 Americans and about 7,500 Texans of Mexican decent.  They lived beside each other for a long time being friendly but soon tensions began to flare.  Americans hated being ruled by Mexican officials and they wanted to govern themselves.  Most of them had farms and used slaves but Mexico outlawed slavery in 1829.  The documents were written in Spanish and Americans did not want to learn the foreign language.  Tejanos didn't like the Americans either.  The main reason they didn't like them is because most Americans came to Texas illegally and they didn't want to become Mexican citizens.  Mexico's resolution was to close immigration to Texas.  Mexico sent troops to enforce the new law.

        William Travis hated the Mexican government, so he wanted to rebel against the Mexican authority.  Stephen Austin had another idea, he asked the Mexican government to let Americans come back into Texas and to make it a separate Mexican state.  If this happened then they could run their own government.  In 1833 his plan was put into action when he presented his plan to General Santa Anna and the Mexican official's.  He was thrown in jail for promoting a rebellion.  Soon after Austin's release in 1835 he and the Texans started a rebellion.  When Santa Anna heard about this he led about 6,000 troops to try to stop the rebellious group. 

      William Travis

        In San Antonio, Texas the Texans had taken over a mission called the Alamo.  Guarding the Alamo was about 180 Texans, including Davy Crockett, William Travis, and Jamie Bowie.  Santa Anna had reached the old missionary and raised the black flag meaning "Except no mercy."   Santa Anna ordered them to surrender and give up but Travis answered with a cannonball.  Believing what they believed and being outnumbered about ten to one, only one person had fled.  Trying to get more help, William Travis sent messengers to neighboring townships to try and get reinforcements to come help out but they never came. After 12 days of gruesome fighting, the Mexicans were ordered to raid the fort.  Trying desperately to stop them, they shot at them with rifle fire.  The Mexican raiders were too much and the whole fort was soon captivated in a couple days.  The survivors were killed on the spot. 

        Killing all the Texans at the Alamo enraged the Texans to revenge their fellow comrades.  Sam Houston took over the Texan army and was the new commander.  He had a plan.  He was going to retreat eastward, deeper into Texas hoping that Santa Anna's army would cut down on their receiving supplies and soon run out.  In April, Santa Anna kept on going until he finally caught up to him at the San Jacinto River.  Santa Anna was thinking that Houston army would attack at dawn so he kept his army up all night.  Having been up all night the Mexican army finally relaxed and took their naps.  In the afternoon Houston's army had planned a surprise attack.  They stormed the camp yelling the famous words, "Remember the Alamo."   Being overpowered, Santa Anna fled and was caught the next day.  They made a compromise for his freedom, which was for Anna to order all of his troops out of Texas.  Texas had finally won their independence. 

        Having won their independence, Texas was a state mainly made up of Americans who truly felt that they should make Texas apart of the United States.  After ten years of being independent, people in the United States were considering whether or not to annex Texas to the U.S.  Southerners were willing to add another slave state.  Some northerners opposed adding a new slave state.  Other people thought it would lead to war with Mexico.  The presidential campaign of 1844 was influenced whether or to expand U.S. territory.  Henry Clay said," Annexation and war with Mexico are identical."   James K. Polk supported the idea of Manifest Density.  Polk was elected and Congress voted to annex Texas.  Finally, in 1845 Texas was added to the United States as the 28th state.                             

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