Chapter 4 Summary and Analysis

Though owned by Spain, Texas in the 1820s was home to only a handful of Spaniards, and its vast empty land was ripe for colonization. Though officially part of Mexico, many Americans flocked into Texas. Mexico became a federal republic in 1824, and in 1825 the Mexican government passed the Colonization Act, which encouraged white settlement. This, along with colonization schemes headed by men like Stephen Austin, caused a great spike in Texas' population.

Cultural and language differences between Anglo Texans and Tejanos (or Mexican Texans) soon led to unease. Mexicans became convinced Americans were intent on conquering Mexico. Americans held a racist disdain for Mexicans (something Sam Houston shared), and disliked the relative instability of Mexico's government.

In 1826, the so-called Fredonian revolution marked the first outward sign of rebellion. Brothers Haden and Benjamin Edwards declared their own nation within Texas, which was...