Timeline Description: The Texas Revolution was the conflict between the armies of Mexico and Texas in the 19th century. The settlers in Texas were unhappy living under Mexican rule and the government in Mexico City was very unstable. The revolution was a success for Texas because it won independence and became the Republic of Texas in 1836.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 6, 1830 | The Mexican government bans American immigration to Texas. Concerned about Americans having too much influence on Texans, Anastasio Bustamante bans any more Americans from moving into Texas. Immigration from America did not stop, though, and there were about 35,000 Americans living there by 1836. |
| 1833 | The Mexican government rejects the Texas Constitution. Unhappy with Mexican rule, Texans create a list of changes they want from the Mexican government. The government rejects those changes, which includes the attempt by Texans to create their own constitution. |
| October 2, 1835 | The first shots of the revolution are fired. Mexican soldiers were sent to Gonzales, Texas to take a cannon that was supposed to scare away Indian attacks. Texans did not let the soldiers into town and fired on them, beginning the Texas revolution. |
| October 9, 1835 | Texas wins the Battle of Goliad. Texas settlers attack Mexican soldiers at Presidio La Bahia near Goliad. The Texans win the battle and force the soldiers to leave, allowing the Texans to take thousands of dollars worth of food and supplies. |
| October 28, 1835 | Texans win the Battle of Concepcion. In the first major armed battle of Texas's war for independence, the Texas army marches in San Antonio to fight the Mexican soldiers. The Texans are outnumbered 5 to 1, but they are correct about their belief that the Mexican Army is not well-trained and not ready to fight. |
| December 11, 1835 | Texans win the Siege of Bexar and capture San Antonio. Still outnumbered 2 to 1, the Texas army attacks Mexican troops at Bexar, today known as San Antonio. After this battle, most of the Texas army goes home because now Texans control almost all of Texas. |
| March 1, 1836 | Texans declare independence from Mexico. At the Convention of 1836, Texans write a declaration of independence and the Constitution of the Republic of Texas. Sam Houston is named the commander of the Texas military. |
| March 6, 1836 | Texans lose the Battle of the Alamo. After a 13-day attack on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio, Mexican soldiers kill all 189 Texans trying to defend the Alamo. The cruelty of the soldiers leads many Texans and Americans to join the Texas army to fight Mexico. |
| March 27, 1836 | Texans rally for independence after the Goliad Massacre. After 400 Texans surrender at the Battle of Goliad, Mexican General Santa Anna orders them executed. The killings make outraged Texans rally even more for their independence. |
| April 21, 1836 | Texans win the Battle of San Jacinto and their independence. Led by Sam Houston, the Texas army defeats the troops of Santa Anna at the Battle of Jacinto. The win is the victory that Texas needs to finally gain its independence from Mexico. |
| May 14, 1836 | The Treaties of Velasco are signed, officially giving Texas its independence. The Republic of Texas and General Santa Anna sign the Velasco Treaties, which end the revolution. However, the Mexican government says that Santa Anna does not have the right to sign the treaties and never agrees to the treaties. |
| October 22, 1836 | Sam Houston is named President of the Republic of Texas. Virginia native Sam Houston becomes the first president of Texas after it wins its independence from Mexico. He will also be the third president and later becomes the governor of Texas when it joins the United States. |
| December 29, 1845 | Texas becomes part of the United States. The United States annexes Texas, making it the nation's 28th state. It is the only state in the Union that was its own nation before becoming a state. |
| April 25, 1846 | The Mexican-American War begins. Mexican soldiers attack U.S. troops in a strip of land between the Rio Grande and Nueces River that both countries say they own. This begins the Mexican-American War, which will end in Mexican defeat and the U.S. claiming more than 500,000 square miles of Mexican land. |
| February 2, 1848 | The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican-American War. After the United States defeats Mexico in the Mexican-American War, Mexico officially recognizes that Texas is free from Mexico and part of the United States. |