IN THIS ISSUE
DECEMBER 2015
The Alamo Messenger
Greetings and welcome to the December 2015 edition of The Alamo Messenger.  Last month we looked at the reign of Augustin I, and the Mexican Empire.  This month we explore the beginnings of the Mexico republic and the Constitution of 1824 .  We also continue our series on the colonization of Texas by looking at the national colonization law of 1824 and the state Coahuila y Tejas' colonization law of 1825 and their impact on immigration to Texas.
The Constitution of 1824 & Why it Mattered to Texas
The short reign of Emperor Agust�n Iturbide (May 19, 1822 - March 19, 1823) provided a bridge in Mexico's history between 300 years of Spanish rule and the formation of the first Mexican federal republic. Events had moved very quickly following independence in 1821, the urgency of the situation pushing Mexico's political class to make important decisions, sometimes without much time for deliberation. By 1823, however, it had become apparent that the monarchy as a form of government had fallen out of favor for the moment. Mexico prepared to join the world as one of its newly emerging republics.  Keep Reading 
Artifact of the Month
This month's artifact is James Bowie's citizenship document from the State of  Coahuila y Tejas.  His citizenship was based on his establishing a mill in the state.  This document is part of the Alamo's Phil Collins Texana Collection.



Read a translation of Bowie's citizenship document.

Photo and text by Ernesto Rodriguez, III, Alamo Associate Curator.

Lorenzo de Zavala   
On November 15, 1836, Texas lost one of the most influential patriots for the cause of liberty and democracy, Lorenzo de Zavala. Born near Merida, Yucatan on October 3, 1788, Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y S�enz changed the  world he came into. His birth came at a time when the enlightenment was at its peak, with the American Revolution and the start of the French Revolution. It was a time when knowledge in all areas was spreading along with the rights of man. Lorenzo de Zavala was born into this changing world.  Keep Reading
Colonization of Texas
With the abdication of Emperor August�n in March 1823 and the formation of a new republican government, Mexico's legislative body was again faced with the question of how to increase population in the northern department of Texas and secure this under populated territory from the dual threat of aggressive Indians and Americans. The imperial colonization law of 1823 was declared void and Stephen F. Austin, whose empresario contract had been the only one to be granted under the law, and other potential empresarios now had to petition the newly formed federal government for permission to settle immigrant families in Texas.  Keep Reading
In Their Own Words: Green DeWitt
After the colony established by Stephen F. Austin, the second most successful colony in Texas was that of Green DeWitt. This colony, which neighbored Austin's to the southwest, was home to the town of Gonzales, famous for its role in the Texas Revolution. Born in Kentucky in 1787, DeWitt, like the Austin family, had immigrated to Spanish held Missouri prior to that state becoming  part of the United States of America through the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. It is unknown if DeWitt was acquainted with the Austin family in Missouri, but by at least 1825 he was well acquainted with Stephen F. Austin, who along with Baron de Bastrop intervened to help DeWitt successfully petition the Mexican government. DeWitt traveled to Mexico possibly as early as 1822 to petition the Mexican government for a contract to settle American families in Texas. As with the other would be empressario's, his petition was held up by the political fallout of the reign of Emperor Iturbide. On April 15, 1825, DeWitt's petition to settle 400 families was finally granted. The following is a translation of DeWitt's petition and the conditions of his contract.  Keep Reading
Educator's Resource
Between 1824 and 1832, the Mexican government granted Texas colonization contracts to almost two dozen men. While all of these men made their mark on Texas history, two of them stand out. These men and their colonies would have a significant impact upon Texas. One, a native Mexican and the other a former American, rose to almost legendary status because of their role in the colonization of Texas. While they had some things in common, they were also quite different. This exercise will focus on the similarities and differences of Stephen F. Austin and Martin De Le�n.  Go To Lesson