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The Alamo Messenger
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Greetings and welcome to the March 2016 edition of The Alamo Messenger. Last month we looked at what life was like in Mexico during the 1820s and 1830s, with special focus on conditions in Texas during this period. This month, we explore the political theories of federalism and centralism and why they matter to the Texas Revolution.
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Feature Article: Federalism vs. Centralism
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For many years the Texas Revolution has been portrayed as a conflict between Texans and Mexicans, an interpretation that automatically casts the conflict as racial in nature. True, racial animosity developed, however, a close examination indicates this was more of an outcome of the revolution than its specific origin. The same examination reveals that more than race, ideology played a larger role in the Texas Revolution than often acknowledged. The root cause of Mexico's ongoing civil war-a conflict of which the Texas Revolution was an episode-rests on changing attitudes towards government sparked by events in Europe and North America. Keep Reading
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 This is an 18 pound cannon. This is believed to be the cannon that William B. Travis fired at the Mexican Army at the start of the siege. Many wonder how the Alamo ended up with so many cannons. It was a result of Mexican Law 1541 from March 31, 1835. It not only limited the size of militias, but also called for the return of any artillery that was seen to be in excess of the law. Many cannons were sent to the Alamo for storage by the Mexican army. This law was the catalyst for the Battle of Gonzales.
Photo and text by Ernesto Rodriguez, III, Alamo Associate Curator.
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Politics in Colonial Texas
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Americans who immigrated to Texas overwhelmingly favored the federal system of government. One issue that divided them, however, was how Texas should achieve separate statehood within the Mexican federal republic. One faction, often referred to by historians as the "Peace Party," recommended working within the Mexican system as the best way to work out difficulties with the government and its officials. Another faction, labeled the "War Party," favored a more aggressive stance against, even if it ultimately brought the colonists into conflict with Mexico. Keep Reading
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In Their Own Words: Juan Seguin
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Texas patriot, political and military leader Juan Nepomuceno Seguin was born in San Antonio on October 27, 1806. Juan was  encouraged to read and write even though he had very little formal schooling. At the age of 19, Juan married Maria Gertrudis Flores de Abrego and had 10 children. Seguin entered the political arena at a very young age, being elected into city government in 1828. He later served as both mayor and political chief of the Department of Bexar. This selection from his unedited memoirs relates his experiences as a federalist living in San Antonio on the eve of the Texas Revolution. Keep Reading
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Educator's Resource
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If you have ever traveled the various regions of Texas, you know that the landscape is as diverse as any. From mountains to swamps and prairies to deserts, Texas is a rugged country and depends upon her roads to facilitate commerce and travel. It was no different in 1835 when Mexico declared itself a Centralist Regime and the people declared themselves independent. Keep Reading
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