May 2016

Greetings and welcome to the May 2016 edition of The Alamo Messenger, a monthly history newsletter published by the Alamo's education department.  Last Month we looked at the rise of Santa Anna and fall of Santa Anna.  Join us this month as we explore the Mexican government's return to centralism and the impact of the centralist regime on life in colonial Texas.

Feature Article: The Return to Centralism

Independence presented Mexico with two pathways to the future. The first was the familiar and well-trodden centralist path. A strong authoritarian system controlled by the Spanish monarchy and Catholic Church had been in place for three hundred years, conditioning many Mexicans to accept the resulting social hierarchy it created as normal. Nevertheless, the promise of self-government and a more open society drew others to republicanism, the radical alternative to centralism.
Artifact of the Month

This book published in 1834 is entitled "Reglamento Para la Milicia Civica del Estado de Coahuila y Texas." It contains the regulations for the civic militia for the state of Coahuila y Texas.  The rules contained inside this manual were not only to help train the militia men of Coahuila y Texas, but also to instruct them in what type of uniform to wear.  This artifact is part of the Phil Collins Texana Collection at The Alamo.

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

San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site. Photo Credit_ Larry D. Moore CC BY-SA 3.0
A Separate State: The Convention of 1833

With the Anahuac Disturbances and the Turtle Bayou Resolutions of 1832, the Texan colonists had firmly cast their lot with Mexico's federalist party. At the head of that party was none other than Antonio L�pez de Santa Anna. In the early years of the 1830s, however, Texans were reluctant to become involved in the national civil war between Mexico's federalists and centralists other than how it affected Texas. Instead, Texans focused on their most pressing concerns, which were the resumption of immigration from the United States and statehood for Texas independent of Coahuila.  Keep Reading
Portrait of Stephen F. Austin, by William Howard, 1833. J. P. Bryan Papers. Briscoe Center for American History.
In Their Own Words: The Convention of 1833

In April 1833, delegates from around Texas - with the exception of San Antonio de Bexar, which chose not to participate in the convention because it was not sanctioned by the political chiefs of Texas - met in San Felipe de Austin to begin framing a state constitution in the hopes that they they could persuade the Mexican legislature to allow Texas to separate from Coahuila.  In addition to the constitution, the convention drafted a memorial to the government in which they laid out the reasons why statehood for Texas was desirous.  The convention elected Stephen F. Austin, William H. Wharton and J.B. Miller to deliver the memorial to Mexico City along with several other petitions.  Ultimately of the three delegates elected, Stephen F. Austin was the only one to make the trip.  On his return trip to Texas, Austin was arrested and imprisoned in Mexico City.  Keep Reading
Educator's Resource

Whether you are studying the Spanish Mission period, the Mexican Federalist Republic or the Texas Revolution, the Alamo is the place for students to learn more. But, an Alamo Field Trip should be more than just walking through old buildings and a visit to the gift shop. There are many ways to get more from your visit.   Keep Reading

UPCOMING EVENTS


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