Fort Tenoxtitlán was established by

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

in 1830 in what later became

Burleson County, Texas Burleson County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,642. Its county seat is Caldwell. The county is named for Edward Burleson, a general and statesman of the Texas Revolution. ...

. The fortification was in accordance with the

Law of April 6, 1830 The Law of April 6, 1830 was issued because of the Mier y Terán Report to counter concerns that Mexican Texas, part of the border state of Coahuila y Tejas was in danger of being annexed by the United States. Immigration of United States citizens h ...

to deter colonization from the United States. The name literally means "prickly pear place" and was derived from the Aztec city of ''

Tenochtitlan , ; es, Tenochtitlan also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, ; es, México-Tenochtitlan was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was ...

'', which later became

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. Under the command of Mexican General

Manuel de Mier y Terán José Manuel Rafael Simeón de Mier y Terán (February 18, 1789 — July 3, 1832), generally known as Manuel de Mier y Terán, was a noted military and political figure during the Mexican War of Independence and during the era of the First Repu ...

, José Francisco Ruiz arrived with the

Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras, also known as the Álamo de Parras Company, were Spanish lancers from San José y Santiago del Álamo in Coahuila. Their 1803 occupation of the San Antonio de Valero Mission is reputed to be the reas ...

and established the fort on the west bank of the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

on October 17, 1830. It proved to be a failed attempt at stopping

Anglo Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from, the Angles, England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term '' Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people ...

immigration after

Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...

successfully appealed directly to Mexican President

Anastasio Bustamante Anastasio Bustamante y Oseguera (; 27 July 1780 – 6 February 1853) was a Mexican physician, general, and politician who served as president of Mexico three times. He participated in the Mexican War of Independence initially as a royalist befo ...

, receiving exemptions for his colony and that of

Green DeWitt Green DeWitt (February 12, 1787 – May 18, 1835) was an empresario in Mexican Texas. He brought families from the United States to what is now South-central Texas and founded the DeWitt Colony. Missouri Green Dewitt was elected as the first Ralls ...

. Having failed to stop Anglo immigration and suffering from poor health, Mier y Terán committed suicide on July 3, 1832, in

Padilla, Tamaulipas Padilla Municipality is a municipality in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. After the flood at the Vicente Guerrero Dam in 1970, the seat was moved from Padilla to the town of Nuevo Padilla. Padilla is known for being the place where the Mexic ...

. Ruiz evacuated the fort on July 13. The site was once in competition with

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

to become the capital of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

. It was abandoned in 1841.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Tenoxtitlan Texas Revolution Colonial forts in Texas 1830 establishments in Mexico