The

Convention of 1832 The Convention of 1832 was the first political gathering of colonists in Mexican Texas. Delegates sought reforms from the Mexican government and hoped to quell the widespread belief that settlers in Texas wished to secede from Mexico. The convent ...

was the first political gathering of colonists in

Mexican Texas Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially ...

. On August 22, the ''ayuntiamento'' (city council) at

San Felipe de Austin San Felipe ( ), also known as San Felipe de Austin, is a town in Austin County, Texas, United States. The town was the social, economic, and political center of the early Stephen F. Austin colony. The population was 747 at the 2010 census. History ...

(the capital of Austin's colony) called for each district to elect five delegates.Gammel (1898), pp. 477–8. Sixteen communities chose delegates. The two municipalities with the largest ''Tejano'' population,

San Antonio de Béxar ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, refused to participate. The majority of the elected delegates were known as relatively even-tempered. Many known agitators, such as

James Bowie James Bowie ( ) ( – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American pioneer, slave smuggler and trader, and soldier who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of h ...

and William B. Travis, were defeated.Davis (2006), p. 92. ''Tejanos'' did not have a large presence at the convention, largely due to the boycott by the Béxar and Victoria municipalities. Convention organizers invited several prominent ''Tejanos'' from these towns to attend, but all declined.Davis (2006), p. 91. On October 1, 1832, 55 delegates met in San Felipe de Austin; attendance may have been diminished due to the short notice.Gammel (1989), p. 478. Over the next six days, the delegates adopted a series of resolutions requesting changes in the governance of Texas. Historian Eugene Campbell Barker suggests that the discussions would likely not have concluded so swiftly unless the delegates had done "considerable preparation before the meeting".Barker (1985), p. 349. After approving the list of resolutions, delegates created a 7-member central committee to convene future meetings.Barker (1985), p. 351.The central committee was composed of Johnson, James B. Miller, Stephen F. Austin, Lewis Veeder, Robert Peebles, Wylie Martin, and William Pettis. (Gammel (1898), p. 496.) The central committee would be based in San Felipe "for the purpose of circulating information of events of importance to the interest of the people".quoted in Gammel (1898), p. 494. The convention adjourned on October 6 after unanimously electing William H. Wharton to deliver the resolutions to the state legislature in Saltillo and to the

Mexican Congress The Congress of the Union ( es, Congreso de la Unión, ), formally known as the General Congress of the United Mexican States (''Congreso General de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos''), is the legislature of the federal government of Mexico cons ...

in Mexico City.Davis (2006), p. 93.Gammel (1898), p. 500. Just before the group dispersed, Rafael Manchola, the '' alcalde'' (mayor) of

Goliad Goliad ( ) is a city in Goliad County, Texas, United States. It is known for the 1836 Goliad massacre during the Texas Revolution. It had a population of 1,620 at the 2020 census. Founded on the San Antonio River, it is the county seat of Gol ...

, arrived. He was the only delegate from Goliad and the only ''Tejano'' to appear at the convention. Manchola volunteered to accompany Wharton at his own expense—he and other delegates thought the expedition might have more success if a ''Tejano'' was also involved.Huson (1974), p. 64. Days later, Austin wrote that "we have just had a convention of all Texas, native Mexicans and foreign settlers – all united as one man".

Committees

*Appeal of immigration ban (Immigration) *Reduction of tariffs (Tariffs) *Land business east of San Jacinto (Land business) *Indian affairs (Native land claims) *Regulate Customs affairs while no inspector (Customs) *Schools *Independent statehood (Statehood) *Organize militia (Militia) *English as a second language (English) *Central Committee proposal *Appoint a surveyor-general for Texas

Delegates

Notes

References

Sources

* originally published 1926 by Lamar & Barton * originally published 2004 by New York: Free Press * *.
digital images
courtesy of Denton, TX: University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History. *{{citation, last=Huson, first=Hobart, title=Captain Phillip Dimmitt's Commandancy of Goliad, 1835–1836: An Episode of the Mexican Federalist War in Texas, Usually Referred to as the Texian Revolution, location=Austin, TX, publisher=Von Boeckmann-Jones Co., year=1974 * Convention of 1832 delegates