In 1832, the Anglo-American settlers were involved in a conflict with Mexican commander
John Davis Bradburn (also an Anglo-American) near the northern extent of
Trinity Bay at Anahuac, Texas. The settlers were opposed to control of their daily affairs by the
centralist
Centralisation or centralization (see spelling differences) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, framing strategy and policies become concentrated within a partic ...
government. They were primarily at odds with the administration over the subject of tariffs on
imports
An import is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade.
In international trade, the importation and exportation of goods are limited ...
and
exports
An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...
and over the presence of conscripted criminals in the Mexican
garrison at Anahuac located at the confluence of the Trinity river and bay four miles south of the Turtle Bayou crossing, whom the colonists blamed for a number of local crimes. The simmering conflict reached a head when Bradburn took in two escaped enslaved people from
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. Though
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
was officially illegal in Mexico, the Mexican authorities wanted to encourage Anglo-American colonization of the frontier and tolerated
indentured servant
Indentured servitude is a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract, called an "indenture", may be entered "voluntarily" for purported eventual compensation or debt repaymen ...
s for ten years, among the colonists. Among that population included three previously enslaved people who escaped from Louisiana and were given asylum by Bradburn. Two local lawyers,
William B. Travis and Patrick C. Jack, attempted to return the freed people to the American who claimed to own them but were arrested and held in the Anahuac garrison after they had forged a letter to Bradburn threatening armed intervention from Louisiana
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
.
The original site of "Fort Anahuac" is now part of a public park in Anahuac, Chambers County Texas.
The Anglo militia skirmished with Bradburn's troops before retreating north to the crossing on Turtle Bayou near James Taylor White's ranch house to await the arrival of
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
.
The settlers received word that the anti-administration
Federalist army had won a significant victory under the leadership of
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (; 21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. usually known as Santa Ann ...
.
Colonists react
![Turtle Bayou Resolutions historical marker](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Turtle_Bayou_Resolutions_historical_marker.jpg)
Taking advantage of this favorable news, they verbally aligned themselves with the Federalist cause by composing the Turtle Bayou Resolutions, which explained their attack against the Centralist troops at Anahuac. They explained that they were not lawless Anglos attacking a Mexican garrison, but that they were Federalist sympathizers opposing a Centralist commandant as part of the civil war that had been in progress for two years between the Centralist administration of Anastasio Bustamante and those wanting to return to the Federalist
Constitution of 1824
The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 ( es, Constitución Federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos de 1824) was enacted on October 4 of 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new Fr ...
.
The four resolutions condemned violations of the 1824 constitution by the Bustamante government and urged all Texans to support the patriots fighting under Santa Anna, who was at the time struggling to defeat military despotism. Though opinions varied among the colonists, few Texans were at that time willing to urge secession.
Federalist colonel
José Antonio Mexía
José Antonio Mexía Hernández (; – 3 May 1839) was a 19th-century Mexican general and politician. He served as secretary of the Legation of Mexico in Washington from about 1829 to 1831.
Early life
He was born about 1800 to Pedro Mexía an ...
arrived in
Brazoria, Texas
Brazoria ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, in the metropolitan area and Brazoria County. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city population was 2,866.
Geography
Brazoria is located southwest of the center of Brazoria County at (2 ...
, on July 16, 1832, with 400 troops and five ships to quell a supposed movement to sever Texas from Mexico. A copy of the Turtle Bayou Resolutions was included in the seven-point statement of causes for taking up arms that was presented to Mexía on July 18. The explanations offered by the Texas leaders satisfied the Federalist general, and he returned to the
Rio Grande.
The document
No signatures are affixed to the extant copy of the resolutions themselves, but seven of the Texas leaders (Wyly Martin, John Austin, Luke Lesassier, William H. Jack, Hugh B. Johnston,
Francis W. Johnson, and
Robert M. Williamson) signed the combined document presented to Mexía.
The document was published in an extra edition of the Brazoria ''Constitutional Advocate'' on July 23, 1832, and appeared in Mary Austin Holley's ''Texas'' (1833).
Text of the Turtle Bayou Resolutions
[ ]
''First: By their repeated violations of the constitution and laws and the total disregard of the civil and political rights of the people.''
''Second: Jose G Granado fixing and establishing among us, in the time of peace, military posts, the officers of which, totally disregarding the local civil authorities of the State, have committed various acts evincing opposition to the true interest of the people in the enjoyment of civil liberty.''
''Third: By arresting the commissioners, especially Juan Francisco Madero, who, on the part of the State government, was to put the inhabitants east of Trinity River in possession of other lands, in conformity with the laws of colonization.''
''Fourth: By the imposition of military force, preventing the Alcalde of the jurisdiction of Liberty from the exercise of his constitutional functions.''
''Fifth: By appointing to the revenue department of Galveston, a man whose character for infamy had been clearly established, and made known to the Government, and whose principles are avowedly to the true interest of the people of Texas; and that, too, when their character for infamy had been repeatedly established.''
''Sixth: By the military commandant of Anahuac advising and procuring servants to quit the service of their masters, and offering them protection; causing them to labor for his benefits, and refusing to compensate them for the same.''
''Seventh: By imprisonment of our citizens without lawful cause; and claiming the right of trying said citizens by a military court for offense of a character cognizable by the civil authority alone.''
''RESOLVED That we view with feelings of the deepest regret, Tori Tercero manner in which the Government of the Republic of Mexico is administered by the present dynasty - The repeated violations of the constitution - the total disregard for the law - the entire prostration of the civil authority; and the substitution in the stead of military despotism, are grievances of such a character, as to arouse the feelings of every freeman, and impel him to resistance.''
''RESOLVED That we view with feelings of deepest interest and solicitude, the firm and manly resistance which is made by those patriots under the highly and distinguished chieftain Santa Anna, to the numerous encroachments and infractions which have been made by the present administration upon the laws and constitution of our beloved and adopted country.''
''RESOLVED That as freemen devoted to a correct interpretation and enforcement of the Constitution, and laws, according to their true Spirit - We pledge our lives and fortunes in support of the same, and of the distinguished leader, who is now gallantly fighting in defence of Civil Liberty.''
''RESOLVED That all the people of Texas be united to co-operate with us, in support of the principles incorporated in the foregoing resolutions.''
Images
References
{{More citations needed, date=August 2008
Mexican Texas
1832 in Texas
1832 documents