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Smallpox outbreaks struck San Antonio and Native groups between 1790–1824, killing thousands. The disease weakened Native resistance and destabilized Spanish Texas.
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In the 1790s, Tejano ranchers in San Antonio and along the San Antonio River expanded their cattle herds, anchoring Spanish Texas economically and socially. At the same time, Spanish missions declined as Native populations dwindled and San Antonio’s missions shifted into parish use, signaling weakening Spanish control and the rise of a ranching society.
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France sold Louisiana to the U.S. This power play put the U.S. directly on Spain’s border, heightening tensions. -
Spain and the U.S. created a neutral buffer zone between the Sabine River (East Texas) and Arroyo Hondo (Louisiana) to avoid conflict. As an unfortunate result, the neutral ground became a haven for smugglers and lawlessness, weakening
Spanish authority in East Texas. -
Father Miguel Hidalgo issued his "Grito de Dolores" as a rallying call for Mexican Independence. "The Cry of Dolores" influenced Texas to end Spanish rule while fighting for equality. -
Filibuster expedition led by José Bernardo Gutiérrez and Augustus Magee. The explorers entered Texas from Louisiana, captured Nacogdoches, Goliad, and San Antonio. The trip became an early attempt to free Texas from Spanish rule and ended in bloody defeat at Medina (Battle of Medina).
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Royalist forces crushed the Republican Army of the North nearest San Antonio. The Battle of Medina was the deadliest battle in Texas history. The aftermath severely impeded Texas's independence efforts. -
Moses Austin first petitioned to settle 300 Anglo families in Texas in December of 1820. Once granted, his plan opened the door for large-scale U.S. colonization. He passed before he was able to bring this to fruition. His son, Stephen F. Austin, eventually carried out the contract in January of 1821, which changed the trajectory of Texas history.
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In Mexico City, Mexico officially won independence from Spain. Texas went from being a Spanish colony to part of the new nation of Mexico. -
In Mexico City, the newly independent Mexico adopted a federal constitution. This conflicting power move established Mexico as a republic and gave Texas limited autonomy... "which would come to play a prominent role in Texas's struggle for independence." (138)