The
Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821) severed Spain's control over much of
its North American territories, including
Texas. The
1824 Constitution of Mexico defined the new country as a
federal republic with nineteen states and four territories. Due to limited population and extremely poor economies, the provinces of Texas and Coahuila were combined to become the state
Coahuila y Tejas. In the hopes that an influx of settlers could
control the Indian raids, the new government liberalized immigration policies for the region. Under the
General Colonization Law people from the United States could, for the first time, legally settle in Texas. Large tracts of land were granted to
empresarios, who were responsible for recruiting settlers and establishing communities in Texas. With one exception, the new colonies were settled by foreigners.
Tejanos, Texas residents of Mexican descent, were soon vastly outnumbered by
Anglos. By 1834, an estimated 30,000 Anglos lived in Coahuila y Tejas, compared to only 7,800 Tejanos. By 1833, Texas was divided into three political divisions: the Department of Béxar, the Department of
Nacogdoches, and the Department of the Brazos. By late 1834, the Mexican government began transitioning from a
federalist model to
centralism. Santa Anna overturned the 1824 Constitution, dismissed the state legislatures, and ordered all militias disbanded. Federalists throughout Mexico were appalled. The governor of Coahuila y Tejas,
Agustín Viesca, refused to dissolve the legislature, instead ordering that the session reconvene in Béxar, further from the influence of the Mexican army. Viesca was arrested before he reached Texas. Citizens in the states of
Oaxaca and
Zacatecas took up arms. In June 1835, one group staged a minor revolt against customs duties in
Anahuac. Resolutions by the city councils in
Mina, Gonzales, Goliad, and
Columbia denounced their actions. After the leaders of Columbia argued forcefully for the convention, the political chief of the
department of the Brazos called for a meeting of representatives of municipalities in that department on August 1. Only four of the seven appointed delegates appeared. Discovering there was no official agenda, the four men returned home without actually doing anything. Small groups of soldiers began arriving in early August; in response, local municipalities formed Committees of Correspondence and Safety and unofficial militias. On August 9, citizens at a public meeting in
Brazoria again broached the idea of a larger political convention. Other communities debated whether to participate in such a convention, and whether its goals should be simply an exchange of opinions or to create an interim government. The proposed political gathering, which became known as the Consultation, was endorsed by
Stephen F. Austin, the first
empresario in Texas, on September 8, which solidified support throughout the Anglo colonies. Austin became the
de facto leader of the Consultation, making plans for the gathering, which would convene on October 15. He requested that each community send one delegate early, to form a Permanent Council to start gathering opinions. In the interim, hostilities between Mexican soldiers and Texian colonists increased, and in early October
Texian Militia attacked a Mexican army contingent which had been sent to retrieve a cannon that had previously been loaned to Gonzales. This small skirmish marked the official start of the
Texas Revolution. Gonzales became a rallying point for Texas settlers who opposed the centralist policies, and men flocked to the town. On October 11, the
Texian Militia formed themselves into a volunteer
Texian Army and elected Austin as their commander. Many of the Consultation delegates had also gathered in Gonzales, and rather than wait for the session to begin, they joined the army on a march against the Mexican garrison at Béxar. By October 16, only 31 delegates had arrived in San Felipe, short of a quorum. Most expected the
siege of Béxar to be over very quickly, so the Consultation was postponed until November 1. In the interim, this group of delegates granted power to the Permanent Council, which in practice included representation from only seven districts. The Permanent Council made weak attempts to govern the area, but primarily carried out Austin's orders. In its most controversial move, the council closed all land offices in the region on October 27, to prevent speculators from seizing land during the unrest. The
siege of Béxar began in late October. Newly arrived immigrant
Sam Houston traveled to Béxar to exhort the delegates to leave the siege and come to the Consultation. In a compromise, the officers voted to allow delegates who were members of the rank-and-file or were line officers to leave the siege, while those who were staff officers would remain to oversee military operations.
William B. Travis,
William Wharton, and
Stephen F. Austin remained behind, while twenty delegates, including
James Bowie, accompanied Houston to San Felipe. ==Delegates==