In 1835, Andrew Jackson urged his District Attorneys to prosecute any and all persons who violated US obligations of neutrality between Mexico and Texas. Texas was heading into a war for its independence, and Americans were lured in by the rebellious spirit of Texians who dared to stand up to Mexico and promises of land and prospects in "the garden spot of the world". The Texas Revolution had begun. Officially, the US was to remain neutral, but the hearts and finances of American citizens were already with Texas.
In the years prior to the Texas Revolution, as the relations between Texas and Mexico were already deteriorating, General Santa Ana led a rebellion that altered the course of Texas forever. Santa Ana led forces that defeated a Spanish invasion of Mexico and strengthened the independence of the new Mexican Republic. Santa Ana was branded a hero and was elected president in 1833. Santa Ana, a liberal had little desire for the presidency and allowed his more moderate vice president, his more moderate vice president Valentín Gómez Farías the responsibility of governing the nation. Gómez led a series of reforms to centralize the power of the government and in 1834, Gómez and Santa Ana overturned the 1824 constitution dismissed the state legislatures, and ordered all militias disbanded. Several states throughout Mexico rebelled against these changes and refused to disband the legislatures. In Texas, public opinion was divided. Radicals rebelled against custom duties, but the local councils denounced their actions.
Political leaders called for a convention, hoping they could convince the majority of Texans to turn against the radicals. Stephen Austin, the first empresario in Texas endorsed the convention known as the Consultation and became the de facto leader. Meanwhile hostilities between Mexican soldiers and Texian colonists increased. Just a few days prior to the Consultation, Texian Militia attacked a Mexican army contingent en route to retrieve a cannon. In the days after the attack, the militia organized themselves into an army and elected Austin to be the commander. Austin led the Texian army to San Antonio deBaxar where they defeated the Mexican forces. The skirmish is known as the Battle of Gonzales and afterwards the Texians raised a homeade white banner iwth an image of the cannon and the words "Come and Take It". When the Consultation finally met, the soldiers were granted leave to attend and under the leadership of Sam Houston, voted to uphold the 1824 constitution rather than declare independence. Houston, an American soldier who settled in Texas just three years earlier was named general-in-chief of all Texas forces and led them through what became known as the Texas Revolution. The Texas Revolution had begun, and the rebellious spirit of "Come and Take It" encouraged many American adventurers to come assist Texas in their fight.
Sam Houston and the Texan rebels expected help from the citizens of the United States and indeed they received much of it. Volunteer soldiers from all over the nation came to support the Texas revolution, others sent funds needed to maintain the fight. General Houston wrote an appeal right around the time of the Consultation to the United States offering "liberal bounties of Land" to all volunteers who join their brethren in the fight. Houston wrote that they still have "millions of acres of our best lands unchosen and unappropriated". Northern newspapers carried this message and many Americans chose to take a chance and left for Texas. Even ex-Congressman, David Crockett of Tennessee felt the urge to join the revolution and described what he saw in Texas as "the garden spot of the world, the best land & prospects to any man to come here." One soldier wrote back to his wife about the prospects of their future, "Be of good cheer Martha I will provide you a sweet home. I shall be entitled to 640 acres of land for my services in the army and 4444 acres upon condition of settling my family here."
These American soldiers coming to join the Texans did not go unnoticed by Mexico and drove Mexican charge d'aRaires to send urgent notice to the United States, that the government was not sufficiently active in enforcing neutrality. President responded by ordering district attorneys to prosecute all persons "who might attempt to violate the obligations of our neutrality", but with the understanding that the Government of Mexico respect the newly established border that was so "scrupulously respected by both parties".
"A convention with Mexico for extending the time for the appointment of commissioners to run the boundary line has been concluded and will be submitted to the Senate. Recent events in that country have awakened the liveliest solicitude in the United States. Aware of the strong temptations existing and powerful inducements held out to the citizens of the United States to mingle in the dissensions of our immediate neighbors, instructions have been given to the district attorneys of the United States where indications warranted it to prosecute without respect to persons all who might attempt to violate the obligations of our neutrality, while at the same time it has been thought necessary to apprise the Government of Mexico that we should require the integrity of our territory to be scrupulously respected by both parties."
In 1835 and 1836, Americans continued to support the revolution in Texas and on April 21, 1836 the revolution came to an end with the signing of the Treaties of Velasco and the Republic of Texas was born.
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. 2020. Seventh Annual Message | The American Presidency Project. [online] Available at: <https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/seventh-annual-message-2> [Accessed 29 August 2020].
Barker, E., 2020. President Jackson and the Texas Revolution. The American Historical Review, [online] 12(4 (July 1907), p.804. Available at: <https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1839188.pdf> [Accessed 29 August 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Consultation (Texas). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consultation_(Texas)> [Accessed 29 August 2020].
Tucker, P., 1991. Motivations Of United States Volunteers During The Texas Revolution, 1835-1836. [online] Scholarworks.sfasu.edu. Available at: <https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2054&context=ethj> [Accessed 29 August 2020].
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