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The real cause of the later Texas Revolution was the extreme ethnic differences
between the two sets of people involved. Each had their own idea of government,
religion, and society and neither had any respect for the other. One historian wrote,
“Americans would never submit to the domination of a race they regarded as inferior.
They despised Mexicans as they despised Negroes and Indians.”

In April of 1830 the Mexicans issued an edict “to meet an emergency” caused by
“imperious circumstances”. This edict expressly forbade any further colonization of
Mexican territory by citizens from adjacent countries (meaning the United States). The
edict also prevented any person from entering Texas from the North (territories not yet
attached to the U.S.) Also, the importation of slaves was forbidden.

The Americans generally ignored the edict and Mexico was never able to enforce it. No
people on earth were less amenable to a military rule at this time. After all the U.S. had
just won its independence from one of the strongest nations in the world. For several

years Mexico tried to establish military rule in Texas. They sent several generals into
Texas with orders to establish control. The commanders they sent were imperious dons.
Their troops were rag-tag ranks culled from the lowest classes. The troops swaggered
with obnoxiousness. They arrested civilians and declared martial law under flimsy
pretexts. American sensibilities and morality were outraged. By the summer of 1882
it seemed certain Anglo -Texas would rebel and start an open war just as had been
done in their adopted homeland, the United States of America. But, it did not happen
just then.

A MAN NAMED SANTA ANNA; NAPOLEON OF THE WEST

One of the Mexican soldiers who had fought in the revolts in Texas in 1810 under

General Arredondo where he learned wily, flexible tactics and brutality was a man
named Santa Anna. Santa Anna is an interesting person and there is much history
written about him. In 1832 Santa Anna was the “darling of the army”.

In 1833 Santa Anna led a revolt in Mexico that led to the deposing of the then
president. Santa Anna then consented to run for president and chose a weak individual
to run as vice president. They won overwhelmingly after which Santa Anna stepped
aside and appointed his vice president in charge of the government. As he had
suspected the weak vice president did not do well and things generally ran downhill.

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