VOICE ONE:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English about thehistory of the United States.

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In the early eighteen-thirties,the territory of Texas belonged to Mexico. Many Americans had movedto Texas, because they could buy a lot of land with little money.The government of Mexico expected the settlers to speak Spanish, tobecome Roman Catholics, and to accept Mexican traditions. Thesettlers did not. And the situation became tense.

Andrew Jackson was president of the United States at that time.For the most part, he could do little to influence the situation inTexas. The United States had a treaty of friendship with Mexico. Itwas to remain neutral during the conflict.

VOICE TWO:

Americans in Texas held a convention in April,eighteen-thirty-three. They prepared a list of appeals to the leaderof Mexico, General Santa Ana.

The Texas settlers asked Santa Ana to end a tax on goods importedinto the territory. They asked him to lift a ban on new settlersfrom the United States. And they asked that Texas be organized as aseparate state of Mexico.

One of the Americans, Stephen Austin, carried the appeals toMexico City. He spent six months negotiating with the Mexicangovernment. General Santa Ana promised to honor all the requestsexcept one. He would not make Texas a separate state, although hesaid that might be possible someday. Stephen Austin was satisfied.He left the Mexican capital to return to Texas.

On his way home, to his surprise, Austin was arrested. He wasarrested because of a letter he wrote earlier, when his negotiationswith Mexican officials seemed to be failing. He had said it might bebest if the people declared Texas a separate state. Austin was putin prison in Mexico City for a year and a half.

VOICE ONE:

Austin urged the people of Texas to remain loyal to Mexico. Buttalk of rebellion already had begun. The settlers already werecalling themselves "Texans."

Minor hostilities broke out between Texans and local Mexicanofficials. The Mexican army threatened action. When Austin returnedfrom prison, he was chosen to negotiate with the commander ofMexican forces. The commander refused to negotiate. It appeared thatwar would come. The Texans began to organize their own army.

VOICE TWO:

In November, eighteen-thirty-five, representatives from all partsof Texas held a convention to discuss the situation. They had noplans to take Texas out of the Mexican Republic. In fact, a proposalto do that was defeated by a large vote.

However, the Texans took action to protect themselves againstSanta Ana, who had declared himself dictator. They organized atemporary state government. They organized a state army. And theymade plans for another convention to begin on March first.

VOICE ONE:

Before the Texans could meet again, Santa Ana led an army ofseven-thousand men across the Rio Grande River into Texas. The firstsoldiers reached San Antonio on February twenty-third. The Texasforces withdrew to an old Spanish mission church called the Alamo.

On March first, the second Texas convention opened. This time,the representatives voted to declare Texas a free, independent andsovereign republic. They wrote a constitution based on theconstitution of the United States. They created a government. DavidBurnet was named president. And Sam Houston was to continue ascommander of Texas forces.

VOICE TWO:

On the second day of the convention, a letter came from the Alamoin San Antonio. The letter was addressed to the people of Texas andall Americans. The commander of Texas forces at the Alamo wrote:

"I have been under an artillery attack for twenty-four hours andhave not lost a man. The enemy has demanded our surrender.Otherwise, he said, he will kill every one of us. I have answeredhis demand with a cannon shot. Our flag still waves proudly from thewalls. I shall never surrender or

retreat.

"I call on you -- in the name of liberty, of patriotism, andeverything dear to the American character -- to come to our aid withall speed. If my appeal is not answered, I will fight as long aspossible, and die like a soldier who never forgets what he owes hisown honor and that of his country."

The letter from the Alamo closed with the words: "Victory orDeath. "

VOICE ONE:

Representatives at the convention wanted to leave immediately togo to the aid of the Texans in San Antonio. But Sam Houston toldthem it was their duty to remain and create a government for Texas.Houston would go there himself with a small force.

The help came too late for the one-hundred eighty-eight men atthe Alamo. Santa Ana's forces captured the Spanish mission on Marchsixth. When the battle ended, not a Texan was left alive.

Sam Houston ordered all Texas forces to withdraw northeast --away from the Mexican army.

VOICE TWO:

One group of Texans did not move fast enough. Santa Ana trappedthem. He said the Texans would not be harmed if they surrendered.They did. One week later, they were marched to a field and shot.Only a few escaped to tell the story.

Santa Ana then moved against Sam Houston. He was sure his largearmy could defeat the remaining Texas force.

President Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston were close friends. Whentold of Houston's retreat, the president pointed to a map of Texas.He said: "If Sam Houston is worth anything, he will make his standhere.

Jackson pointed to the mouth of the San Jacinto River.

VOICE ONE:

The battle of San Jacinto began at four o'clock in the afternoon.There were about eight-hundred Texans. There were two times thatmany Mexicans. The Mexicans did not expect the retreating Texans toturn and fight. But they did.

Shouting "Remember the Alamo!" the Texans ran at the Mexicansoldiers. Eighteen minutes later, the battle was over. Santa Ana'sarmy was destroyed.

About half of the Mexicans were killed or wounded. The other halfwere captured. Only two Texans were killed. Twenty-three, includingSam Houston, were wounded.

VOICE TWO:

The Texans found Santa Ana the next day, wearing the clothes of asimple Mexican soldier. Santa Ana begged for mercy. Houston toldhim: "You might have shown some at the Alamo."

Many of the Texans wanted to shoot the Mexican general. ButHouston said he was worth more alive than dead.

On May fourteenth, eighteen-thirty-six, Texas President Burnetand General Santa Ana signed a treaty. The treaty made Texasindependent.

VOICE ONE:

Eighteen-thirty-six was a presidential election year in theUnited States. Andrew Jackson had served for eight years. He did notwant another term. He supported his vice president, Martin VanBuren.

Jackson's opposition to the demands for more states' rights, andhis attack on the Bank of the United States, had created problemsfor his Democratic Party. Texas also was a problem.

Slavery was legal in the new Republic of Texas. Most northernersin the United States opposed slavery anywhere. Jackson felt that ifhe recognized Texas, the Democrats would lose votes in thepresidential election. So Jackson decided not to act on Texas untilafter the election.

VOICE TWO:

Opposition to the Democrats came from a coalition politicalparty. Members of the party called themselves Whigs. Three Whigs ranfor president in eighteen-thirty-six against Martin Van Buren.

The Whigs did not expect any of their candidates to win. But theyhoped to get enough votes to prevent Van Buren from gaining amajority. Then the House of Representatives would have to decide theelection. And a Whig might have a better chance. The plan failed.Van Buren won.

VOICE ONE:

Andrew Jackson had only a few months left as president. It seemedthat much of his time was occupied with one question. That was therequest by the Republic of Texas to become a state of the union.

Jackson wanted to make Texas a state. But more important was theunion itself. The issue of slavery in Texas was critical. Jacksonsaid:

"To give statehood to Texas now, or to recognize itsindependence, would increase the bitterness between the north andsouth. Nothing is worth this price."

Then Jackson thought of a way in which statehood for Texas couldbring the nation together, instead of splitting it apart. That willbe our story next week.

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VOICE TWO:

You have been listening to the Special English Program, THEMAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Steve Ember and Gwen Outen.Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. Join us again next weekat this time for another report about the history of the UnitedStates.

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