H.R. No. 353
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Anahuac was the scene of a number of pivotal
incidents that helped ignite the Texas Revolution in the 1830s, and
the town is indeed deserving of recognition for its seminal role in
the creation of the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, Those momentous events were set in motion by the
passage of the Law of 1830, under which Mexico established a series
of new outposts in Texas to enforce Mexican law, collect taxes, and
stem the influx of U.S. citizens into the region; that year,
Lieutenant Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn and a company of Mexican
soldiers under his command arrived at Perry's Point, where the
Trinity River enters Galveston Bay, and established a fort that
they named Anahuac; Colonel Bradburn soon incited the discontent of
local settlers with his heavy-handed style of governance, his
refusal to issue land titles, his unfair taxing practices, and the
alleged criminal activity of some of his soldiers; and
WHEREAS, In May and June of 1832, two law partners in Anahuac,
Patrick Jack and William B. Travis, took a stand against Colonel
Bradburn's policies, and after the two men were arrested and
incarcerated at the fort, a force of outraged Texans advanced to
nearby Turtle Bayou, intent on freeing the two men; several armed
skirmishes between the Mexican troops and the Texans led to the
Battle of Velasco, in which the Mexican force surrendered;
meanwhile, the insurgents drafted the "Turtle Bayou Resolutions" to
explain their opposition to the Mexican government; ultimately, the
insurrection freed Jack and Travis and forced the Mexicans to
abandon their outpost at Anahuac, and the incident helped set the
stage for the Battle of Nacogdoches a short time later; and
WHEREAS, In 1835, Captain Antonio Tenorio of the Mexican army
attempted to reestablish the fort and customhouse at Anahuac but
was driven off by a force of 25 Texans led by William Travis; as a
result of the Texan victories at Anahuac, Velsaco, and Nacogdoches,
the eastern half of Texas was free of Mexican control on the eve of
the Texas Revolution, which was an important factor in the decisive
defeat of the Mexican army under General Santa Anna at the Battle of
San Jacinto in 1836; and
WHEREAS, In the opinion of many historians, including Carroll
A. Lewis, Anahuac was the site of a number of important firsts as
Texas sought its independence; these included the first opposition
to Mexican martial law, the first written declaration challenging
the authority of the central Mexican government, the first armed
rebellion against Mexican forces, and the first battle casualties
on both sides of the conflict; as a result, Anahuac has earned the
fitting nickname of "First Stand of the Texas Revolution"; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Anahuac's crucial role in the struggle for
Texas independence; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Chambers County and the City of Anahuac as an
expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
Middleton
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 353 was adopted by the House on March
13, 2019, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House