Reaction to major problems in Texas history

Slavery in Texas

Randolph Campbell, in his book "An Empire for Slavery: The Peculiar Institution in Texas," said that "protecting slavery was not he primary cause of the Texas Revolution, but it certainly was a major result." (Campbell, 1989, pp. 48-49) The role slavery played in Texas, and the decision by the Anglos to rebel against the Mexican government has long been a tale that is not well-known in American history. Slavery was an institution that many who had emigrated from the United States to Texas either opposed, or were willing to restrict, but what many in Texas were not willing to accept was the high-handedness by which restrictions on slavery were imposed. Over time, many have viewed the Mexican government's interference in the economic foundations of Texan life the cause of the Texas Revolution, but what really caused the revolution was the attempt to restrict, and then outlaw, the institution of slavery.

Mexico was originally called "New Spain," and slavery was a long standing tradition, particularly in the Veracruz region. However, in Spanish Texas, slavery was never a major factor, until, that is, the arrival of settlers from the United States. American settlers brought slaves with them, but it is remarkable how few. It was the appearance of a slaveholder from Georgia, named Jared Groce, who changed the nature of slavery in Texas when he brought 90 slaves to work the cotton he planted. At that point, slavery then became a major factor in the economy of Texas, and by 1825 slaves made up a quarter of the total population.

During the 1820's, the newly independent Mexico introduced a number of laws meant to limit and prohibit slavery, much to the disagreement of the Texans. There were a series of compromise measures, including the prohibition against the importation of any new slaves and the freeing of children of slaves. But one way which the Texans got around the new laws was to claim their slaves as "indentured servants." But the final straw came when Vicente Guerrero decreed all slaves in Mexico free, including slaves in Texas. Although many Texans may have felt slavery to be evil, this arbitrary declaration, which had a major economic impact on the Texans, could not be accepted without ruining the economy of Texas. The Texans then used this reason to declare themselves independent and keep their slaves.