Turtle Bayou Resolutions
Encyclopedia
The Turtle Bayou Resolutions were signed by settlers during the Anahuac Disturbances
, which played a role in the secession
of Texas
from Mexico
and the creation of the Republic of Texas
.
On June 13, 1832, Anglo-American settlers were involved in a conflict with Mexican commander John Davis Bradburn at the posting of Anahuac, Texas
, near the north extent of Galveston Bay
. The settlers were opposed to control of their daily affairs by the centralist government. They were primarily at odds with the administration over the subject of tariffs on imports/exports and also over the presence of conscripted criminals in the Mexican garrison
, whom the colonists blamed for a number of local crimes. The simmering conflict reached a head when Bradburn took in two escaped slaves from Louisiana
. Though slavery
was officially illegal in Mexico at the time, the Mexican authorities wanted to encourage Anglo-American colonization of the frontier and generally ignored the presence of black indentured servant
s among the colonists. Two local lawyers, William B. Travis
and Patrick C. Jack, attempted to secure the release of these slaves and were arrested by Bradburn.
The Anglo militia skirmished with Bradburn's troops before retreating north to the crossing on Turtle Bayou near James Taylor White's ranch house to await the arrival of artillery
.
The settlers received word that the anti-administration Federalist
army had won a significant victory under the leadership of Antonio López de Santa Anna
Taking advantage of this favorable news, they verbally aligned themselves with the Federalist cause by composing the Turtle Bayou Resolutions, which explained their attack against the Centralist troops at Anahuac. They explained that they were not lawless Anglos attacking a Mexican garrison, but that they were Federalist sympathizers opposing a Centralist commandant as part of the civil war that had been in progress for two years between the Centralist administration of Anastasio Bustamante and those wanting to return to the Federalist Constitution of 1824
.
The four resolutions condemned violations of the 1824 constitution by the Bustamante government and urged all Texans to support the patriots fighting under Santa Anna, who was at the time struggling to defeat military despotism. Though opinions varied among the colonists, few Texans were at that time willing to urge secession.
Federalist colonel José Antonio Mexía arrived in Brazoria, Texas
, on July 16, 1832, with 400 troops and five ships to quell a supposed movement to sever Texas from Mexico. A copy of the Turtle Bayou Resolutions was included in the seven-point statement of causes for taking up arms that was presented to Mexia on July 18. The explanations offered by the Texas leaders satisfied the Federalist general, and he returned to the Rio Grande River.
No signatures are affixed to the extant copy of the resolutions themselves, but seven of the Texas leaders (Wyly Martin, John Austin, Luke Lesassier, William H. Jack, Hugh B. Johnston, Francis W. Johnson, and Robert M. Williamson) signed the combined document presented to Mexía.
The document was published in an extra edition of the Brazoria Constitutional Advocate on July 23, 1832, and appeared in Mary Austin Holley's Texas (1833).
First: By their repeated violations of the constitution and laws and the total disregard of the civil and political rights of the people.
Second: Jose G Granado fixing and establishing among us, in the time of peace, military posts, the officers of which, totally disregarding the local civil authorities of the State, have committed various acts evincing opposition to the true interest of the people in the enjoyment of civil liberty.
Third: By arresting the commissioners, especially Juan Francisco Madero, who, on the part of the State government, was to put the inhabitants east of Trinity River in possession of other lands, in conformity with the laws of colonization.
Fourth: By the imposition of military force, preventing the Alcalde of the jurisdiction of Liberty from the exercise of his constitutional functions.
Fifth: By the appointing to the revenue department men whose principles ( hi i like Peanutes) are avowedly to the true interest of the people of Texas; and that, too, when their character for infamy had been repeatedly established.
Sixth: By the military commandant of Anahuac advising and procuring servants to quit the service of their masters, and offering them protection; causing them to labor for his benefits, and refusing to compensate them for the same.
Seventh: By imprisonment of our citizens without lawful cause; and claiming the right of trying said citizens by a military court for offense of a character cognizable by the civil authority alone.
RESOLVED That we view with feelings of the deepest regret, Tori Tercero manner in which the Gover't of the Republic of Mexico is administered by the present dynasty - The repeated violations of the constitution - the total disregard for the law - the entire prostration of the civil authority; and the substitution in the stead of military despotism, are grievances of such a character, as to arouse the feelings of every freeman, and impel him to resistance.
RESOLVED That we view with feelings of deepest interest and solicitude, the firm and manly resistance which is made by those patriots under the highly and distinguished chieftain Santa Anna, to the numerous encroachments and infractions which have been made by the present administration upon the laws and constitution of our beloved and adopted country.
RESOLVED That as freemen devoted to a correct interpretation and enforcement of the Constitution, and laws, according to their true Spirit - We pledge our lives and fortunes in support of the same, and of the distinguished leader, who is now gallantly fighting in defence of Civil Liberty.
RESOLVED That all the people of Texas be united to co-operate with us, in support of the principles incorporated in the foregoing resolutions.
Anahuac Disturbances
The Anahuac Disturbances were uprisings of settlers in and around Anahuac, Texas in 1832 and 1835 which helped to precipitate the Texas Revolution. This eventually led to the territory's secession from Mexico and the founding of the Republic of Texas...
, which played a role in the secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the creation of the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
.
On June 13, 1832, Anglo-American settlers were involved in a conflict with Mexican commander John Davis Bradburn at the posting of Anahuac, Texas
Anahuac, Texas
Anahuac is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population of the city was 2,210 at the 2000 census. Anahuac is the seat of Chambers County and is situated in East Texas.- History :...
, near the north extent of Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay is a large estuary located along the upper coast of Texas in the United States. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by sub-tropic marshes and prairies on the mainland. The water in the Bay is a complex mixture of sea water and fresh water which supports a wide...
. The settlers were opposed to control of their daily affairs by the centralist government. They were primarily at odds with the administration over the subject of tariffs on imports/exports and also over the presence of conscripted criminals in the Mexican garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
, whom the colonists blamed for a number of local crimes. The simmering conflict reached a head when Bradburn took in two escaped slaves from Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Though slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
was officially illegal in Mexico at the time, the Mexican authorities wanted to encourage Anglo-American colonization of the frontier and generally ignored the presence of black indentured servant
Indentured servant
Indentured servitude refers to the historical practice of contracting to work for a fixed period of time, typically three to seven years, in exchange for transportation, food, clothing, lodging and other necessities during the term of indenture. Usually the father made the arrangements and signed...
s among the colonists. Two local lawyers, William B. Travis
William B. Travis
William Barret Travis was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army...
and Patrick C. Jack, attempted to secure the release of these slaves and were arrested by Bradburn.
The Anglo militia skirmished with Bradburn's troops before retreating north to the crossing on Turtle Bayou near James Taylor White's ranch house to await the arrival of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
.
The settlers received word that the anti-administration Federalist
Federalist
The term federalist describes several political beliefs around the world. Also, it may refer to the concept of federalism or the type of government called a federation...
army had won a significant victory under the leadership of Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
Taking advantage of this favorable news, they verbally aligned themselves with the Federalist cause by composing the Turtle Bayou Resolutions, which explained their attack against the Centralist troops at Anahuac. They explained that they were not lawless Anglos attacking a Mexican garrison, but that they were Federalist sympathizers opposing a Centralist commandant as part of the civil war that had been in progress for two years between the Centralist administration of Anastasio Bustamante and those wanting to return to the Federalist Constitution of 1824
1824 Constitution of Mexico
The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 was enacted on October 4 of 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new constitution, the republic took the name of United Mexican States, and was defined as a representative federal republic, with...
.
The four resolutions condemned violations of the 1824 constitution by the Bustamante government and urged all Texans to support the patriots fighting under Santa Anna, who was at the time struggling to defeat military despotism. Though opinions varied among the colonists, few Texans were at that time willing to urge secession.
Federalist colonel José Antonio Mexía arrived in Brazoria, Texas
Brazoria, Texas
Brazoria is a city of Brazoria County in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 2,787.Brazoria was originally founded as a port for Stephen F...
, on July 16, 1832, with 400 troops and five ships to quell a supposed movement to sever Texas from Mexico. A copy of the Turtle Bayou Resolutions was included in the seven-point statement of causes for taking up arms that was presented to Mexia on July 18. The explanations offered by the Texas leaders satisfied the Federalist general, and he returned to the Rio Grande River.
No signatures are affixed to the extant copy of the resolutions themselves, but seven of the Texas leaders (Wyly Martin, John Austin, Luke Lesassier, William H. Jack, Hugh B. Johnston, Francis W. Johnson, and Robert M. Williamson) signed the combined document presented to Mexía.
The document was published in an extra edition of the Brazoria Constitutional Advocate on July 23, 1832, and appeared in Mary Austin Holley's Texas (1833).
Text of the Turtle Bayou Resolutions
First: By their repeated violations of the constitution and laws and the total disregard of the civil and political rights of the people.
Second: Jose G Granado fixing and establishing among us, in the time of peace, military posts, the officers of which, totally disregarding the local civil authorities of the State, have committed various acts evincing opposition to the true interest of the people in the enjoyment of civil liberty.
Third: By arresting the commissioners, especially Juan Francisco Madero, who, on the part of the State government, was to put the inhabitants east of Trinity River in possession of other lands, in conformity with the laws of colonization.
Fourth: By the imposition of military force, preventing the Alcalde of the jurisdiction of Liberty from the exercise of his constitutional functions.
Fifth: By the appointing to the revenue department men whose principles ( hi i like Peanutes) are avowedly to the true interest of the people of Texas; and that, too, when their character for infamy had been repeatedly established.
Sixth: By the military commandant of Anahuac advising and procuring servants to quit the service of their masters, and offering them protection; causing them to labor for his benefits, and refusing to compensate them for the same.
Seventh: By imprisonment of our citizens without lawful cause; and claiming the right of trying said citizens by a military court for offense of a character cognizable by the civil authority alone.
RESOLVED That we view with feelings of the deepest regret, Tori Tercero manner in which the Gover't of the Republic of Mexico is administered by the present dynasty - The repeated violations of the constitution - the total disregard for the law - the entire prostration of the civil authority; and the substitution in the stead of military despotism, are grievances of such a character, as to arouse the feelings of every freeman, and impel him to resistance.
RESOLVED That we view with feelings of deepest interest and solicitude, the firm and manly resistance which is made by those patriots under the highly and distinguished chieftain Santa Anna, to the numerous encroachments and infractions which have been made by the present administration upon the laws and constitution of our beloved and adopted country.
RESOLVED That as freemen devoted to a correct interpretation and enforcement of the Constitution, and laws, according to their true Spirit - We pledge our lives and fortunes in support of the same, and of the distinguished leader, who is now gallantly fighting in defence of Civil Liberty.
RESOLVED That all the people of Texas be united to co-operate with us, in support of the principles incorporated in the foregoing resolutions.