Omar Bennett
The Texas Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written in Washington-on-the-Brazos, now known as the birthplace of Texas. The site is located on 293 acres of lush parkland and is considered a sacred place where Texas became Texas. The documents were drafted during the Texas Revolution against Mexico, which began in October 1835, and were formally adopted and signed on March 2, 1836, marking Texas' independence from Mexico.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 2nd March 1836 |
| Location | Washington-on-the-Brazos |
| Signatories | 59 |
| Author | George C. Childress |
| Purpose | To declare independence from Mexico |
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What You'll Learn
- The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed at Washington-on-the-Brazos
- The Declaration was signed by 59 delegates, each representing a settlement in Texas
- The document was drafted by a committee of five, led by George Childress
- The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed on March 2, 1836
- The document was a formal declaration of independence from Mexico
The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed at Washington-on-the-Brazos
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836, which was convened on March 1, 1836, at Washington-on-the-Brazos. The convention was convened to declare independence, elect an interim government, and write a constitution. Fifty-nine delegates, each representing one of the settlements in Texas, approved the Texas Declaration of Independence. The delegates signed the original declaration, and five copies were made and dispatched to designated Texas towns.
The declaration was based on the United States Declaration of Independence, with a focus on citizens' rights to "life" and "liberty", but with an added emphasis on the "property of the citizen". The declaration was issued during a revolution against the Mexican government, which began in October 1835 following a series of government edicts, including the dissolution of state legislatures, disarmament of state militias, and the abolition of the Constitution of 1824.
The delegates to the 1836 convention were primarily young citizens of the United States, who had recently arrived in Texas, in violation of Mexico's immigration ban of April 1830. Most of the delegates were members of the War Party and advocated for Texas' independence from Mexico. The committee to draft the declaration was led by George Childress, who is generally accepted as the author of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
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The Declaration was signed by 59 delegates, each representing a settlement in Texas
The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed by 59 delegates, each representing a settlement in Texas. The document was approved on March 2, 1836, at Washington-on-the-Brazos, now commonly referred to as the "birthplace of Texas." The declaration was a formal statement of Texas's independence from Mexico, marking the start of the Texas Revolution.
The 59 delegates who signed the declaration were elected representatives from across Texas. The majority of these men were citizens of the United States, having moved to Texas after Mexico's immigration ban of April 1830. In fact, only two of the delegates were native Texans: Jose Francisco Ruiz and Jose Antonio Navarro. Lorenzo de Zavala, a Mexican liberal who had moved to Texas, was the third Hispanic signatory.
The declaration was drafted by a committee led by George Childress, who is generally accepted as the author, with little help from the other committee members. The committee also included Edward Conrad, James Gaines, Bailey Hardeman, and Collin McKinney. The committee submitted its draft within 24 hours, leading historians to speculate that Childress had prepared a draft before the convention. The declaration was then put to a vote of the whole convention, and in the early hours of March 2, 1836, the 59 delegates signed the original copy.
The delegates received letters from the Alamo while it was under siege, leading to heated discussions about their duty. Some delegates suggested abandoning the convention to ride to the defence of the Alamo. However, Texas Army General and delegate Sam Houston insisted that the meeting continue, arguing that without a declaration and a constitution, Texans would be considered outlaws.
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The document was drafted by a committee of five, led by George Childress
The Texas Declaration of Independence was drafted by a committee of five, chaired and led by George C. Childress. The other members of the committee were James Gaines, Edward Conrad, Collin McKinney, and Bailey Hardeman. The committee was appointed by the president of the convention, Richard Ellis, on March 1, 1836, and tasked with drafting a declaration of independence.
Childress and his committee submitted their draft within 24 hours, leading historians to speculate that Childress had already written much of the document before the convention. The committee's swift work resulted in a 12-page document that was submitted for a vote of the entire convention on the following day. The Texas Declaration of Independence was then formally adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and was signed the next day after some mistakes were corrected.
The declaration was issued during a revolution against the Mexican government, which began in October 1835. This revolution was sparked by a series of government decrees, including the dissolution of state legislatures, the disarmament of state militias, and the abolition of the Constitution of 1824. By December 1835, Texians (Anglo-American settlers) and Tejanos (Texans of Mexican and Indian descent) had captured the town of San Antonio. However, on February 23, 1836, Mexican troops led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna arrived in San Antonio to retake the city. Despite Sam Houston's orders to abandon the town, a group of rebels chose to defend it, making their stand at the Alamo.
The delegates at the convention in Washington-on-the-Brazos periodically received letters from the Alamo while it was under siege, leading to heated discussions about their duty. While some delegates suggested putting their business on hold and riding to the defence of the Alamo, Texas Army General and delegate Sam Houston insisted that the meeting continue. He argued that without a declaration and a constitution, Texans would be considered "nothing but outlaws".
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The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed on March 2, 1836
The declaration was signed by 59 men, each representing one of the settlements in Texas. Three of the signatories were Hispanic, two of whom were Tejanos (Texans of Mexican descent): José Antonio Navarro and José Francisco Ruiz. The third, Lorenzo de Zavala, was a Mexican liberal who had moved to Texas. Fifty-seven of the sixty signatories were from the United States, with ten having lived in Texas for more than six years, and a quarter having resided in the province for less than a year.
The delegates arrived in Washington-on-the-Brazos on February 28, 1836, and the convention was convened on March 1, with Richard Ellis as president. A committee of five, led by George Childress, was selected to draft a declaration of independence. The committee also included Edward Conrad, James Gaines, Bailey Hardeman, and Collin McKinney. The committee submitted its draft within 24 hours, suggesting that Childress had prepared it in advance. The declaration was issued during a revolution against the Mexican government, which began in October 1835 following a series of government edicts, including the dissolution of state legislatures, disarmament of state militias, and the abolition of the Constitution of 1824.
The Texas Declaration of Independence was modelled after the United States Declaration of Independence, with a focus on citizens' rights to "life" and "liberty", and an emphasis on the "property of the citizen". The delegates at the convention periodically received letters from the Alamo while it was under siege, leading to heated discussions about their duty. Despite this, the convention continued, and Texas formally declared its independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836.
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The document was a formal declaration of independence from Mexico
The Texas Declaration of Independence was a formal declaration of independence from Mexico, marking the birth of the Republic of Texas. The document was signed on March 2, 1836, at Washington-on-the-Brazos, now considered the "birthplace of Texas". The declaration was the culmination of a revolution against the Mexican government, which began in October 1835. The revolution was sparked by a series of government decrees, including the dissolution of state legislatures, the disarming of state militias, and the abolition of the Constitution of 1824.
The Texas Declaration of Independence asserted the rights of citizens to "life, liberty, and property", echoing the United States Declaration of Independence. However, it placed a greater emphasis on the "property of the citizen". The declaration also addressed grievances with the distant Mexican government, such as legislation that negatively impacted their interests and the failure to establish a system of public education.
Fifty-nine delegates, each representing one of the settlements in Texas, approved and signed the original declaration. Three of the signatories were Hispanic, including two Tejanos (Texans of Mexican descent) and one Mexican liberal who had moved to Texas. Fifty-seven of the signatories were from the United States, and the majority had moved to Texas after the Law of April 6, 1830, banning immigration, indicating that they were legally citizens of the United States but occupying Texas illegally.
The declaration was not universally supported, even among the colonists. Infighting erupted, and some colonists sought to restore the Mexican Constitution of 1824 rather than pursue complete independence. Despite these differences, the delegates worked swiftly, and the declaration was drafted and signed within a few days.
The signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence was a pivotal moment in the history of Texas, marking its transformation from a Mexican state to an independent republic. The document laid the foundation for the establishment of a separate and sovereign nation, with its own constitution and political system.
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Frequently asked questions
The Texas Declaration of Independence was written in Washington-on-the-Brazos, now commonly referred to as the "birthplace of Texas".
The Texas Declaration of Independence was written on March 2, 1836.
George C. Childress is credited as the author of the Texas Declaration of Independence, with little help from other committee members.
The Texas Declaration of Independence was a formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico.
The original copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence was deposited by Commissioner to the United States William H. Wharton with the United States Department of State in Washington, D.C.
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