How do nations go to war? For major nations of the 19th Century, the accepted method was via a formal declaration of war, preferably after the ambassadors (called ministers at the time) had been recalled and the embassies closed. This would only happen after a long string of negotiations, unofficial communications, influence peddling, and other…
How did the Texas Revolution really end? (Part 3)
Texas officially existed as an independent country from March 2, 1836 until December 29, 1845. As I detailed in Part 1 of this series of blog posts, Texan independence was quite fragile even after the victory at San Jacinto. The Mexican Army was waiting around for an opportunity to strike with another, better-planed invasion. So…
How did the Texas Revolution really end? (Part 2)
Continued from Part 1 Quick overview of the political/military position in the summer of 1836: Santa Anna is captured, held prisoner by the Texan military. He expects to be released back to Mexico in short order, at which point he plans to turn around and re-invade Texas. Texas continues to have a threadbare army, plagued…
How did the Texas Revolution really end? (Part 1)
Let me preface this by asking the Texas State Historical Association to have its paid assassins kindly wipe their feet as they sneak into my house. The conventional understanding of the Texas Revolution is that Texas was almost completely defeated after the disasters at the Alamo and Goliad. But then, suddenly, like an angel from…
Heroes of Texas History #1: Edwin Ward Moore
I’ll go out on a limb here and say that Edwin Moore is the single greatest hero in all of Texas history. His competence, daring, and integrity place him far above all other candidates to the title. Not to mention his success against overwhelming odds. And yet, despite being a name on the required Texas…
A polite reply to Santa Anna
President David G. Burnet does not, I think, get the respect he deserves. He’s usually not even listed as Texas’ first President, just because he was appointed by the Legislature soon after declaring independence. He went ahead and called for elections in the Summer of 1836, as soon as he deemed the situation to be…
A Polite Letter from Santa Anna
I am incredibly blessed to have become a historian in the 21st Century – modern technology has made our ability to discover new information considerably easier. Whereas earlier historians would have to travel to widely dispersed libraries and pour through physical card catalogs (have any teenagers ever even seen one?), our modern computerized access to…
The #1 most important battle in Texas history
The time has come. Which of Texas’ many battles has earned the honor of our first place ranking? The historical layman would most likely say it is the Siege of the Alamo. Certainly, it is the best-known of all the contenders for the title, with an almost unfathomable number of books, articles, films, speeches, and…
Countdown to the most important battle in Texas history: #2
Our number 2 spot may come as a bit of surprise to any traditional Texas historians – as far as I know, this battle doesn’t technically have a name due to being a prolonged series of small engagements. So in the interests of both convenience and pride, I am hereby naming the second-most important battle…
Countdown to the most important battle in Texas history: #3
Let’s get right to it. The number 3 spot is the Battle of Medina. Fought on the 18th day of August in 1813, this battle has the singular honor of being the bloodiest battle in Texas history, with around 1,300 men killed in a single day. Sidebar: technically, it is only the second-bloodiest battle: if…