Sam Houston's leadership at the Battle of San Jacinto and Texan independence

¶ … Battle of San Jacinto was decisive in the struggle for Texan independence from Mexico. Mexico itself had only recently earned its independence from Spain in 1821. Yet after its independence, Mexico underestimated the numbers of Anglo settlers that would transform the cultural character of Texas and cause it to become disputed territory. Fought for less than twenty minutes on April 21, 1836, the Battle of San Jacinto has been described as the "the final and decisive engagement with Mexico in the Texas Revolution."[footnoteRef:1] Although it took another decade before Texas became part of the United States, Texan independence solidified the American push toward westward expansion that characterized much of the 19th century. The Battle of San Jacinto might have been short, but it presaged the Mexican-American War and defined the future form of the United States. [1: National Park Service, Department of the Interior. "San Jacinto Battlefield." Retrieved online: https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/San_Jacinto_Battlefield.html]

Sam Houston presided over the Battle of San Jacinto. Houston himself moved to Texas only a few years before the battle, in 1832. He arrived at the peak of Texan tensions with the Mexican government, and Houston became instrumental in rallying the cause for Texan independence, also known as the Texan Revolution. Formerly the governor of Tennessee, Houston possessed the political prowess to lead Texas through the revolution. He was chosen to be the Commander in Chief of the Texan Army during the Revolution, helping to assuage the wounds that ensued after the crushing loss at the Alamo.[footnoteRef:2] Houston's humiliation at the Alamo had left many Texans "frustrated, angry at Houston, and seething."[footnoteRef:3] Because of Houston's decisive victory at San Jacinto, he became the first President of the Republic of Texas during the state's brief period of existence as an independent political entity. [2: "Sam Houston and the Battle for Texas Independence." America's Story. Retrieved online: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/es/tx/es_tx_houston_1.html] [3: Joe Holley. "San Jacinto: 18-minute Battle that Changed Texas Forever." Houston Chronicle. 19 May, 2016. Retrieved online: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/es/tx/es_tx_houston_1.html]

The Battle of San Jacinto resulted in hundreds of deaths on both sides; although Houston claimed that it only took 18 minutes to secure victory, "the killing continued until after dark."[footnoteRef:4] Houston himself was injured in the fray. During the battle, Houston met the Mexican President Santa Anna, who ceded Texas officially with the Velasco Treaties in May of 1836. Santa Anna did not surrender completely, though. His armies persisted in securing the northern border of Mexico against American encroachment. The rallying cry, "Remember the Alamo!" helped to unify the Texan army against what could have been a more powerful and well-endowed Mexican military. Americans would, within a short period of time, also gain territories farther west including California. [4: Joey Holley. "San Jacinto."]