Texas Declared Independence From Mexico On This Day in 1836
On March 2, 1836, delegates from the then Mexican territory of Tejas signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. 136 miles away, General Antonio López de Santa Anna was laying siege to the Alamo.
Relations between Mexico and its northern territory had always been tense, especially after Americans were invited to begin settling there with the understanding that they'd enjoy life under a republic similar to what they'd experienced in the U.S.
In 1824, about three years after Mexico won its independence from Spain, Mexico established a federal republic that further encouraged immigration. However, in 1830, Mexican President Anastasio Bustamante, fearing rumors of annexation of the Tejas territory by the U.S., passed laws that called for an end to immigration, eliminated certain contracts and protections in Texas, and called for Texans to abide by Mexico's anti-slavery laws.