Tejanos in the 1835 Texas Revolution
Fighting side by side, Mexican-born Tejanos and Anglo-born Texans battled to defend their rights as Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna usurped power in Mexico during the bloody revolution of 1835-36. Initially attracted by Mexico's generous assurances of freedom and republican governance, thousands of settlers from the United States migrated to Texas during the 1820s and '30s. When Santa Anna came to power, however, he discarded the guarantees of the constitution, institutionalizing a centralized form of government instead. Most of Mexico revolted against this despotic rule, chaos spread throughout the country, and after Santa Anna and his army had silenced nearly every voice of dissent, Texas emerged as the lone province to gain independence.   Offering a unique study of the role the Mexican-born revolutionaries played in Texas's battle for independence, this account examines Mexico from the fifteenth century through the birth of the sovereign nation of Texas in 1836. Whereas many works on this subject focus on the better-known heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, this detailed history relies heavily on first-person anecdotes to shine light on the stories and experiences of the individual men, women, and children-Tejano and Texan alike-who endured the fight for liberty.   Enhanced by maps and illustrations handcrafted into leather by the author after extensive study and research, this volume contributes an important perspective to the ongoing scholarship and debate surrounding the Alamo generation of the 1830s. L. Lloyd MacDonald is an attorney and writer with a deep interest in the history of Texas. A member of the State Bar of Texas since the 1950s, MacDonald is also an apprenticed leather crafter and has experience working in the oil business and in his own private law practice. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a reserve officer and is a graduate of Baylor University. When he isn't in the courtroom, he cultivates his love of poetry and devotes his time to his family.