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7th grade · Social Studies · Unit 4 of 13

Mexican National Texas

Independence, empresarios and rising tension

What your child practices

Mexico's independence and its impact on Texas (Hidalgo, Gutiérrez de Lara, the Battle of Medina, the Constitution of 1824, Coahuila y Tejas, the colonization law of 1825 and slavery), the empresarios, and the chain of events toward revolution: the Fredonian Rebellion, the Mier y Terán Report, the Law of April 6, 1830, the Turtle Bayou Resolutions and Austin's arrest.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 7.2(D); 7.2(E); 7.2(F); 7.3(A) · Mexican independence and its impact on Texas, the empresarios, and the events leading to the Texas Revolution

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Mexico won independence in 1821. Under the Constitution of 1824, Texas joined Coahuila as Coahuila y Tejas.
  2. Empresarios like Stephen F. Austin brought settlers; Austin chose carefully and worked with Mexican officials.
  3. Tension grew over slavery, immigration limits (Law of April 6, 1830) and Austin’s arrest in 1834.

Example: Under the Constitution of 1824, Texas was joined with Coahuila into which state? Texas was too small in people to be its own state. It was merged with Coahuila. Answer: Coahuila y Tejas

Mexican National Texas in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 4 of 13 in 7th grade Social Studies, after Spanish Colonial Texas and before The Texas Revolution.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    The Mier y Terán Report (1829) warned that…

    • Texas needed more priests
    • Anglo settlers far outnumbered Mexicans in Texas and Mexico could lose control
    • oil should be drilled
    • Texas had too many soldiers

  2. Question 2

    Stephen F. Austin's colony was the most successful because he…

    • chose settlers carefully and worked with Mexican officials
    • ignored Mexican law
    • settled only near the coast
    • fought Mexico from the start

  3. Question 3

    Stephen F. Austin was arrested in 1834 because…

    • he started the Fredonian Rebellion
    • he refused to learn Spanish
    • a letter he wrote urged Texans to form a separate state
    • he led the attack at Gonzales

  4. Question 4

    Slavery was an issue in Mexican Texas because…

    • no one in Texas held enslaved people
    • slavery was legal everywhere in the world
    • Mexico moved to limit and abolish slavery while many Anglo settlers brought enslaved people
    • Mexico required slavery

  5. Question 5

    The Fredonian Rebellion worried Mexico because…

    • it ended the colonies
    • it found gold
    • it suggested Anglo settlers might try to break away
    • it was a Mexican victory

  6. Question 6

    Why did Mexico allow some Anglo settlers to keep enslaved people despite its laws?

    • no settlers held enslaved people
    • Spain required it
    • officials made exceptions to keep settlers and the cotton economy in Texas
    • slavery was legal across Mexico

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