Description
c1850 Texian Campaigne Historical Staffordshire brown Transferware 9.25" plate<br>James Beech Historical Texas Battle Scenes. 2 small crows lines on reverse, one<br>slightly visible on front, none go to edge of plate, and one small chip on back<br>rim of plate. No restorations or excessive crazing/stains.<br><br>The "Texian Campaigne" transferware pattern was introduced about 1837; although<br>made in Staffordshire, it was produced to appeal to Americans. The pattern was<br>designed to commemorate the 1835-1836 revolution fought against Mexico by Texans<br>for their independence (the word 'Texian' is the British form for Texas.)<br><br>The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of<br>colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Texas Mexicans) in putting up<br>armed resistance to the centralist government of Mexico. While the uprising was<br>part of a larger one, the Mexican Federalist War, that included other provinces<br>opposed to the regime of President Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican<br>government believed the United States had instigated the Texas insurrection with<br>the goal of annexation. The Mexican Congress passed the Tornel Decree, declaring<br>that any foreigners against Mexican troops "will be deemed pirates and dealt<br>with as such, being citizens of no nation presently at war with the Republic and<br>under no recognized flag". Only the province of Texas succeeded in breaking with<br>Mexico, establishing the Republic of Texas, and eventually being annexed by the<br>United States.<br><br>The revolution began in October 1835, after a decade of political and cultural<br>clashes between the Mexican government and the increasingly large population of<br>American settlers in Texas. The Mexican government had become increasingly<br>centralized and the rights of its citizens had become increasingly curtailed,<br>particularly regarding immigration from the United States. Colonists and Tejanos<br>disagreed on whether the ultimate goal was independence or a return to the<br>Mexican Constitution of 1824. While delegates at the Consultation (provisional<br>government) debated the war's motives, Texians and a flood of volunteers from<br>the United States defeated the small garrisons of Mexican soldiers by<br>mid-December 1835. The Consultation declined to declare independence and<br>installed an interim government, whose in led to political paralysis and a<br>dearth of effective governance in Texas. An ill-conceived proposal to invade<br>Matamoros siphoned much-needed volunteers and provisions from the fledgling<br>Texian Army. In March 1836, a second political convention declared independence<br>and appointed leadership for the new Republic of Texas.<br><br>Determined to avenge Mexico's honor, Santa Anna vowed to personally retake<br>Texas. His Army of Operations entered Texas in mid-February 1836 and found the<br>Texians completely unprepared. Mexican General José de Urrea led a contingent of<br>troops on the Goliad Campaign up the Texas coast, defeating all Texian troops in<br>his path and executing most of those who surrendered. Santa Anna led a larger<br>force to San Antonio de Béxar (or Béxar), where his troops defeated the Texian<br>garrison in the Battle of the Alamo, killing almost all of the defenders.<br><br>A newly created Texian army under the command of Sam Houston was constantly on<br>the move, while terrified civilians fled with the army, in a melee known as the<br>Runaway Scrape. On March 31, Houston paused his men at Groce's Landing on the<br>Brazos River, and for the next two weeks, the Texians received rigorous military<br>training. Becoming complacent and underestimating the strength of his foes,<br>Santa Anna further subdivided his troops. On April 21, Houston's army staged a<br>surprise assault on Santa Anna and his vanguard force at the Battle of San<br>Jacinto. The Mexican troops were quickly routed, and vengeful Texians executed<br>many who tried to surrender. Santa Anna was taken hostage; in exchange for his<br>life, he ordered the Mexican army to retreat south of the Rio Grande. Mexico<br>refused to recognize the Republic of Texas, and intermittent conflicts between<br>the two countries continued into the 1840s. The annexation of Texas as the 28th<br>state of the United States, in 1845, led directly to the Mexican–American War.<br><br>tw177
