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Texas
Declaration of Independence
March 2, 1836
The 59 delegates
who signed the famous Texas Declaration of Independence document at
Washington
on the Brazos, March 2,
l836…Declared… Texas
would be a free independent republic. This was the singleness of
purpose that held them together.
These were very
hard and trying times for the early settlers of Tejas. The government
of the newly formed
Republic
of Mexico
was experiencing enormous turmoil within their ranks. The Mexican
leader became a dictator, who totally disregarded the woes and needs of
the citizens of Tejas/Texas. Generalissimo Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna
soon learned of the unrest among the Tejanos, the
recently arrived legal and illegal
U.S.
citizens, the Texian, who had rebelled against the Mexican
government. Santa Anna promptly organized an army and
proceeded to Tejas. He was determined to suppress and put down the
revolt Tejanos,
U.S. immigrants and some Mexican
had initiated. The Mexican General believed providence was on
his side, after his troops were victorious at the Battles of the
Alamo
and Goliad. He was disastrously wrong.
While Santa Anna
was moving north into Tejas and raising havoc among the Tejanos,
Texians and some Mexican, valiant gallant men were gathered in a small
and very cold building at Washington on the Brazos. These men were
deciding the fate of all the citizens of the future great state of
Tejas/Texas. Most of the delegates had come from foreign
countries. Texas
history sights the names of two illustrious Tejano patriots,
who were among the distinguished signers of the historical
document. This act gave birth to the Great Republic of
Tejas/Texas.
Of all the signers,
only two were native Tejanos/Texans.
There could very well have been more, but with all the fighting going
on, others were not able to attend.
The
two legendary Tejano patriots were
JOSÉ FRANCISCO RUIZ
and his nephew
JOSÉ ANTONIO NAVARRO.
They were delegates from San Antonio de Bexar representing the
dominant Tejano population and some Mexicans under the Mexican
government.
DON JOSÉ
FRANCISCO RUIZ BORN IN
SAN ANTONIO, TEJAS 28 JANUARY 1783
“Texas…
shall remain forever free.”
DON JOSÉ
ANTONIO NAVARRO BORN IN
SAN ANTONIO, TEJAS 27 FEBRUARY 1795
“I
have sworn to be a Texan. I shall not forswear.”
Note: Mexico
established it’s republic in 1824. The men cited above were born
Tejanos under Spanish rule.
Unitedstatesians,
who moved to Tejas became Mexican citizens. Tejanos became Mexican
citizens as well. Spanish speaking Tejanos or Tejanas
born in Tejas during this period were not Mexican. Currently
many Tejano descendants
born in the
Lone
Star
State
certainly are not Mexican,
Mexican-American, Hispanic, Latino or Chicano. For we
are Tejanos
and/or Tejanas
by the grace of God.
www.TejanoPride.com
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