Exploring American Histories: Printed Page 325
Interpret the Evidence
How does Mary Austin Holley (Document 10.6) describe Texas as a unique place for settlers? What accounts for its distinctiveness?
How does Gregorio Gomez’s description of Americans in Texas (Document 10.7) compare to Holley’s? How do you explain the differences? On what grounds does Gomez attempt to gain support for the fight against “Texian colonists” from the United States?
According to William Travis (Document 10.8), why was defending the Alamo important? Why do you think the defeat of Americans there gained so much attention in the United States?
Compare the discussions of Texas found in Benjamin Lundy’s The War in Texas (Document 10.9) and the article from the Charleston Mercury (Document 10.10). How is slavery described, and how do the attitudes expressed in the documents affect each author’s view about the fighting in Texas? What do the two documents reveal about the differences between the North and the South in the 1830s?
What does the Treaty of Tehuacana Creek (Document 10.11) suggest about what Indians hoped to gain from negotiating peace with the Republic of Texas? What do the specific articles in the treaty suggest about the issues that mattered most to white Texans?
Put It in Context
What do the various documents presented here suggest about the ongoing debates over statehood for Texas in the United States?
How would the United States benefit from adding Texas to the Union, and what problems might admitting Texas create?