Reference Entry
BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO
In the Texas Revolution, a short, violent clash on the Gulf Coast plains decided the fate of a breakaway republic and, eventually, much of the American Southwest. On April 21st, 1836, General Sam Houston’s Texian army surprised the larger Mexican force of General Antonio López de Santa Anna near the San Jacinto River. Many of the Texian fighters were recent immigrants from the United States, bringing frontier militia habits and a fierce sense of local autonomy.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
Battle of San Jacinto
In the Texas Revolution, a short, violent clash on the Gulf Coast plains decided the fate of a breakaway republic and, eventually, much of the American Southwest. On April 21st, 1836, General Sam Houston’s Texian army surprised the larger Mexican force of General Antonio López de Santa Anna near the San Jacinto River. Many of the Texian fighters were recent immigrants from the United States, bringing frontier militia habits and a fierce sense of local autonomy. Their attack, launched during the Mexican camp’s afternoon rest, routed the enemy in minutes and captured Santa Anna himself. The victory secured Texan independence, opened the door to eventual annexation by the United States, and set in motion tensions that would lead to the Mexican–American War. San Jacinto thus stands as a turning point where local rebellion, American migration, and continental ambitions collided.
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