The Convention of 1832 was the first political gathering of colonists in Mexican Texas.
On August 22, the ayuntiamento (city council) at San Felipe de Austin (the capital of Austin's colony) called for each district to elect five delegates.Gammel (1898), pp. 477–8. Sixteen communities chose delegates. The two municipalities with the largest Tejano population, San Antonio de Béxar and Victoria, refused to participate. The majority of the elected delegates were known as relatively even-tempered. Many known agitators, such as James Bowie and William B. Travis, were defeated.Davis (2006), p. 92. Tejanos did not have a large presence at the convention, largely due to the boycott by the Béxar and Victoria municipalities. Convention organizers invited several prominent Tejanos from these towns to attend, but all declined.Davis (2006), p. 91.
On October 1, 1832, 55 delegates met in San Felipe de Austin; attendance may have been diminished due to the short notice.Gammel (1989), p. 478. Over the next six days, the delegates adopted a series of resolutions requesting changes in the governance of Texas. Historian Eugene Campbell Barker suggests that the discussions would likely not have concluded so swiftly unless the delegates had done "considerable preparation before the meeting".Barker (1985), p. 349.
After approving the list of resolutions, delegates created a 7-member central committee to convene future meetings.Barker (1985), p. 351.The central committee was composed of Johnson, James B. Miller, Stephen F. Austin, Lewis Veeder, Robert Peebles, Wylie Martin, and William Pettis. (Gammel (1898), p. 496.) The central committee would be based in San Felipe "for the purpose of circulating information of events of importance to the interest of the people".quoted in Gammel (1898), p. 494.
The convention adjourned on October 6 after unanimously electing William H. Wharton to deliver the resolutions to the state legislature in Saltillo and to the Mexican Congress in Mexico City.Davis (2006), p. 93.Gammel (1898), p. 500. Just before the group dispersed, Rafael Manchola, the alcalde (mayor) of Goliad, arrived. He was the only delegate from Goliad and the only Tejano to appear at the convention. Manchola volunteered to accompany Wharton at his own expense—he and other delegates thought the expedition might have more success if a Tejano was also involved.Huson (1974), p. 64. Days later, Austin wrote that "we have just had a convention of all Texas, native Mexicans and foreign settlers – all united as one man".
Committees Appeal of immigration ban (Immigration) Reduction of tariffs (Tariffs) Land business east of San Jacinto (Land business) Indian affairs (Native land claims) Regulate Customs affairs while no inspector (Customs) Schools Independent statehood (Statehood) Organize militia (Militia) English as a second language (English) Central Committee proposal Appoint a surveyor-general for Texas
Delegates NameDistrictCommitteesNotesVictoriaCustoms (chair)Gammel (1898), p. 492.Militia (chair)Gammel (1898), p. 497.Native landsStatehoodTariffsGammel (1898), p. 482.Presided over convention prior to election of presidentSan Felipe de AustinGammel (1898), p. 479.FinanceSurveyor-GeneralElected President of the conventionSupervised translation of documentsGammel (1898), p. 491.Took a short leave of absence due to indispositionNamed to Central CommitteeGammel (1898), p. 496.Snow RiverEnglish TenahawNative landsStatehood GonzalesGammel (1898), p. 480.StatehoodAlfredSchoolsAlfredIndian affairsStatehoodTenahawStatehood HidalgoCustomsIndian affairsMilitiaStatehoodMill CreekStatehoodMinaStatehoodSan JacintoStatehoodhttps://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/dodson-archelaus-bynumMill CreekStatehood TenahawLand business TenahawLand business Ayish BayouLand business ViescaViesca was bounded by the Brazos River and the San Jacinto and Trinity Rivers, and the Atascocita and Old San Antonio Roads.EnglishFinanceGammel (1898), p. 500.MilitiaStatehoodTariffs (chair)Gammel (1898), p. 486.Viesca LibertyFinance Ayish BayouLand businessMilitiaNative landsStatehood TenahawFinanceImmigrationLand businessGammel (1898), p. 483.Native landsSurveyor-General NacogdochesEricson (2005), p. 89.SchoolsAlfredIndian affairs (chair)StatehoodNacogdochesStatehood Benjamin Holt SabineFinance (chair)Gammel (1898), p. 502.Land businessStatehood SabineStatehood MinaEnglishCentral (proposed) (chair)Gammel (1898), p. 494.Snow RiverLand businessStatehoodLibertyImmigrationLand business San Felipe de AustinMilitiaElected SecretaryNamed to Central CommitteeRecommended as Surveyor-GeneralGammel (1898), p. 498.LinnvilleCentral (proposed)EnglishFinanceAlfred San Felipe de AustinImmigrationSchools (chair)StatehoodSurveyor-GeneralServed as temporary chairman while Stephen Austin was indisposedGammel (1898), p. 493.Snow RiverEricson (2005), p. 91. LavacaCentral (proposed)MilitiaTariffsSnow RiverIndian affairsStatehood Goliad Manchola arrived after the convention adjourned. The only Tejano to participate in any way, he volunteered to accompany Wharton to deliver the petitions to Mexico City.Huson (1974), p. 64.San Felipe de AustinCustomsNative landsStatehoodGammel (1898), p. 484.Named to Central Committee Ayish Bayou Ayish BayouCustomsLand businessMilitiaGammel (1898), p. 485.Native landsSchoolsStatehood Lavaca VictoriaCentral (proposed)TariffsLavacaSchoolsStatehoodVictoriaStatehoodGranted a leave of absence for "extreme indisposition"LibertyFinanceLand businessStatehoodTariffs Sabine San JacintoStatehoodViescaStatehoodVictoriaTariffs (chair)GonzalesIndian affairsStatehoodAyish BayouEricson (2005), p. 90.Land businessNative lands LavacaCustomsImmigrationMilitiaStatehoodNacogdochesEricson (2005), p. 88.EnglishFinanceLand businessNative lands (chair)StatehoodTariffsNominated for secretary of the convention (defeated)Gammel (1898), p. 481.HidalgoStatehoodLibertyStatehoodVictoriaImmigration (chair)StatehoodNominated for president of the convention (defeated)Davis (2006), p. 91.Wrote petition requesting independent statehoodElected to deliver the petition to Mexico CityDavis (2006), p. 93.San JacintoCentral (proposed)Alfred
Notes
References
Sources originally published 1926 by Lamar & Barton originally published 2004 by New York: Free Press
. digital images courtesy of Denton, TX: University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History.