Texas–Indian Wars - Early Texas Settlement: Mexican Texas 1821–1836

Early Texas Settlement: Mexican Texas 1821–1836

In the 1820s, seeking additional settlers as a means of stabilizing the area, Mexico reached an agreement with Stephen F. Austin reauthorizing his Spanish land grants. That allowed several hundred American families to move into the region. As Austin used his network and government sponsors to spread the word of rich lands in Texas, thousands of additional settlers from the United States flooded into Texas, many of whom were not interested in being ruled by the government of Mexico. In 1829, when Mexico abolished slavery throughout Mexico, the immigrants from the U.S. were exempted in some colonies or actively evaded governmental efforts to enforce the national abolition of slavery in the territory. Theoretically, many slaves in Mexico at this time were indentured servants. This was coupled with complaints about the tightening political and economic control over the territory by the central government in Mexico City, leading to the Texas Revolution .

In 1821, while settlers were still welcome, Jose Francisco Ruiz negotiated a truce with the Penatucka Comanche, the band closest to the settlements in East and Central Texas. Following that truce, he was able to finalize a treaty of peace and friendship, which was signed in Mexico City in December 1821. Within twelve months the Mexican Government failed to pay the presents promised the Pentucka, who resumed raiding at once. For the same reason, failure to pay promised tributes, the peace treaties signed for New Mexico broke down, and by 1823 war raged the entire length of the Rio Grande. Most of the remaining Mexican settlements were destroyed with only those in the upper Rio Grande secured. Thousands of Mexican refugees who managed to survive the genocide fled to this area. However, the remainder of the area was ethnically cleansed of Europeans and Mexicans, leaving only the Texans as the sole whites left in the area. In 1824, the Tonkawa entered into a treaty with Stephen F. Austin (the Father of Republic of Texas), pledging their support against the Comanche Tribe.

Additional treaties were signed in 1826 and 1834, but in each case the Mexican government failed to meet the terms of the agreement. Although such events would've proved catastrophic in early years as the Comanche raided towards Mexico City, the presence of Americans obstructed such attacks thereby encouraging the Mexicans to become dilatory in payments. Furthermore, because Comanche raiding was based on booty and enslavement, the American communities' closer proximity proved more fruitful to Comanche raiding. Although Texan resistance was much stronger than previous Mexican settlers, the sheer rapidity of advance and large numbers of the attackers overwhelmed many of these early Texan settlement. For in 1826, Comanches had raided and burned Green DeWitt's new town of Gonzales to the ground. Indeed, being used to the more subjugated tribes in the eastern United States, Texan settlers were unprepared for the military power of the Comanche and Kiowa. The raids on the settlers were so severe that echoes of the cries were heard in Washington, which attempted to interfere to protect American settlers in Texas. Clearly, seeing an opportunity given the isolation of the Texans from Mexico, the US ratcheted up its diplomatic campaigns for expanding America by sending a noted American fighter to negotiated on behalf of the Texans with the Comanche Americans. Thus, Sam Houston was sent to Texas in 1833 as a United States diplomatic representative to arrange a treaty with the Pentucka Comanche. Clearly perceiving an attempt at expanding power by America at Mexico's expense, Mexican officials objected to an American diplomat in their country talking to their subject Indians about a treaty. Houston was declared persona non grata and asked to leave the country.

During the entire period of 1821 to 1835, settlers had difficulty with Comanche raids, despite the formation of full-time militia ranger companies in 1823. Tonkawa and Delaware Indians, deadly enemies of the Comanche, had declared themselves friends of the settlers, attempting to gain allies against their traditional enemies. The Comanche truly detested the Tonkawa in particular, for being cannibals, which the Comanche regarded with horror. Stephen F. Austin had recognized the need as early as 1823 to have specific forces ready to fight the Plains tribes, especially the Comanche, who made no distinction between Hispanic and American victims in their raids. Austin created the first militia Rangers by hiring 10 men who were paid to fight Indians and protect the frontier settlements. Soon the settlers were organizing other Ranger companies. After the Republic was created, this trend continued – without resources for a standing army, Texas created small ranger companies mounted on fast horses to pursue and fight Comanches on their own terms.