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Show jVn | fwn awn ) of Velasco Has 3 Claims toaJJ toL tox to"Cradle to L aJJ $ x "Cradle Cradle " of Texas Liberty " Titleof Title TitleKit * ) Kit of Stephen Austin's Austins ' Colonists ColoOlsts Arravedat Arrivedat Arrived Arraved at This Plymouth 'Plymouth ' Rock " in tn 1821 , It Was the theL"H theLH 9 " Concord "Concord " ' Where the First Gun of the Texas Revolution Was Firedin Fired in 1832 , and the theTreaty treaty thetreaty treatyof Treaty reaty reatyof of Peace Signed Here in tn J 1836 836 Ended the Struggle for IndependenceC Independence . . , 0 e C Weatern Western Newspaper Union Unfoa 1 > ; LMO SCOTT WATSONAK WATSON WATSON3AK \3AK 3AK \ AK of 'the the ' the cradle of offexas oftexas of\ of ofTexas \ Texas fexas texas liberty ' and the theage theage the'Page thePage ' immediatelys ImmedIatelyof ImmedIately age person immediately\ immediately \ s of the Alamo , whereJ where whereCrockett whereCrockett r Crockett and his corn com corns coms s m in arms died or thejfield theafield the efield afield of San Jacinto Jacmto Jacintoe Jacmtoe e Sam Houston tn tri tned tried tnbed jfield ed over the Me'Clcan MeClcan Mexican Me'Clcantor Mexicantor Mexicanitor ' tor , Sante Santa Anna Thenr.li Thenlk Then Then's r.li rli lk . e's es 's s ' Washington Washmgton on the theios theOS theitos ios , where the Te Texan Texanlaration Texanlaration an anarahon , ) arahon laration -OS OS - of Independence IndependencetSlgned Independencesigned Independencesigned tSlgned ( signed on a Mal Mai Maich ch dayrears dayears day dayears rears ears agoill ago ill 1 of these places ofI ofIs of landks land1ks land landks I { , Is , se e , are important 1ks ks ! ks in m the history of the : ; Star state stdte and of the thefed theEed theced fed Eed States as well But Butl Buti l ' i re the ' cradle of lIberty libertyc libertye e ! is s finally awarded to any any'of any"i anyi l < lof 'of of ' " of them consider thes the thens ns s of another spot ins m in mEimplete S to some share m in If not notrnplete nott t ( Eimplete rnplete jriplete right nght to that dlSlIon dis4ion dis dlS dislion lIon 4ion { { lion Brazona Brazoria county , ord'e or ore 4 d'e de ' > e specifically , the old oldn 4 4of . : n of Velasco at the mouthte mouth " jL mouththe _ _ _ _ _ . the n Al- Al Al2 2 - - - - - - - Brazos nver river IS that thate that'vas te e avas 'vas vas vas ! ' # at Velasco that the Live Je are LIVeJe Liveare 1 first rst vessel wIth emIgrants , : Stephen "tePhen tePhen " F Austin Austm s colony of ofrlcans ofricans ofncans rlcans ricans arrived arnved on December Decemberc Decembert t c 821 821-exactly 821 exactly - - exactly 201 y ears after afterarrIval afterarrival - arrival of another band of ofts oftUS ofusts tUS ts is on the stern and rock rockd rockid d coast of New England EnglandVelasco EnglandVelasco Englandi J EnglandJ Velasco became the Plym PlymRock PlymRock PlymRock Rock of Texas It was hereune here here.June , .June June . une 26 1832 that the open openI openof openof openun I ; of the Texas re\ re reolutIon revolution revolutionred re\olutionired re olutionired \ olutIon olutIonred red thus baptizing baptIzmg in m blood bloodConcord bloodConcord bloodConcord Concord of Texas And It Itere itere iticre ere on May 14 1836 thatc that c and secret treaties of peace peaceen peaceen peace'en peaceen ' en the Republic of fexas fexasanta . : Jexasanta exas exasanta anta Anna were slgne signed ' thus thusmg thusuig thusing mg uig to a successful close the thes s struggle for liberty libertyt t would seem that Brazona Brazoria Brazonaty Brazoriaty Brazonaty ty and especially Velasco Velascouncommonly Velascouncommonly Velascon uncommonly good claim to toItle toitle toitle Itle of the cradle of Texasy Texas y The arrival arnval of theY they the Y ' , . the Mayflower of Texas Texaselasco Texaselasco Texaselasco elasco in m 1821 marked the themg theing thenmg mg ing of Stephen Austin sto sto s sto to carry out the plan of hIs hIsr hisr r Moses Austin for the col colbon coltion colion bon tion ; of Texas During Durmg the theH 14 year yeara year " between 25 000 andsettlers andsettlers and andsettlers settlers were landed there theree e meantime there had begun begunha begunha begunha ha n of events which would wouldate wouldate wouldmate ate in m the revolutIon revolutionist revolutIont t Mexican rule and the thel1shment thelishment theibshment l1shment lishment of the Republic of ofs ofs ofs s 1832 Velasco was a MexIcan MexIcangarrIsoned Mexicangarrisoned Mexican"garrisoned Mexicangarrisoned ' " garrIsoned by abojt abo.lt abolt about . 250 250In 250in 250in In a circular fort with a ad ad ahd d of earth on which artilwas artll artil artllwas artilwas was mounted in m the center centeras as also an important port portsevelal portseveral port'seveial portseveial port'seveialessels ' sevelal several sevelalessels \essels essels vessels \ plying be ben ben beD n it and t-.ew t.ew t .ew ew hew : - . ew Orleans Among Amonge e vessels was the Sabine Sabme Up Ups Upus s year no duties or customs customsbeen customsbeen customsbeen go\ernt go ernt been demanded by gO\ gO gov gOern \ ern em ernt emt t theyI theyd officials But when they d becomingtable the trade was becoming becomingable table the commander of the theotIf theotified thenotified otIf otIfed otified captamBrown captainBrown ed the Sabme Sabine s captam captain captainf Brown that he must pay payIn payin payun In duties dutIcs WId and pd procure a arance aranee aance rance ranee of his vessel from Col ColDavIs ColDavis Coli Davis Bradburn then com corn comding cornding cornding ding at Anahuac on what IS ISGalveston isGalveston is.Galveston isGalveston . Galveston bayTravis bay , Travis Imprisonedadburn Imprisoned Imprisonedadburn adburn an American Amencan whoentered whoentered who whoentered entered Mexico m in 1816 orhad orhad or orhad had allied himself with Bust Bustte Bustto Bustite te to when the latter as VIce VIcedent vicedent viceaent dent of Mexico m 1829 had haded hadad haded ed ad eda ada a successful revolution burn revolutionburn had been put m in charge chargeahuac chargeahuac chargenahuac ahuac one of several mIllforts mtliforts mill mtli millforts forts Bustte Bustto that were wcre part of Bust Bustite dictatorshipoppression dlctatorshlpoppressIOn te to s scheme of dictatorship dlctatorshlp perped oppression and had perpe perpeid d a series of annoyances and andnltIes andnitres andnities [ nltIes nitres on the colonists colomsts In Ing ing ining g the arrest and Impnson imprison imprisonit t Impnsont imprisont of William Barrett Travis Travislater later was to die a hero sat sat s h sh at the Alamooccurrence Alamo thek is occurrence was really the k & that fired the powder traIl traIlvolutlOn trailvolution trailsvolution volutlOn volution Shortly afterwardseetmg afterwards afterwardseetlng afterwardseeting eetlng eeting was held at Brazona Brazoria Brazonare Brazonae Brazoriae e the unjust confinement of ofncan ofrican ofTican Anahuacthe ncan rican citizens at Anahuac the unfriendly : altitude Ittltude attitude of the thecan thecan thelean can authorities authontles were dls dis dlsed dised dised ed After passing passmg the Turtle Turtleou TurtleCu Turtleou : ou Cu resolutions reciting the thennlcal thennical the.nnical thennical nnlcal nnical . acts of Bustamente and andmmlons andminions andi minions mmlons and their subver subverof subverof subverof , of the Mex can constitution " 24 " and d pledging pledgmg their support supportlanta supportanta anta Anna who was then sup- sup - - - sup-png sup png supmg suping mg ing the 1824 constitution the thepists themsts thefists msts fists made their plans to tothrow throw Fort Velascotree Velasco Velascoiree iree tree ee companies compames were organ Brazoriai Brazoriaat , and the schooner Brazoria at Brazona Brazoria after bringing brmgmg a ? o ao ( tr"m trm firm r"m rm " New Orleans wasro was " . ro . , " ' . - - : " ) . , ' $ ' " . 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Bronze tablet on the monument located near the coast guard guardstatIon guardstation guardstation statIon at Velasco Texas " which "wch wch tells of the fame of that town as the theCradle theCradle theCradle Cradle of Texas Liberty pressed into mto service by order of ofJohn ofJohn ofJohn John Austin Austm master of the mIll mIlltary milltary milltary tary forces at this place appar apparently apparently apparently ently a thoroughly unofficial title titleOne titleOne titleOne One company of marines marmes under underWIlham underWilliam underWilliam WIlham William J Russell sailed salled down downthe downthe downthe the river on the schooner and the theother theother theother other tv two . . o 0 companIes-led companIes led companies - led by Aus Austm Austin Austin tm tin and Henry S Brown-marched Brown marched Brownmarchedto Brown - marchedto to Velasco Thev They converged on onthe onthe onthe the fort intending mtendmg to attack at atdaybreak atdaybreak atdaybreak daybreak But an accidental shot shotby shotby shotby by one of the men about mldmght midnight mldmghtdIsclosed midnightdisclosed midnightdisclosed dIsclosed their presence and the thebattle thebattle thebattle battle was onAll onAll on onAll All through the night the fighting fight fightIng fighting Ing \ went \ ent on and the next morn mornmgJune morningJune morning mg-June mg June ing-June ing - June 26 1832-the 1832 the 1832 - - the fort sur sun surrendered sunrendered surrendered rendered with more than tv.o tvo two tv.othIrds twothirds twothirds . thIrds of its defenders lying lymg deadr dead deadH dead1 r -r- r - rt - - ' -1 1 - v- v - " , vr \ t . H 1 1STEPHEN 11 : 4 4x x I Ix Ix x x * 4 w wri + ri ag S I < . Ll ' y I 4 4a a 3ij 3iji 3ija i a 1 F , V Vzk zk zkqJ qJ qJP qJQ qJF P Q F _ s STEPHEN F AUSTIN AUSTINor or wounded One of the terms of ofsurrender ofsurrender surrender was release of Brad Bradburn Bradburn burn s prisoners at AnahuacNot Anahuac AnahuacNot Not long after this historic bat battle battie tle Santa Anna succeeded Busta Bustarnente Bustamente rnente as the ruler of Mexico The Thecoming Thecoming coming into prominence of Santa SantaAnna SantaAnna Anna a liberal led the Texans Texansto Texansto to ask for reforms such as the theright theright right to use the English language languagein in public places privilege of or organizing orgamzing ganizing their own militia sepa separation separation ration of Texas from the state of ofCoahuila ofCoahuila Coahuila and other changesEventually changes changesEventually Eventually Stephen F Austin Austinwent Austinwent went to Mexico City to lay a new newconstitution newconstitution constitution tor for the proposed Mex Mexlean Mexlean lean state of Texas headed by bySam bySam Sam Houston before the Mexican Mexicangovernment Mexicangovernment government Apparently success successful successful ful he started back But a letter letterhe letterhe he had written back home advis advising advising ing his Texas friends to go ahead aheadwith aheadwith with their separate statehood or organizatioi organization ganizatioi } plans without waiting waitingfor waitingfor for authorization fell into the thehands thehands hands of Mexican officials He Hewas Hewas was arrested and kept in prison prisonfor prisonfor for 15 monthsBy months monthsBy By the time of his release and andreturn andreturn return to Texas m in 1835 Austin Austincame Austincame came back convinced thatwarwas thatwarwasTexas that war wasTexas Texas only course Several to tocal local cal a assemblies 'semblies semblies ' were held and de dedared dedared dared Texas a free and sovereign sovereignstate sovereignstate state notably one at Goliad on De Decamber December camber 20 1835 Then followed followedthe followedthe the battles of the Alamo Golrad Golradand Goliadand and others leading up to the final I ' I triumph at San Jacmto Jacinto on Aprll April April21 21 1836The 1836The 1836 1836The The |
