ABSTRACT

The constitution of 1845 was the work of a group of able men. Thomas Jefferson Rusk, president of the convention, and many of the other delegates were men of experience, but Jos Antonio Navarro, a member of the convention of 1836, was the only native Texan. War between the United States and Mexico began shortly after the annexation of Texas. The primary causes were the annexation of Texas, the desire of the United States to acquire part or all of California, the failure of the Mexican government to settle claims by citizens of the United States, the instability of the Mexican government, and the location of the southwestern boundary. Tejanos called for justice and protection of their rights, while powerful interests in the region launched a movement to make the area a territory separate from Texas. Tejanos were another ethnic minority generally considered critical of slavery. Slavery was not unknown in areas of Texas where most Tejanos lived.