The thumbnail history of the Texas revolution, inscribed on the exterior
of the monument's base in eight panels, is as follows:
THE EARLY POLICIES OF MEXICO TOWARD HER TEXAS COLONISTS HAD BEEN
EXTREMELY LIBERAL. LARGE GRANTS OF LAND WERE MADE TO THEM, AND NO
TAXES OR DUTIES IMPOSED. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ANGLO-AMERICANS
AND MEXICANS WAS CORDIAL. BUT, FOLLOWING A SERIES OF REVOLUTIONS BEGUN
IN 1829, UNSCRUPULOUS RULERS SUCCESSIVELY SEIZED POWER IN MEXICO.
THEIR UNJUST ACTS AND DESPOTIC DECREES LED TO THE REVOLUTION IN TEXAS.
IN JUNE, 1832, THE COLONISTS FORCED THE MEXICAN AUTHORITIES AT ANAHUAC
TO RELEASE WM. B. TRAVIS AND OTHERS FROM UNJUST IMPRISONMENT. THE
BATTLE OF VELASCO, JUNE 26, AND THE BATTLE OF NACOGDOCHES, AUGUST 2,
FOLLOWED: IN BOTH THE TEXANS WERE VICTORIOUS. STEPHEN FULLER AUSTIN,
"FATHER OF TEXAS", WAS ARRESTED JANUARY 3, 1834, AND HELD IN MEXICO
WITHOUT TRIAL UNTIL JULY, 1835. THE TEXANS FORMED AN ARMY, AND ON
NOVEMBER 12, 1835, ESTABLISHED A PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT.
THE FIRST SHOT OF THE REVOLUTION OF 1835-1836 WAS FIRED BY THE TEXANS
AT GONZALES, OCTOBER 2, 1835, IN RESISTANCE TO A DEMAND BY MEXICAN
SOLDIERS FOR A SMALL CANNON HELD BY THE COLONISTS. THE MEXICAN
GARRISON AT GOLIAD FELL OCTOBER 9, THE BATTLE OF CONCEPCION WAS WON BY
THE TEXANS, OCTOBER 28. SAN ANTONIO WAS CAPTURED DECEMBER 10, 1835
AFTER FIVE DAYS OF FIGHTING IN WHICH THE INDOMITABLE BENJAMIN R. MILAM
DIED A HERO, AND THE MEXICAN ARMY EVACUATED TEXAS.
TEXAS DECLARED HER INDEPENDENCE AT WASHINGTON-ON-THE-BRAZOS, MARCH 2.
FOR NEARLY TWO MONTHS HER ARMIES MET DISASTER AND DEFEAT; DR. JAMES
GRANT'S MEN WERE KILLED ON THE AGUA DULCE, MARCH 2, WILLIAM BARRET
TRAVIS AND HIS MEN SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES AT THE ALAMO, MARCH 6,
WILLIAM WARD WAS DEFEATED AT REFUGIO, MARCH 14, AMON B. KING'S MEN
WERE EXECUTED NEAR REFUGIO, MARCH 16, AND JAMES WALKER FANNIN AND HIS
ARMY WERE PUT TO DEATH NEAR GOLIAD, MARCH 27, 1836.
ON THIS FIELD ON APRIL 21, 1836 THE ARMY OF TEXAS COMMANDED BY GENERAL
SAM HOUSTON, AND ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY OF WAR, THOMAS J. RUSK,
ATTACKED THE SUPERIOR INVADING ARMY OF MEXICANS UNDER GENERAL SANTA
ANNA. THE BATTLE LINE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WAS FORMED BY SIDNEY
SHERMAN'S REGIMENT, EDWARD BURLESON'S REGIMENT, THE ARTILLERY
COMMANDED BY GEORGE W. HOCKLEY, HENRY MILLARD'S INFANTRY AND THE
CAVALRY UNDER MIRABEAU B. LAMAR. SAM HOUSTON LED THE INFANTRY CHARGE.
WITH THE BATTLE CRY, "REMEMBER THE ALAMO! REMEMBER GOLIAD!" THE TEXANS
CHARGED. THE ENEMY, TAKEN BY SURPRISE, RALLIED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN
FLED IN DISORDER. THE TEXANS HAD ASKED NO QUARTER AND GAVE NONE. THE
SLAUGHTER WAS APPALLING, VICTORY COMPLETE, AND TEXAS FREE! ON THE
FOLLOWING DAY GENERAL ANTONIO LOPEZ DE SANTA ANNA, SELF-STYLED
"NAPOLEON OF THE WEST," RECEIVED FROM A GENEROUS FOE THE MERCY HE HAD
DENIED TRAVIS AT THE ALAMO AND FANNIN AT GOLIAD.
CITIZENS OF TEXAS AND IMMIGRANT SOLDIERS IN THE ARMY OF TEXAS AT SAN
JACINTO WERE NATIVES OF ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, CONNECTICUT, GEORGIA,
ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MAINE, MARYLAND,
MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW
YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH
CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, AUSTRIA, CANADA,
ENGLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, IRELAND, ITALY, MEXICO, POLAND, PORTUGAL AND
SCOTLAND.
MEASURED BY ITS RESULTS, SAN JACINTO WAS ONE OF THE DECISIVE BATTLES
OF THE WORLD. THE FREEDOM OF TEXAS FROM MEXICO WON HERE LED TO
ANNEXATION AND TO THE MEXICAN WAR, RESULTING IN THE ACQUISITION BY THE
UNITED STATES OF THE STATES OF TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, NEVADA,
CALIFORNIA, UTAH, AND PARTS OF COLORADO, WYOMING, KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA.
ALMOST ONE-THIRD OF THE PRESENT AREA OF THE AMERICAN NATION, NEARLY A
MILLION SQUARE MILES OF TERRITORY, CHANGED SOVEREIGNTY.