S.R. No. 345 1-1 SENATE RESOLUTION 1-2 WHEREAS, "Texas, our Texas! All hail the mighty State! 1-3 Texas, our Texas! So wonderful, so great!" are the words in our 1-4 state song that express so eloquently the immense pride Texans 1-5 have for their native land; and 1-6 WHEREAS, On a clear, cold morning, March 2, 1836, a 1-7 convention of 59 delegates from communities throughout Texas 1-8 met at Washington-on-the-Brazos to adopt a Declaration of 1-9 Independence from Mexico; the document contained a statement 1-10 of the nature of government, a list of grievances against the 1-11 government of Mexico, and a final declaration of independence 1-12 that was approved by unanimous vote; and 1-13 WHEREAS, These bold visionaries stated that the people of 1-14 Texas now constituted a free, sovereign, and independent republic 1-15 and that political connection with the Mexican nation was ended 1-16 forever; Tennessean George Childress authored the historic document 1-17 that bore similarity to the Declaration of the United States, and 1-18 the signing of the document began the following day; and 1-19 WHEREAS, The convention also drafted a constitution for 1-20 the new republic, organized an ad interim government, and named 1-21 Sam Houston as commander-in-chief of the military forces of Texas; 1-22 and 1-23 WHEREAS, The Texans were prompted to such daring action when 2-1 it was learned that Santa Anna, the Mexican president, was marching 2-2 toward Texas with a large army; in early February, 1836, his army 2-3 crossed the Rio Grande and by February 23 was in San Antonio where 2-4 the Texans remaining in that city had moved to the old Alamo 2-5 mission for safety; and 2-6 WHEREAS, Texas was a territory of Mexico in the early 19th 2-7 century when Stephen F. Austin brought some 300 families to settle 2-8 the land that had been granted to him by the Mexican government 2-9 in 1823; by the fall of 1835 conflicts between the colonists and 2-10 Mexico had boiled over into a revolution when settlers rebelled 2-11 against Mexican restrictions; and 2-12 WHEREAS, Every March 2nd, Texans across the Lone Star State 2-13 and around the world gather to commemorate this glorious day and 2-14 to pay homage to the men who defiantly proclaimed their freedom 2-15 and charted a course that eventually led to statehood; now, 2-16 therefore, be it 2-17 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 2-18 74th Legislature, hereby celebrate March 2, 1995, as Texas 2-19 Independence Day and join Texans everywhere in the joyous 2-20 observance of this momentous date in the history of our state. 2-21 Truan 2-22 Armbrister Henderson Ratliff 2-23 Barrientos Leedom Rosson 2-24 Bivins Lucio Shapiro 2-25 Brown Luna Sibley 3-1 Cain Madla Sims 3-2 Ellis Moncrief Turner 3-3 Gallegos Montford Wentworth 3-4 Galloway Nelson West 3-5 Harris Nixon Whitmire 3-6 Haywood Patterson Zaffirini 3-7 Bullock, President of the Senate 3-8 ______________________________________ 3-9 President of the Senate 3-10 I hereby certify that the above 3-11 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 3-12 on March 2, 1995. 3-13 ______________________________________ 3-14 Secretary of the Senate 3-15 ______________________________________ 3-16 Member, Texas Senate