The boundaries established led directly to a war with Mexico. On December 29, 1845, Texas became part of the United States. In response to the increasing number of attacks by Quinones’s and Leal’s men, Hays was given broad legal powers to track down the thieves and execute them without trial, which he did. These bandits operated under the protection of Mexican Captain Ignacio Garcia, who received a percentage of the profits. Agaton Quinones and Manuel Leal led groups of thieves who crossed the Rio Grande into Texas to rob travelers and rustle cattle, then fled back to Mexico to sell their stolen goods. Hays and the Texas Rangers also played a crucial role in securing the Texas-Mexico border during the 1840s. He rose up the ranks quickly and was soon leading Ranger companies on frontier patrols and in battles against American Indians. Fighting in some of the period’s most significant battles between Texans and American Indians, Hays quickly proved himself to be a strong leader, smart decision-maker, and fearless and brutal fighter. It was during this time that John “Jack” Coffee Hays became the most famous Texas Ranger of the era. To protect the new Texans, Ranger companies patrolled the frontier as well as the border with Mexico. This increased settlement led to conflicts with American Indians who already occupied the territory and a renewed desire to send the Texas Rangers out on patrol. Though this force was reorganized after Texas won its independence from Mexico, it continued to function in much the same way: groups of volunteers were organized as they were needed to patrol and protect the frontier, then disbanded when their specific missions were done.Īfter the 1836 Texas Revolution, a wave of new settlers headed to Texas enticed by acres of land offered for little money. Some were also motivated by the desire to take revenge on American Indians for past raids.ĭuring the Texas Revolution in 1836, the provisional government authorized the first official, government-sanctioned Ranger force to patrol the Texas frontier and protect settlers from raids by American Indians. Austin tasked the Rangers with patrolling the roads and wilderness around the colony for “errant thieves united with Indians.” Many of the men who volunteered as Rangers lived in Austin’s colony and hoped their service would help protect their own families from attacks by American Indians. Austin created his own force of “rangers” to protect the men and women living in his colony. Unsatisfied with the protection the Mexican government provided, Stephen F. Austin announced he would supplement the Mexican government’s militia patrols with his own force of ten men, whom he paid out of his own pocket.
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