# 2204 - 1986 22c Republic of Texas

U.S. #2204
1986 22¢ Republic of Texas

• Commemorates the 150^th anniversary of Texas’ independence from Mexico
• First stamp in three years with two first-day ceremonies

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Value:  22¢, first-class rate
First Day of Issue:  March 2, 1986
First Day City:  San Antonio, Texas; Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas
Quantity Issued:  136,500,000
Printed by:  American Bank Note Company
Printing Method:  Photogravure
Format:  Panes of 50 in sheets of 200
Perforations:  11

Why the stamp was issued:  To commemorate Texas’ 150^th anniversary of independence from Mexico.  A Texas sesquicentennial commission began lobbying the USPS for a stamp honoring this anniversary in 1981, and managed to get an official announcement of a stamp that same year.  That made this the oldest officially promised stamp issued in 1986.  

About the stamp design:  The Texas Sesquicentennial Commission put out a call to Texas artists, asking them to submit proposals for the new stamp.  After receiving few entries, the USPS joined in the call, but they still didn’t get an overwhelming response.  Eventually, the USPS acquired a list of Texas artists and asked them directly to submit designs.  While designs were submitted that pictured the state seal, six former flags, the Alamo, and a painting of Santa Anna’s surrender to Sam Houston, it was Don Adair’s simple yet graphic design that was selected.  The twin brother of another stamp designer, Ron Adair, this was Don’s first stamp design.  It pictures a silver boot spur on the Texas state flag.  The stamp also references San Jacinto, the final, decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. 

First Day City:  This was the first stamp since the Balloons block of 1983 to have two official first-day cities.  San Antonio was originally announced as the first-day city, as it’s home to the Alamo, one of the most recognizable symbols of the Texas Revolution.  However, a week before the stamp’s issue date, the Texas governor announced a second first-day city, Washington-on the-Brazos.  It was there that the Texans signed their declaration of freedom from Mexico four days before the fall of the Alamo.

Unusual fact about this stamp:  Errors have been found imperforate, missing the red, and missing some or all of the blue in the flag.

History the stamp represents:  On April 21, 1836, Texan soldiers led a swift attack on an unsuspecting Mexican force at the Battle of San Jacinto.

The Texans and Mexicans had been at odds since the early 1830s.  Up to that time, Mexico had allowed Americans to form a colony in Texas, but it quickly grew to nearly 30,000 people.

Mexican leaders grew concerned about the high number of Americans living in their territory and in 1830, halted their immigration.  Relations between the settlers and the government quickly deteriorated.  In 1834, a Mexican politician and soldier, General Antonio López de Santa Anna, took over the Mexican government and established himself as a dictator.  A year later, Texas declared its independence from Mexico.

After a few clashes between Texans and Mexican soldiers, Texas leaders organized a temporary government on November 3, 1835.  Texas troops under Colonel Benjamin Milam captured San Antonio on December 11, 1835.  Enraged, Santa Anna sent a large army to San Antonio to put down the uprising.

Texan forces withdrew to the walls of the Alamo.  From February 23 to March 6, 1836, Santa Anna’s forces attacked the fort until it finally fell.  Many famous men died while defending the Alamo, including Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, and William B. Travis.

On March 27th, Santa Anna ordered 330 Texan rebels executed after they surrendered at Goliad.  Rather than crush the independence movement, these actions galvanized Texan resolve.  Word of Santa Anna’s cruel, merciless treatment of the Texans quickly spread, and the ranks of the Texas Army swelled.  As the Mexican Army continued its march into Texas, General Sam Houston was training about 900 men to stop them.

The two forces met on April 20 along the San Jacinto River near present-day Houston.  On that day, Santa Anna tried unsuccessfully to penetrate the enemy position.  He decided to rest his weary men the next day.

But there was no rest for the Texans.  Houston ordered an attack instead.  The cavalry quietly surrounded the Mexican flanks while ground troops crept within 200 yards of the Mexicans before being detected.  The artillery opened fire while the infantry attacked the unprepared enemy with a rallying cry of “Remember the Alamo, remember Goliad!”  In less than 20 minutes, the Mexican Army surrendered.  Santa Anna tried to escape wearing a private’s uniform but was captured the next day.

Santa Anna signed a peace treaty three weeks later, promising that the Mexican Army would leave Texas.  And the Republic of Texas was an independent sovereign country for nearly a decade before it joined America as the 28th state in 1845.

Click here for more Texas history.