Stephen Fuller Austin was a reluctant revolutionary. He frequently traveled to Mexico City to argue for the rights of the American colonists in Texas. He believed that an Anglo-American state could succeed within the boundaries of the Mexican nation.

Mexican authorities were alarmed by the growing numbers of former Americans migrating to Texas. They were also concerned that the U.S. might try to annex the region. The Mexican government began to limit immigration in 1830. This policy angered many Anglo-American colonists who already had a long list of grievances against the Mexican government. In 1833, a group of Texas leaders met to draft a constitution that would create a new Anglo-dominated Mexican state of Texas. They wanted to bring American-style reforms.

Austin traveled to Mexico City to present the new constitution to the government along with a list of other demands. President Santa Ana refused to grant Texas separate status from Coahuila and threw Austin in prison on suspicion of arousing a rebellion. Austin spent eight months in prison.

Source: Stephen Austin imprisoned by Mexicans
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