But in , Zavala's allegiance would shift north. Zavala resigned in protest and headed to Texas. Zavala's new loyalty to Texas was complete. He signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, helped write the Texas constitution, and served as the Republic's first vice president. In October of , ill health forced him to step away from public life. A month later, on a near freezing day in November, Zavala's rowboat, with him in it, overturned in Buffalo Bayou. Zavala developed pneumonia from which he never recovered.
The hero who helped secure Texas independence was laid to rest in a family cemetery near the San Jacinto Battleground. Visitors to the Portal to Texas History can read Lorenzo de Zavala's correspondence, including letters to Santa Anna and Zavala's resignation from public office in Texas.
Asked to speak at meeting planned for August 8, at Lynch's tavern, Zavala was forced to decline because of ill health. However, he wrote a summary of the political situation to be read at the Lynchburg meeting. In late September he joined Stephen F. A pragmatic politician throughout his career, Lorenzo de Zavala tailored his proposals to allow the fullest extension of democratic practices within the existing or proposed political systems.
This ability to adapt to circumstances is perhaps best reflected in the three stages of his participation in the Texas Revolution. In the first stage, Zavala hoped to involve all of the people of Mexico, including Texans, in a revolt against Santa Anna's centralist government. At this time, Zavala favored separate statehood for Texas within a democratic Mexican federation.
Zavala went to San Felipe on October 15 as one of the five delegates from Harrisburg to the Consultation, a meeting of representatives from around Texas that conferred on the state of affairs with Mexico and evolved into Texas' earliest provisional government.
Zavala succeeded Stephen F. Austin as the chairman of the central committee of the public safety. As a member of the Permanent Council which served as interim government while waiting for a quorum of the Consultation to arrive , he served on the finance committee and wrote an important article urging the Mexican population of Texas to support the revolution for the October 31 Telegraph and Texas Register. When the Consultation finally convened on November 3, Zavala was named to represent Harrisburg on the "committee of 12" one delegate from each municipality in order to write a declaration "setting forth to the world the causes that impelled us to take up arms, and the objects for which we fight.
The Consultation then appointed him to translate the Declaration into Spanish. Declaration del Pueblo de Tejas, November The second stage of Zavala's involvement in the revolution began with the defeat of his ally, Jose Antonio Mexia, in his insurrection against Santa Anna in Tampico Expedition. In addition, the balance of power at the Consultation had begun to swing towards those who favored separation from Mexico. Zavala realized that a national Mexican revolt against Santa Anna was not in the cards, and when the Convention met at Washington-on-the-Brazos in March , Lorenzo de Zavala was forced to reassess his own beliefs.
He was an outspoken writer and editor as well as a diplomat, businessman, physician, and statesman. With all these accomplishments in his short life, he became revered as one of the architects of Texas independence. He was born in in the Yucatan in southern Mexico when it was still under Spanish rule. From a young age, it was clear he had a brilliant mind, voraciously reading any book he could find.
His family arranged for the best education possible, and he eventually learned to speak four languages. He started several newspapers as a young man, writing against the Spanish monarchy and its oppressive rule over the region.
Because of these stands, he was arrested in Unswayed, he continued his writings and also began studying medicine. By the time he was released in , he had become a practicing physician. He briefly served as governor of the State of Mexico, the largest state in Mexico and briefly served as the secretary of the treasury.
His advice and counsel earned him the respect of his fellow delegates, who elected him ad interim vice president of the new republic. In the weeks after adjournment of the convention, Zavala rejoined his family at their home at Zavala Point on Buffalo Bayou, from where they fled to Galveston Island as Santa Anna's army pursued Zavala and other cabinet members across Texas.
In accordance with the provisions of the Treaties of Velasco , Zavala was appointed, on May 27, , one of the peace commissioners to accompany Santa Anna to Mexico City, where the general was to attempt to persuade the Mexican authorities to recognize the independence of Texas.
The frustration of this plan by certain Texas military units brought an end to the peace commission. Shortly thereafter, Zavala returned to his home in poor health and relinquished his part in the affairs of state.
He resigned the vice presidency on October 17, Less than a month later, soaked and half-frozen by a norther after his rowboat overturned in Buffalo Bayou, he developed pneumonia, to which he succumbed on November 15, He was buried at his home in a small cemetery plot marked by the state of Texas in
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