Famous Lavaca-Navidad Meeting of 1835
Edna, Jackson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
At the cotton gin of William Millican, near here, on July 17, 1835, occurred the significant Lavaca-Navidad Meeting, held by pioneers living near the two rivers. James Kerr, the founder of Gonzales, was chairman and the Rev. S. C. A. Rogers, secretary. The meeting adopted resolutions protesting mistreatment of Texas colonists by the government of Mexico. This early formal public protest was a forerunner of the Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836, and the constituting of the Republic of Texas.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On July 17, 1835, months before open revolution, settlers from the Lavaca and Navidad river country gathered at William Millican's cotton gin to air their grievances against the Mexican government. With Gonzales founder James Kerr in the chair, the meeting adopted formal resolutions protesting the mistreatment of Texas colonists. It stands among the earliest organized public protests that pointed toward the Texas Declaration of Independence the following March.
Why it matters
It captures the grassroots political stirrings — ordinary colonists debating and resolving — that preceded and helped justify the Texas Revolution.
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Related people
- · James Kerr
- · Rev. S. C. A. Rogers
- · William Millican
Related events
- · Lavaca-Navidad Meeting of 1835
- · Texas Declaration of Independence
Themes & tags
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