HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Haden Edwards

Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Empresario Leader of the Fredonian Rebellion, 1826-27. Sent to the United States to raise funds for the Texas Revolution, 1836. A leader in the development of a nation. Born in Virginia August 12, 1771 Died August 14, 1849. His wife SUSAN BEALL EDWARDS Born in Maryland, April 10, 1774 Died April 6, 1849 Erected by the State of Texas 1936

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

A Virginia-born empresario, Haden Edwards received a contract to settle American families around Nacogdoches but fell into bitter conflict with Mexican authorities and existing residents. In 1826-27 he led the short-lived Fredonian Rebellion, an early and premature bid for Anglo independence in Texas that collapsed quickly. A decade later, during the Texas Revolution, he was sent to the United States to raise funds for the cause.

Why it matters

Edwards's failed revolt was a spark that deepened tensions between Anglo colonists and Mexico, foreshadowing the revolution that would create the Republic of Texas.

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Related people

  • ยท Haden Edwards
  • ยท Susan Beall Edwards

Related events

  • ยท Fredonian Rebellion

Themes & tags

Westward ExpansionMilitary & WartimeFrontier HistoryMonument

Nearby & related markers

John S. Roberts

Nacogdoches, TX

Once a sheriff in Natchitoches, Louisiana, John S. Roberts threw himself into the Texas cause, helping lead the 1832 Battle of Nacogdoches and commanding the Nacogdoches company in the 1835 storming of Bexar. He served in the 1835 Consultation and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. A Virginia native, he lived out his years in the town he had fought for, dying in 1871.

Site of the Home of Juan Antonio Padilla

Nacogdoches, TX

A native son of Nacogdoches, Juan Antonio Padilla rose to serve as land commissioner in 1829 and as vice-governor of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas, then took an active part in the Texas Revolution. He died in Houston in 1839, and his wife, Maria Montes del Padilla, died at their Nacogdoches home in 1846. A 1936 state marker honors the site where they lived.