Santa Anna hanged by vengeful Texans

After the extremely lopsided Texan victory at San Jacinto in April 1836, many Texan soldiers- understandably- wished to hang the captured Santa Anna, after he was taken, on the spot in revenge for the atrocities committed by Mexican forces at the Alamo & Goliad. Sam Houston however had the Mexican dictator spared so's that he could sign a peace treaty guaranteeing Texan sovereignty. WI though the more vengeful among Houston's officers or men had their way, managing to overwhelm Santa Anna's guards then lynch him ?
 
After the extremely lopsided Texan victory at San Jacinto in April 1836, many Texan soldiers- understandably- wished to hang the captured Santa Anna, after he was taken, on the spot in revenge for the atrocities committed by Mexican forces at the Alamo & Goliad. Sam Houston however had the Mexican dictator spared so's that he could sign a peace treaty guaranteeing Texan sovereignty. WI though the more vengeful among Houston's officers or men had their way, managing to overwhelm Santa Anna's guards then lynch him ?

Well, the war with Mexico most likely goes on. A new Mexican army is eventually sent north, possibly commanded by someone more competent than Santa Ana, and Texas may lose it's bid for independence. If that happens, the butterflies could be the size of Smaug the Dragon.

--No Mexican War.
--Probably no American Civil War, at least not in the 1860s.

Just to name two of the more obvious ones.
 
After the extremely lopsided Texan victory at San Jacinto in April 1836, many Texan soldiers- understandably- wished to hang the captured Santa Anna, after he was taken, on the spot in revenge for the atrocities committed by Mexican forces at the Alamo & Goliad. Sam Houston however had the Mexican dictator spared so's that he could sign a peace treaty guaranteeing Texan sovereignty. WI though the more vengeful among Houston's officers or men had their way, managing to overwhelm Santa Anna's guards then lynch him ?

Believe it or not this would have been great for Mexico in many ways.
While the Mexican American war would probably still happen the results could be much different.
First of all you would not have Santa Anna coming back to and from power every few months for the next 10 years before the Mexican American starts. Which gives you some stability. Not much but it can't be worse than OTL.
In the interim years, you would basically have the same "parties" as in OTL forming: a fervent nationalistic side that refuses to recognize Texan independence, probably lead by Paredes, Salas, and Alamonte. And more moderate willing to negotiate party lead by Farias and Herrera. The depending of who is on power and at what time the war will happen either sooner or later and with varying results. It also depends on who is president of the US when the war happens.

If the war happens sooner it will probably just over Mexico's recognition of Texan independence and the legality of a likely future annexation of it by the US. Alta California will not be involved.

If the war happens around OTL or a bit later. It is most likely that cooler heads like Farias or Herrera have triumphed in Mexico. Thus it is once again likely that the mater will only be over Texas. However Alta California north of San Fran Bay, basically dropping the northern border a few latitudes south, might be a possibility over a treaty.

Finally Santa Anna will not be coming back to power in 1853 after his exile in Colombia. Without Santa Anna then, there is no need for a liberal coup in Mexico in 1857. This then translates into no new constitution and no conservative coup a few years later. Thus no Second Empire and no Civil War in Mexico.

If liberal leaders like Farias are in power this early it might cause an earlier "War of Reforma" as religious tensions could build up sooner. The US probably would back Farias liberal government. If the liberals are triumphant it could mean a stabler Mexico earlier on.
 
if the Texans hang SA before he signs the peace treaty, then they may be in trouble. There were still 4000 Mexican soldiers in TX, commanded by Filisola and Urrea, who were better officers in every way than SA. Without the peace treaty, Filisola would have had no problems at all in taking on Houston's 800 Texans (in OTL, he wasn't sure if he had the authority to keep up military operations); in all likelihood, he would have crushed them.
 
Epic mistake on the part of the Texans. They just put their only bargaining chip into that noose.
 
Santa Anna, by his own admission, wouldn't have been much more than a corporal in most armies based on his lack of skill. Urrea is a better and underrated cmdr, giving the insurgents their worst defeat at Goliad and showing himself to be quite ruthless by executing hundreds of prisoners. The next insurgent defeat would also be followed by mass executions. Likely no Rep of TX at all.

IOTL the Alabama-Coushatta gave aid to fleeing Anglos, allowing the establishment of their reservation. There was also a Mexican agent later sent to seek the aid of E TX tribes like the Caddo and Cherokees who'd come south from OK. He was killed before ever getting to E TX.

With this POD the Alabama-Coushatta get reprisals from Mexico, and the other tribes do far better, perhaps getting military aid to act as a buffer vs Anglo filibusters. A wise Mexican president would set up military colonies of the type later used in Chihuahua (Pancho Villa being the most famous product of them). Perhaps more Opatas in military service in presidios, perhaps Mexican officers being given grants of land in Texas for their service.
 
It might actually strengthen Mexico.

Santa Anna kept returning to power in Mexico and kept leading Mexico to further disaster and further territorial loss. Replace him with a competent figure and Mexico might do much better...after first squashing the Texan rebels who murdered their helpless prisoner, the martyr Santa Anna.
 
Urrea is a better and underrated cmdr, giving the insurgents their worst defeat at Goliad and showing himself to be quite ruthless by executing hundreds of prisoners.

Uh, no, Urrea wasn't the ruthless one, Santa Anna was... the prisoners were executed on his orders, and Urrea protested against it, and saved as many as he could. He saved all the medical staff of Fannin's, claiming that he needed them for his own wounded. One he saved was Dr. Benjamin Harrison, son and father of future US Presidents. Of 442 captives, 343 were executed... the rest were saved by Urrea and some of his officers, who had similar qualms...
 
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