The event that precipitated the Texas Revolution was the centralization of power by the Mexican government under President Antonio López de Santa Anna, which alienated many Texan settlers. Tensions rose due to oppressive policies, such as the abolition of local governance and the enforcement of strict laws against immigration from the U.S. The situation escalated into armed conflict in 1835, culminating in the declaration of Texan independence at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836.