The first two battles were the Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775 and they were located in Massachusetts.
If US settlers decided to settle in Texas, they would be covered by the Mexican Colonization Law that stated that they could get large pieces of land cheaply, they would have tax cuts, and they would also have increased protection from the Mexican government.
Protect the US against threats
Portugal was the first independent nation
