Question

in 1835 antonio lopes de santa anna ignored the constitution of 1824 and made himself dictator. his attempts to assert more control in texas caused tension to grow. it seemed to mexican officials both in the mexican capital and in texas that radicals like william b. travis were becoming disloyal. the small number of mexican soldiers at the forts had been unable to control the tense situation. more soldiers were needed.
the arrival of general martin perfecto de cos with additional troops brought the number of mexican soldiers in san antonio to 650. this increase in mexican military power in texas caused much concern among the settlers. towns formed committees of safety to provide protection from federal soldiers. patrols watched the roads to give warnings of approaching troops.
alarm spread across texas. rumors spread that general cos was planning to arrest all texan leaders and march them back to mexico in chains. committees of correspondence—local groups sharing political and military information, much like those that formed during the american revolution—helped unify the texans.

1. explain why you think santa anna ignored the constitution of 1824 and made himself dictator.

Explanation:

Santa Anna ignored the Constitution of 1824 and made himself dictator likely due to a desire for more power. The situation in Texas was tense, with concerns about control over the region. By taking dictatorial power, he could assert more authority to deal with what he saw as threats (like the perceived disloyalty of figures like William B. Travis) and to strengthen Mexican control in Texas. The lack of sufficient military force initially (small number of Mexican soldiers at forts) may have also contributed - he may have thought dictatorial rule would allow for more effective mobilization of resources (like getting more soldiers, as seen with General Cós bringing additional troops) to maintain order and control in the region.

Answer:

Santa Anna likely ignored the Constitution of 1824 and made himself dictator due to a desire for more power to assert control, especially in the tense situation in Texas (with perceived threats like Travis' disloyalty) and to better mobilize resources (like military) to maintain order and Mexican control there.