Juan Seguín was a Texano revolutionary and political. He was born on October 27, 1806, Bexar, New Spain now, called San Antonio, Texas. Seguin helped set up the independence of Texas. Seguín became active in local politics, and he was elected council member in San Antonio in 1829 and became mayor of that city in 1833. Political tensions increased due to the dictator regime of Pres. Mexican Antonio López de Santa Anna. During the massacre in the Alamo, Seguin was absent because he went to bring a letter to Sam Houston, but he took part with his Tejano troops alongside the Anglos in the Battle of San Jacinto, defeating Santa Anna and gaining independence from Texas. In 1837 Seguín became the first Tejano to serve in the Senate of the Republic