Texas History and Government

Located in the South/Southwestern regions of the U.S., Texas joined the Union in 1845 as the 28th state. Texas is the second-largest state in the U.S., both in size (behind Alaska) and population (behind California). Its capital is Austin, but the majority of its population is congregated in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas. Texas is home to many thriving industries, but it is perhaps best known for oil, cattle, and aeronautics. The name Texas comes from the Caddo native word meaning "friends" or "allies."

Six flags have flown over Texas during its turbulent history – the flags of Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America. Prior to the arrival of Spain, the region was inhabited by numerous Native American tribes. Alonso Álvarez de Pineda explored the Gulf Coast from western Florida to Mexico, mapping about 800 miles of shoreline. He claimed several regions of Texas for Spain in 1519, including Corpus Christi Bay (first discovered on the feast day of Corpus Christi, hence the name). The first European to set foot in Texas was actually Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, who was a part of the ill-fated Narváez expedition. Shipwrecked by a hurricane in 1828 near present day Galveston, Cabeza de Vaca and 80 survivors were plagued by harsh weather, disease, and hostile natives who gradually whittled their numbers down to four. Cabeza de Vaca spent four years living among the native tribes, first as a slave, then eventually as a trader, until he could finally make his way to Mexico in 1536. The Spanish laid claim to the territory as a part of "New Spain," but made little attempt to settle the area.

In 1684, the French decided to take advantage of Spain's inaction and founded their own colony in Texas. Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle founded Fort Saint Louis on the Texas Gulf Coast. La Salle was murdered by mutineers, and the colony fell to a massacre by Karankawa natives in 1688. However, the encroachment of the French into the Spanish-claimed territory persuaded Spain to make another attempt at settling the area. In 1721, an expedition from New Spain established Presidio La Bahia on the ruins of Fort Saint Louis. For over a century, France attempted to wrest control of the "Kingdom of Texas" from Spain, but to no avail. In 1803, France sold their North American holdings to the U.S. in the Louisiana Purchase.

In 1821, when Mexico won its independence from Spain, Texas became a part of the new Mexican Republic. However, there were only a handful of sparse settlements in the entire area. Unable to entice native Mexicans to move north and settle, Mexico sought settlers from Europe and the U.S. Moses Austin and his son, Stephen F. Austin, were given permission to settle 300 families (known as the Old Three Hundred) on a grant along the San Jacinto River, between the Colorado and the Brazos. At first, the ruling Mexican government made special allowances for the territory of Texas, such as permitting slavery (which had been abolished when Mexico declared independence) and allowing duty free imports from the U.S. However, in 1835, Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna announced that all territories, including Texas, would be subject to a unified constitution under Mexico. The Texians (settlers from the U.S.) and Tejanos (settlers from Mexico or Spain) grew dissatisfied with Mexican rule and, in 1836, the Republic of Texas declared its independence from Mexico.

The "Texans" (as the Texians and Tejanos now called themselves) took San Antonio and held it until their devastating loss at the Battle of the Alamo. This loss galvanized the Texans, however, and "Remember the Alamo!" became the battle cry of the Texas Revolution. On April 21, 1836, General Sam Houston's army of 800 successfully defeated General Santa Anna's force of 1,600 men at San Jacinto, and Texas became an independent republic. Houston went on to become the first President of the Republic of Texas.

Texas incurred a large amount of debt over the course of the next decade, and was constantly subjected to incursions from Mexico. Sam Houston favored annexation by the U.S., as this would enable Texas to pay off its debts and provide protection from Mexico. However, a group of nationalists, led by Mirabeau B. Lamar, wanted Texas to remain independent and expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean. The two factions battled fiercely, but in the end the republic opted for statehood. In 1845, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that was signed by President John Tyler, and Texas became the 28th state of the Union.

Texas' statehood was short-lived, however. In 1861, Texas seceded from the U.S. and joined the Confederate States of America. Although far removed from the front lines of the Civil War, Texas provided troops and cattle for the war effort. The final battle in the Civil War was fought in Texas, at Palmito Ranch, over a month after Robert E. Lee's surrender at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia. In 1870, Texas was readmitted into the Union.

Just how many regions lie in Texas is a matter of contention, and most residents are quite happy to go with the conventional North, South, East, West, and Central. But Texas boasts a varied landscape, with no less than seven distinct geographical regions. The Piney Woods lie in the northeast part of the state, just above the Gulf Coast. The Prairies and Lakes give way to Texas Hill Country, which buttresses against the South Texas Plains, Big Bend, and the Panhandle. Texas has mountains, forests, hills, beaches, plains, lakes, rivers, deserts, citrus groves, and canyons - if it occurs in nature, odds are you'll find it somewhere in Texas.

Equally diverse are the cities of Texas, each of which maintains a flavor and culture all its own. Dallas maintains a cosmopolitan air, while Fort Worth embraces its cowboy roots. Houston is the home of Texas' aeronautic and space industry, as well as the Port of Houston (the tenth-busiest port in the world). Austin not only serves as the state capital, but is a bastion of eccentric, alternative culture, while San Antonio offers an intriguing mix of Southern, German, Tejano, and Wild West cultures.