History of Texas

Texas, situated in the South Central United States, was first inhabited by a number of Native American tribes, such as the Comanche, Caddo, and Apache. Other smaller American Indian tribes that settled in the area included the Cherokee, Tonkawa, Atakapan, Bidai, Kiowa, Wichita, Hueco, and the Karankawa of Galveston. The first European country to claim the territory of Texas was Spain. Other European and American immigrants started arriving in the area in the 1820s.

After Mexico declared its independence from Spain, the territory of Texas declared its independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. It then existed as the independent Republic of Texas for almost ten years. Texas was added to the Union as the 28th U. S. State in the year 1845. In fact, Texas was one of the only four independent states that joined the US Federation. Annexation of Texas not only led to the Mexican-American War but also sowed seeds for the U.S. Civil War. The Mexican-American War led to the Mexican Cession. During the American Civil War, Texas joined the Confederate States of America and was the 7th U. S. State to do so.

In the 20th century, Texas observed an economic boom owing to the discovery of oil in the state. It soon became economically diversified, with an ever-growing base in high technology. In 1994, Texas has declared the second largest state of the U.S. in terms of population. Thus, the State of Texas has a dynamic history. ‘Six Flags’ have flown over its soil to date. These include the national flags of Spain, the Fleur-de-lis of France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America. Even today, Texas is home to three major federally recognized Native American tribes, including the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas.

Texas State Facts

  • Texas’s population grew by 1.5 million in the early 1990s, making the state the second-largest in the country after California.
  • In the mid-1990s, only 7 percent of the workers in Texas were unionized. The state has a right-to-work law, which prohibits union membership as a condition of employment.
  • In 1966 Barbara Jordan of Houston became the first black woman elected to the state senate.
  • Spindletop oil field, near Beaumont, was the first gusher in North America. In 1901, it sprayed more than 800,000 barrels of oil into the air before it was brought under control.
  • All Texas rivers empty into the Gulf of Mexico.
  • The Republic of Texas, with Sam Houston as president, was born In 1836 following the war between American settlers in Texas and the Mexican government which featured the well-known battle of the Alamo.
  • Texas is the country’s biggest producer of oil, cattle, sheep, minerals, and cotton.
  • Texas is second in size only to Alaska.
  • More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States.
  • Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
  • Texas is home to Dell and Compaq computers and central Texas is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of the south.
  • Texas possesses three of the top ten most populous cities in the United States. These towns are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.