From its legendary battle for independence at the Alamo to its modern status as a leader in oil, tech and space exploration, Texas has a rich history. The second-largest state in the U.S. by both area and population, the Lone Star State was admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845, becoming the nation’s 28th state.
Texas's Native American History and Spanish Settlement
Present-day Texas was inhabited by Paleo-Indians dating back 14,000 years, with evidence of the first farms dating to 5,000 years ago. Seminomadic tribes, including the Atakapa, Karankawa, Mariame and Akokisa, lived along the state’s gulf coast, while other tribes, such as the Caddos and Jumanos, settled in villages and farms.
European explorers arrived in the region in the early 1500s. Spanish explorer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda mapped the Texas coastline in 1519, and in the 1530s, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca made the first recorded exploration of the area. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explored the High Plains in the early 1540s. Claimed by Spain—and briefly by France and England—Spain established settlements and missions to convert Native Americans to Christianity.
In the late 1600s, westward expansion pushed other tribes from the plains, including the Apache and Comanche, into Texas, leading to conflicts with existing tribes. As new settlers arrived, European-borne diseases and battles with settlers devastated Native American populations. Today, only three recognized reservations remain in Texas, for the Alabama-Coushatta, Kickapoo and Tigua tribes.
War with Mexico and the Battle of the Alamo
After the Louisiana Purchase, Spain fought to hold control of the territory and protect it from the United States. However, the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821) resulted in bloody battles and eventually led to the Treaty of Cordoba, putting Texas under Mexican rule. Empresarios, acting as land agents, brought settlers to the area. Stephen F. Austin is credited with bringing 300 families to Texas, many of whom also brought enslaved people with them.
With the population growing, especially among Anglos and Tejanos, tensions rose between the Mexican government and settlers. The Texas Revolution began with the Battle of Gonzalez in 1835, where settlers flew the now-famous “Come and Take It” flag in defiance of returning a military cannon to Mexican officials.
A series of battles followed, including the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, where heavily outnumbered Texian forces resisted the Mexican army for 13 days before being defeated. Still, “Remember the Alamo!” became a battle cry, and General Sam Houston led Texian troops to victory soon after at the Battle of San Jacinto. This led to the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836, creating the independent Republic of Texas, which lasted a decade.
On December 29, 1845, Texas joined the Union as the 28th state.
Statehood and Civil War
The annexation of Texas sparked the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). General Zachary Taylor led the U.S. to Mexico’s eventual defeat, and the war ended with the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which included Mexico’s recognition of Texas as part of the Union and ceded large amounts of land in the American West and Southwest.
A slave state, Texas seceded from the Union in 1861 and joined the Confederacy. The Civil War battles of Galveston and Palmito Ranch were fought in Texas. Although the war ended on April 9, 1865, word did not arrive in Texas until June 19, 1865, finally abolishing slavery in the state. That date is now celebrated as the federal holiday Juneteenth.
Texas experienced tremendous growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, driven by the cattle and cotton industries, railroads, and the 1901 discovery of oil at Spindletop. The oil boom transformed Texas, leading to rapid industrialization and urbanization.
Legal and Civil Rights Milestones
Jim Crow laws were common in Texas, and segregation led to a battle for civil rights in the state. The Supreme Court’s 1946 ruling in Mendez v. Westminster found the segregation of Mexican American students unconstitutional, while the 1954 landmark Hernandez v. Texas Supreme Court case held that the 14th Amendment granted equal protection to all races, including Mexican Americans.
Another significant moment in Texas history is the November 22, 1963, assassination of President John F. Kennedy in downtown Dallas during a motorcade.
Agriculture and Economy
Texas has long been a leader in agriculture, with cattle ranching, cotton farming, and oil production leading its economy. The state is the nation’s top producer of crude oil and natural gas, as well as cattle and calves, cotton, hay, sheep, goats, mohair and horses. High-yielding crops include corn, citrus, wheat, peanuts, pecans, rice and sorghum.
In recent decades, Texas has become a hub for technology, aerospace, aviation and defense, energy and biotechnology and health care industries. Major employers include Exxon Mobil, Mckesson Corporation, Phillips 66, Valero Energy and AT&T.
Interesting Facts
- Notable Texans include Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, singers Willie Nelson, Beyoncé, Selena, Barry White and Buddy Holly, actors Carol Burnett, Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger, athletes Shaquille O’Neal, Nolan Ryan, Lance Armstrong, Roger Staubach and George Foreman, entrepreneurs Howard Hughes, Mary Kay Ash, Mark Cuban and Jerry Jones, and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
- The Texas State Fair, held in Dallas, has the most annual visitors–2.5 million–of any state fair nationwide.
- Houston’s Texas Medical Center is the largest medical complex in the world.
- Texas is the only state with three presidential libraries dedicated to Lyndon B. Johnson, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
- Three of the top 10 most populated cities are in Texas: Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
- The September 8, 1900 hurricane that hit Galveston was the deadliest natural disaster in American history, killing 6,000-8,000 in Galveston alone.
- “The Yellow Rose of Texas” was inspired by Emily West, a free Black servant kidnapped by the Mexican army in 1836, said to have distracted General Santa Anna to assist the Texan troops at the Battle of San Jacinto.
- Texas is the only contiguous state with its own electric grid.
- The Texas Capitol in Austin is nearly 15 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol, standing 302 feet.
- The King Ranch in South Texas spans 825,000 acres, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island or the country of Luxembourg.
Texas Facts
- Date of Statehood: December 29, 1845
- Capital: Austin
- Population: 29,145,505 (2020 U.S. Census)
- Size: 268,596 square miles
- Nickname: The Lone Star State
- Motto: Friendship
- Tree: Pecan
- Flower: Bluebonnet
- Bird: Northern Mockingbird
Photos
Sources
American Indians, Bullock Museum.
European Exploration and Development, Texas Almanac.
How a Frontier Became a Crossroads of Power, The Alamo.
Explore Texas by Historical Eras, Texas Our Texas.
Texas: Did You Know? Bullock Museum.
