Lyman Following the passage by the United States Congress of a proposed Resolution Annexing Texas to the United States, Anson Jones assembled the Convention of 1845 to consider the proposal. Sessions opened on the Fourth of July, and members elected Thomas Jefferson Rusk to lead the convention. With very little discord, the convention voted fifty-five to one to approve the offer of … Read more
A meeting of representatives of various districts of Texas was planned for the fall of 1835 at Columbia to discuss escalating friction with Mexico, and consider options for the more autonomous rule for Texas. Referred to as the Consultation of 1835, it was first set to convene on October 16. Although a few of the … Read more
During its early years of statehood, Texas claimed territory about fifty percent larger than its present boundary, including parts of the present states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming (see graphic below). Much of this land was contested by other groups, with the result that emotions on both sides of the issue reached … Read more
In early 1874, the city of Austin was a landmine. People from all over the state had gathered to witness the inauguration of Democrat Richard Coke as its next governor. At long last, this would mark the end of Reconstruction and radical military rule in Texas. The mood was far from festive, however. Despite a … Read more
In December of 1835, San Antonio de Bexar was under the control of Mexican General Perfecto de Cos with about 1200 soldiers from Mexico. For almost two months, Texas volunteers had camped near the town in a virtual standoff with Cos. The stalemate ended, however, when one of the Texas leaders, Ben Milam, returned from a … Read more
Following Mexican depredations into Texas in 1842, President Sam Houston deemed the still-frontier town of Austin to be in danger of falling into enemy hands. Therefore he ordered the removal of the seat of government, as well as all of its records, from Austin to Houston. This provoked a blustery response from the citizens of … Read more
The Battle of the Alamo was fought during the Texas revolution at a small fort in San Antonio, Texas. It lasted from February 26 to March 6, 1836. Many famous Texan and American figures lost their lives during the 13-day siege, including James “Jim” Bowie, William B. Travis, and Davy Crockett. All 200 Texan defenders … Read more
The Texas Declaration of Independence was produced, literally, overnight. Its urgency was important as the Alamo in San Antonio was currently under siege by Santa Anna’s army of Mexico. Immediately upon the gathering for the Convention of 1836 on March 1, 1836, a committee of five of its delegates was appointed to draft the document. The committee, … Read more
The Texas Ordinance of Secession was the document that officially separated Texas from the United States in 1861. It was adopted by the Secession Convention on February 1 of that year, by a vote of 166 to 8. The adoption of the ordinance was one of a series of events that led to Texas’ entry into the … Read more
The following are among the most referenced of early Texas documents. They have earned a prominent place in the rich history of Texas in the ninteenth century. Travis’ Appeal from the AlamoFebruary 24, 1836 Texas Declaration of IndependenceMarch 2, 1836 Treaty of Velasco(including Spanish transcription)May 14, 1836 Resolution Annexing Texas to the United StatesMarch 1, … Read more