For many southerners, the election of Abraham Lincoln in the fall of 1860 was equivalent to a declaration of war on the South. A few, including Texas’ aging Governor Sam Houston, argued against secession. They proclaimed the benefits of mediation and compromise. Further, if Texas did separate from the Union, Houston reasoned, she would fare better … Read more
Fifty-four delegates of the Convention of 1836 began meeting on March 1st at the village of Washington-on-the-Brazos. Each of the settlements of Texas was represented by delegates elected one month earlier. Richard Ellis was elected president of the convention and Herbert S. Kimble secretary. With very little time to accomplish its mission, delegates of the … Read more
Almost before the Mexican authorities had a chance to reject the resolutions adopted by the Convention of 1832, a new convention was planned to meet again in San Felipe on April 1, 1833. The nature of this new convention was more aggressive than before. Of the fifty-five delegates that met in 1833, only a quarter of … Read more
Texas history is full of legend and lore. One such tale is the “Yellow Rose of Texas” – a legend commemorated in song. But is there such a rose? And if there is, which rose is it? The Legend of the Yellow Rose of Texas Emily West of Morgan’s Point refers to an indentured servant, … Read more
Records that contain names and information on individual voters were never recorded during the period that Texas was under Spanish or Mexican rule. Likewise, although numerous elections were held during the period of the Texas Republic, the records do not identify any of its citizens by name. Voter Records After Statehood Oddly, the most important … Read more
To provide a better understanding of the frontier environment experienced by early Texans, it is useful to compare the number of settlers then to the population today. As shown in Chart A, the number of people in Texas in 1850 does not even appear on the chart when plotted on a scale to show today’s … Read more
Land measurements used in early Texas were based on the Spanish system of the period. They were keyed to two primary units of distance: a vara and a league. Conversions to the more familiar measures that we know today are shown below. The graphics depict the relations among the various units of distance and area. … Read more
This special section within the Texian database includes information about the members of the several Conventions leading up to the Texas Revolution, as well as the members of the Provisional and the Ad Interim Governments that served during the Revolution, and the Four Administrations and Nine Congresses of the Republic of Texas. For a list of the … Read more
The transfer of public lands to individuals in the region of Texas began under Spanish rule in the eighteenth century. Then, after Mexico won her independence from Spain in 1821, the number of these grants increased significantly. It was not until after the Texas Revolution in 1836, however, that the rush of individuals to obtain … Read more
Some 35,000 settlers resided in Texas in the fall of 1835–on the eve of the Texas Revolution. In the span of almost ten years, ending when Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845, this number grew to over 100,000 residents. The purpose of The Texians database is to identify as many individuals as … Read more