Texas History

The following important events affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.

1682 : Spaniards founded the first permanent settlement near present-day El Paso. Catholic missions soon followed in east Texas.

1821 : Texas became part of the new nation of Mexico. Stephen F. Austin brought the first Anglo-American colonists to Texas. They settled the Austin Colony in south central Texas. Several other impresarios soon brought other colonists.

1836 : Texas declared independence from Mexico after a military confrontation. Municipalities were soon organized into counties. The Republic of Texas existed until 1845.

1845 : United States acquired Texas as the 28th state.

1846-1848 : Mexico declared war on the United States in an effort to reclaim Texas and other territory claimed by both countries. Over 6,000 Texas citizens served in the Mexican-American War. Mexico gave up its claim to Texas.

1850 : Texas relinquished its claims to Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

1861-1865 : Texas seceded from the Union during the Civil War. In 1870 it was readmitted to the Union.

1870s : Most Indians were removed to the Indian Territory in present-day eastern Oklahoma. Some escaped to Mexico.

1901 : The oil boom attracted many new residents.

1987 : The oil boom collapsed.

The Family History Library has many county and local histories of Texas. A good source for a general background is Frank W. Johnson, History of Texas and Texans, Five Volumes. (Chicago, Illinois: American Historical Society, 1914; FHL book 976.4 H2j; 1916 ed. is on film 1000592). Volumes 3-5 have biographical information.

Bibliographies of local histories include:

Jenkins, John Holmes. Cracker Barrel Chronicles: A Bibliography of Texas Town and County Histories. Austin, Texas: Pemberton Press, 1965. (FHL book 976.4 H2jc; film 1000609 item 2.)

Munnerlyn, Tom. Texas Local History: A Source Book for Available Town and County Histories, Local Memoirs and Genealogical Records. Austin, Texas: Eakin Press, 1983. (FHL book 976.4 H23m.)

Web Sites
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/index.html