In order to understand the present, one needs to look at the past. Despite the rich and long history of Texas, the 19th century was the turmoil of major events forming most of Texas’ legacy. These three major events are the formation of the state of Coahuila y Tejas (1824), the Texas Revolution (1835), and the annexation of Texas by the United States (1845). These three events are the most significant turning points in Texas history since they formed the basis for Texas’ administrative and cultural formation. Without understanding these events, it would be impossible to grasp a unique combination of Texian ideas, values, and the state’s development. The purpose of this paper is to describe the three biggest turning points in Texas history.
The essential point in Texas’ history was the establishment of the Spanish colony there. Although in 1684-1689, the French settled in Texas and colonized it, the final word was after Spain and then Mexico. It is not easy to distinguish Spanish influence and Mexican one on the future US state (Calvert et al., 2020, p.76). With the 1824 Constitution of Mexico, the state of Coahuila y Tejas was formed. Although Congress allowed Texas to form its own state, Texans chose the path of revolution. Starting in 1835, the Texas Revolution led to the announcement of the state’s independence in March 1836 with the Texas Declaration of Independence.
The importance of the new territories for imperialist America in the late 19th century was to exploit resources and strengthen America’s power. This policy involved an ideology of superiority, which made the exploitation of the territories acceptable and exacerbated racial tensions in the US. In Texas, the tensions with the indigenous populations have always been the case for settlers (Clavert et al., 2020). However, the annexation of Texas by the US in 1845 is the third, and probably the most important point in Texas history.
Reference
Calvert, R. A., De Leon, A., & Cantrell, G. (2020). The history of Texas. John Wiley & Sons.