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Period: Jan 1, 1490 to
Texas History
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Period: Jan 1, 1490 to Dec 31, 1528
Natural Texas and Its People
This era basically constitutes all of pre-history up to the point of contact with Europeans in 1528. This includes natural geologic history as well as what is known about American Indians from the archeological record. -
Period: Jan 1, 1528 to
Age of Contact
This era deals with the interaction between European explorers and American
Indians from the point of first contact in 1528 until the first efforts at establishing a permanent Spanish
presence through missions in 1682 and 1690. This includes the encounters of Cabeza de Vaca and the
numerous expeditions over the next 150 years that defined what the Europeans and American Indians
understood about each other and Texas. -
Period: to
Spanish Colonial
This era deals with the efforts of Spain to bring Texas under Spanish control and
retain it from the establishment of the first missions and military posts in 1682 and 1690, through civilian
settlement efforts, and culminating in the eventual loss of control with the establishment of the Republic of
Mexico in 1821. This includes the establishment of missions, towns, ranches, and military posts in South,
Central and East Texas, and the efforts of others to challenge Spanish authority over the reg -
Period: to
Mexican National
This era deals with efforts of Mexico to populate and retain Texas from the
formation of the Republic of Mexico in 1821 through the Texas Revolution in 1836. This includes the
development of Anglo and Mexican settlement, the establishment of local government institutions, and the
events that led to the Texas Revolution. -
Period: to
Revolution and Republic
This era deals with the Texas revolt against Mexican rule which began in
1835, the establishment and affairs of an independent Republic of Texas, and the eventual annexation of
Texas by the United States in 1845. This includes overlap with the Mexican national period in discussing the
causes of the revolution, the events of the revolution, the issues facing the new Republic, and its decision to
join the United States. -
Period: to
Early Statehood
This era deals with the impact of Texas annexation in 1845 until its efforts to
secede from the United States in 1861. This includes the Mexican War, resolution of the Texas boundary
dispute as part of the Compromise of 1850, significant population and economic growth from immigration to
Texas, and the involvement of the U.S. Army in frontier defense. -
Period: to
Civil War and Reconstruction
This era deals with the reasons for seceding from the United States
in 1861, the impact of the ensuing war, and the resulting efforts to reshape Texas following the war by the
military, federal, and state governments. This includes the issues brought about by the growth of slavery in
Texas, the individuals and events which demonstrate the social, political, and economic impact of the Civil War
on Texas, and the events and actions that constituted efforts to reconstruct Texas following the war. -
Period: to
Cotton, Caddle, and Railroads
This era deals with the return to cotton driven agriculture after the
Civil war in 1865, the rise of cattle during and after reconstruction, the development of railroads and the
effects that the different enterprises had on each other and on life in Texas until the turn of the century. This
includes systems utilized to return these industries to growth, the impact of expansion into West Texas,
particularly on the remaining independent Indian peoples, and the various reform movements that result -
Period: to
Age of Oil
This era deals with the vast range of oil discoveries beginning with Corsicana in 1894
through the East Texas Field development by 1935 and the impact that such discoveries had on the social,
political, and economic development of Texas and the world. This includes major discoveries at Spindletop,
the growth of Texas economic and political influence due to oil, the impact of the Mexican Revolution on
Mexican immigration to Texas, the role of Texas and Texans in WWI, and the effects that oil reve -
Period: to
Texas in the Great Depression and World War II
This era deals with the effects of the Great
Depression on Texas beginning in 1929 through to the role Texas and Texans played in WWII. This includes the
efforts to improve the Texas economy, the impact of the Dust Bowl, and the economic and social changes
brought about by WWII efforts, especially the role of the federal government in growing the Texas wartime
economy. -
Period: to
Civil Rights and Conservatism
This era deals with the movements for social change and equality
that began after WWII in 1945 and continued into the 1970s as well as the political shift away from Texans'
long‐held allegiance to the Democratic Party, which became more liberal after World War II, to support for the
increasingly conservative Republican Party by 1980. This includes efforts by Hispanics and African Americans
to have equal access and treatment, the effects of national and state political controversies, and
interdep -
Period: to
Contemporary Texas
This era deals with the events and issues facing Texans from 1980 to
present. This includes the role of Texas politically and economically, the impact of recent conflicts on Texas,
and the issues facing Texas in the present and future.