The History Of Texas

The history of Texas, also known as the Lone Star State due to the design of its state flag displaying one white star, dates back to before the 1500’s. The native Americans known as the Caddo Tribe once dwelled on the land from the Rio Grande which is South all the way North to the Red River. In 1519 a Spanish Explorer named Alonzo Alvarez De Pineda was the first to map the Texas coastline. In 1598 another Spanish Explorer named Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca was stranded due to being ship wrecked for 8 years which established a Spanish presence in Texas.

The Spanish ruled Texas until 1682 when a French Explorer named Rene Robert Cavalier claimed the country for France. He built Fort St. Louis in 1685. He ran the fort for 2 years until his own men declared mutiny and killed him. They then ran the fort for 3 more years until the fort was attacked by Indians causing the French to abandon Fort St. Louis. In 1690 another Spanish explorer named Alonso De Leon found the abandoned fort and claimed it for Spain to reestablish Spanish ownership of the land.

In 1821 Americans settled in the Texas territory. Relations between the Mexican and Americans were very tense due to the language barriers and their religious differences. Most Americans were Protestant and most Mexicans were Catholic. War erupted between the two nations on October 2, 1835 and lasted until Mexico was defeated on April 21, 1836 at the Battle of San Jacinto. This marked the ending of Spanish rule in Texas, thus enabling Texas to become a free state. It would eventually go on to enter the Union and become a part of the United States as it is known as today.