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The Battle of Gonzales
The first battle of the Texas Revolution
Mexican troops are sent to Gonzales to retrieve a cannon that had been previously given to Texans as protection against Natives.
Texans refuse to surrender the cannon and jail the Mexican troops.
One hundred more Mexican troops are sent to receive the cannon but are met with 140 Texians at the Guadalupe River who refuse to let the Mexican forces pass.
The Texians attack the Mexican camp, loading the cannon with scrap iron, beginning the revolution -
The Battle of San Jacinto
Texas gains independence from this battle. Sam Houston learns that Santa Anna's army was encamped on the west side of the Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River.
On April 21, 3:30 pm, Sam Houston ordered the attack on the Mexican army. With shouts of "Remember the Alamo!"
The battle only lasted 18 minutes. Nine Texans were killed, and 630 Mexicans. Santa Anna was captured after the battle. The Republic of Texas was born. -
The Lone Star flag is Created
The state flag of Texas was adopted in January of 1839 as the official flag of the Republic of Texas.
The flag "represents ALL of Texas and stands for unity as one for God, State, and Country. -
Start of The U.S Mexican War
President Polk defined the border between Texas and Mexico at the Rio Grande. Mexico refuses to acknowledge the border placement.
Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to position troops along the north bank of the Rio Grande to protect the Texas boundary.
The Mexican government saw this as an invasion. U.S. Congress officially declared war on Mexico on May 13. -
The signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
Ended the U.S Mexican War. The treaty established boundaries between the United States and Mexico. Mexico officially recognized Texas as a part of the United States. The treaty included the acquisition of Mexico's northern territory—which included California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado—for $15 million. The United States added more than 25% to its size. Mexico lost over half its land. -
Texas joins the Confederacy, and the Civil War Begins
Abraham Lincoln became president in 1860
Texans feared that Lincoln's presidency would threaten slavery. State Legislature voted in favor of an of Secession on February 23, 1861.
Governor Sam Houston was evicted from office when he refused to take an oath to the Confederacy. Lieutenant Governor Edward Clark replaced Sam Houston. -
Juneteenth and end of Civil War
Civil War ended in Texas when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston. Granger proclaimed the end of slavery for 250,000 African Americans End of the Confederacy in Texas."Juneteenth," celebrating that declaration of emancipation.
Declared an official holiday in the state of Texas in 1980 -
The Present Texas Constitution is implemented
The Texas Constitution has undergone five revisions.
The Constitution of 1876 was the sixth revision of the document and established the law's foundation. The edited version shortened terms and lower salaries of elected officials. The decentralized control of public education limited the powers of both the legislature and the governor. They provided biennial legislative sessions -
Texas Equal Rights Association formed
The first statewide women's suffrage organization, Organized by Rebecca Henry Hays of Galveston, Advocated for equal voting and political rights for women. Including the right to hold office and serve on juries. -
The Great Galveston Hurricane AKA The 1900 Storm
August 27– September 15, 1900
The storm seemed to come without warning. Deadliest natural disaster in United States history
It was a Category 4 storm, with winds of up to 145 mph. The death toll is estimated at 6,000 to 12,000. The storm destroyed 7,000 buildings and left 10,000 people homeless.