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Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
1500s-1600s
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Nov 5, 1528
Cabeza de Vaca
Cabeza de Vaca's ship wrecked on Galveston island. He traded there and then explored Texas on his journey towards Mexico. -
Apr 20, 1540
Coronado
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was one of the first fortune seekers to venture to Texas. He searched for the Seven Cities of Cibola, leading an expedition, but found nothing. Coronado never found the treasure he hoped for. -
Period: to
1600-1700
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La Salle
Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle established Fort St. Louis at Matagorda Bay, and then formed the base for France's claim to Texas. Two years later, LaSalle was murdered by his own men! -
Period: to
1700-1800
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Period: to
1800-1900
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Austin
Stephen F. Austin receives a grant of land in Texas from the government of Mexico. -
Mexican Independence
The Constitution of 1824 made Mexico a Republic governed country, however, it failed to define the rights of the states within the republic, including Texas. -
Austin Imprisoned
Escalating the tensions that would lead to rebellion and war, the Mexican government imprisons the Texas colonizer Stephen Austin in Mexico City. -
Battle at Gonzales
When Santa Anna sent a Mexican commander to take a cannon from Gonzales, then the Texans rallied forces from the Guadeloupe, the Colorado and the Brazos for aid, then told the Mexican commander to "Come and Take It." The latter retreated six miles, and the Texans, tired of waiting for an attack charged the Mexicans on October 2, 1835, and the Mexicans retreated in a flash. -
Runaway Scrape begins
Texans under Col. William B. Travis were geting beat by the Mexican army after a two-week attack at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio. Then, The Runaway Scrape began! -
Battle of Alamo
Although they were outnumbered, the soldiers at the Alamo won the battle. They asked Santa Anna whether he would sacrifice himself so that his side would be able to take Texas, or not die, but he doesn't get Texas and all of his soldiers are punished. He chose the second one... -
Massacre at Goliad
James W. Fannin was the commander of forces at Goliad. Fannin was called for reliefbut retreated. His troops were soon surrounded by the Mexican forces and surrendered. Santa Anna sent order to Goliad for the newly captured prisoners to be excecuted. On Palm Sunday, all the prisoners were shot. The dead were collected and burned. -
Battle of San Jacinto
This battle was where Texas got its liberty. Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! -
Texas joins the United States
U. S. President James Polk followed through on a campaign platform and promised to let Texas join the U.S., and signed legislation making Texas the 28th state of the United States. -
Texas secedes and joins the confederacy
To many Texans, Lincoln's election was a declaration of war. Sam Houston did not believe Texas should secede. A Secesssion Convention was held in Austin to to consider whether or not Texas should secede. They signed the Ordinance of Secession there. -
Battle of Galveston -the Bayou City
Major General John B. Magruder, who became the Confederate commander of military forces in Texas on November 29, 1862, gave the recapture of Galveston top priority. At 3:00 am on New Year's Day, 1863, four Confederate gunboats appeared, coming down the bay toward Galveston. Soon afterward, the Rebels started a land attack. The Union forces in Galveston were three companies of the 42nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment under the command of Colonel Isaac S. Burrell.