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Independent Republic
On March 2, 1836, Texans signed the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos, effectively creating the Republic of Texas. The revolt was justified as necessary to protect basic rights and because Mexico had annulled the federal pact. -
The Battle of Alamo
On March 6, 1836, after 13 days of intermittent fighting, the Battle of the Alamo comes to a gruesome end, capping off a pivotal moment in the Texas Revolution. Mexican forces were victorious in recapturing the fort, and nearly all of the roughly 200 Texan defenders—including frontiersman Davy Crockett—died. -
Texas joined the Union
Texas joined the Union as a State on December 29, 1845. When Texas was annexed, it retained the right to fly its flag at the same height as the national flag. -
State Capital-Austin
In 1839, the capital was moved to the new town of Austin by the next president Mirabeau B. Lamar. The city was officially incorporated on December 27, 1839. The capital of Texas was named in honor of Stephen F. Austin at the site of the small community that was formerly known as Waterloo. In 1845 Texas was annexed into the United States and on February 19, 1846, Austin formally became the state's capital. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty, signed on February 2, 1848, ended the war between the United States and Mexico. -
Secession
Texas seceded from the Federal Union following a 171 to 6 vote by the Secession Convention. Governor Sam Houston was one of a small minority opposed to secession. -
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The Battle of Palmito Ranch
The Battle of Palmito Ranch is considered the last major clash between Union and Confederate forces. The battle is widely considered to be a post-Civil War encounter as the Battle of Columbus in April of 1865 is considered to be the last battle of the war. -
Juneteenth
Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as "Juneteenth," by the newly freed people in Texas. -
Pecos, Texas-Texas Rodeo
On July 4, 1883, Pecos was home to the World's First Rodeo. This tradition continues each summer at the Buck Jackson Arena, where it has been held every year since 1936. Today it is one of the PRCA's top 40 prize-money rodeos. -
Isaac's Storm
On September 8, 1900, the coastal city of Galveston, Texas, was hit by a hurricane like none that the United States had ever experienced before. Considered the deadliest natural disaster in American history, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 left one in four city residents homeless and killed up to 12,000 people.