Texas History

Mexican people living in Texas, which until 1830 was part of Mexico, had a peaceful life. As any other city, the society was divided into rich and poor classes. Spanish descendants were the rich and mixed-blood people were the poor. Even with these marked social distinctions, the Mexicans had no major problem with each other. BY 1920, the Mexican government in its effort to increase the economy, invited Americans to move to the vast expanse of land. Taking advantage of the rich soil in Texas, in a while, there was more Anglos than Tejanos living in this part of Mexico. Although the Mexicans copied the lifestyle of the White Americans, “No dramatic historical modifications disturbed the cultural structure of the Mexican-Tejano community” (p.168).

In this paper, I will be summarizing the following chapters: Chapter 3: "A Legacy of Hate: The Conquest of Mexico’s Northwest”; Chapter 4: “Remember the Alamo: The Colonization of Texas”; and Chapter 5: “Freedom in a Cage: The Colonization of New Mexico. All three chapters are from the book, “Occupied America, A History of Chicanos” by Rodolfo F. Acuna. In chapter three, Acuna explains the causes of the war between Mexico and North America. In chapter four, Acuna explains the colonization of Texas and how Mexicans migrated from Mexico to Texas. In chapter five, Acuna explains the colonization of New Mexico and the economic changes that the people had to go through.

The exploration and settlement of Texas was built on the three Spanish institutions: missions, presidios, and ranches. A mission was a religious and educational center, a presidio was a military outpost or base for protection, and a ranch provided resources needed for survival. Through the influence of Hispanic culture in Texas, ranching in Texas has been established and further developed.

The History of Texas Texas history itself had its own amazing story. The small number of American settlers moved to the land of Texas had led to the dramatic war with the Mexicans. The land of Texas was used to be owned by Mexicans. Due to the argument between Texans and Mexicans caused the battle of San Jacinto and Mexican War. In long ago before American settlers moved to Texas, this place was so rich and an abundance of land.

First essay explains how many people became to settle into Texas. The relationship Between Stephen F. Austin and the patriarch of the Seguin family succeed in Bring Texas immigrants into to Texas. Austin convinced the Mexican Government to uphold their contract to the Spanish regime. Under that law Under that contract 67,000 acres of land for every 200 families to come into the colonies. The families would be clear of debt the incurred in the United States. Throughout the negotiations of the colonies. Austin created friendship among the

In the mid 1800s, many people around the world decided to leave their homes and immigrate to Texas. Fleeing crop failure, land and job shortages, raising taxes, and famine, all of this caused them to dismiss to Texas and create a new life. Most of the immigrants that came to Texas they were lost and desolated in Texas, they didn’t have any money and didn't spoke english in Document A it says how they lived when they came to Texas “With no other shelter, these unfortunate victims lived in hole they had excavated in the ground, without roofs and without drinking water except that that fell from heaven…” For the immigrants the U.S was seen as the land of economic opportunity,

When President of Mexico, Antonio Lopez Santa Anna, abolished the Constitution of 1824 and turned the government towards centralism; Texians and Tejanos rebel to bring back the Constitution of 1824. However, before they can begin their fight to Goliad and San Antonio, the men need a leader; someone with great fame and popularity in Texas. The man they choose is Stephen F. Austin, who has much renown in the region. Austin has an outstanding knowledge in many areas, whom the people of Texas will always follow. They are always willing to listen to his advice on certain situations and topics. Austin’s history is what makes him the great man that people still believe and love. Today, he is seen as the Father of Texas because his work and dedication lead to its future growth.

Texas became flooded by adventurous and land hungry North Americans that were unfamiliar with the native Texans' history and

From March 2, 1836 to February 19, 1846, Texas as its own independent country in North America. Those who resided in this independent country were referred to as Texians. Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836 during the Texas revolution which ended on April 21 of that same exact year. However, Mexico did not want to give the Republic of Texas its independence which resulted in conflicts between that of Texas and Mexico that went on into the 1840s. As a result, The United States of America recognized the Republic of Texas as an independent country in 1837 but failed to append their land. Later receiving its independence, Texas elected a Congress of fourteen senators and twenty-nine representatives in the month of September and year of 1836. However, within the Republic, citizenship was not a privileged for everybody living in Texas. Not everybody had legal rights to reside within the limits of the Republic without Congress permission. The Constitution of the Republic of Texas created differences for each and every ethnicity for each individual person. Meaning, whoever was there on the day the Republic of Texas won their independence had to be classified as a citizen of the Republic including Africans, those with African descent, and Native Americans. For Caucasian immigrants to become citizens they would have to had lived in the Republic for six months or less and take an oath. Those who were brought to Texas as a slave had to stay a

The annexation of Texas in the 1840s had many advantages and disadvantages to our country. The divisions between those who supported and opposed this annexation were divided, mainly between the North and South and those representatives supporting each area of the nation. Southerners saw the acquisition of Texas as a way to expand our nation, spread slavery in the South to help empower them, and provide a place for the immigrants pressing the borders of our country. The North did not want Texas to cause the South to overpower them, they feared a war with Mexico, and believed that the growing slave population would cause the lower class of Northerners to be without work.

Another important section of this chapter was simply called “Texas”. The author provides the context of the Great Plains in 1720 including the French-Spanish rivalry and the corresponding rivalry between the Pawnee and Wichita Indians and the Apache and Pueblo Indians. The Spanish colonies were populated mostly with unarmed missionaries, while the French-controlled regions

The recorded history of Texas begins with the arrival of the first Spanish conquistadors. Attracted by the rich lands for cotton, plantations, and ranching, tens of thousands of immigrants arrived from the U.S. In 1845, Texas joined the United States becoming the 28th state. Located in the south central part of the country. The language is dominated by English but Spanish is spoken there as well.

Natives lived in Texas for a very long time before the first European settlers arrived in the early 1500s. For more than 300 years after that, Texas was part of the Spanish colony known as New Spain, Texas finally won its own independence and became part of the United States in 1845. Throughout this history cultures and culinary traditions have been mixed to produce what is known as Tex-Mex style of food today.

While Texas leader Stephen Austin initially had no contempt toward Mexicans, the Anglo-American citizens in the area did. The American Texans of the 1800’s defined Mexicans as “a race alien to everything that Americans held dear” (De Leon 4). This sentiment would serve as the primary catalyst to the Texas secession from Mexico. When Austin began colonizing the area, he envisioned a place in which Anglo-Americans and Tejanos, Mexicans living in Texas, could live together. Eventually, though, the public opinions of North American settlers in the territory and in Washington would make him realize that the goal of unity between the two groups was impossible.

During my observation I had the opportunity to look at the social studies textbook that the 7th grade class was learning from. The textbook was Texas History by Houghton, Mifflin, and Harcourt. Mr. Bochniak told the students that they will be learning about US History when they go into the 8th grade. Teaching students about Texas history included but not limited to; Natural Texas and Its People, The Spanish in Texas, Prosperity and the Great Depression, The Modern Era, Texas Government, Local Government and Citizenship, and so much more. This textbook provided timelines, pictures of people and places, key vocabulary, and TEKS covered for each unit and chapter within the textbook. The students are able to explore graphs, timelines, and maps of destinations that were traveled and different wars that occurred. At the end of each chapter there were questions and activities to check students understanding and comprehension along with a chapter review to draw a conclusion on what they just read. The teacher could use think-pair-share and group discussion strategies to review each chapter with key objectives that were read and discussed to draw upon a chapter conclusion to check for