That's right, Independence Day, Texas Independence Day,that is. It was on this day in 1836 that Texas declared its independence from Mexico. It seems that old Andy Jackson had sent his
disgraced buddy Sam Houston down here to see what he could do about getting Texas added to the Union without snatching it from Mexico fair and square. So old Sam got together with Stephen Austin, Davey
Crockett and a few others and really stirred things up. They were aided by the fact that a certain Mexican general was trying to annex as much territory as he possibly could. Next thing ya know, Texas is a republic with no way to support herself or pay her war debts, so she gets welcomed into the United States at a time when they were trying real hard to balance the number of slave states with the number of non-slave states and just in time for the
unCivil War.
The Republic was larger than the state we now know as Texas and included parts of what are now New Mexico and Colorado. Its western border was defined bu the Rio
Grande River and it looked something like this:
Sound track for this post has to be The Yellow Rose of Texas. (Follow the link to read the original lyrics and the story. I think it is hysterical that the big hotel in San Antonio is misnamed.)
Photo of map from: http://www.trulytexas.com/ps-tx1839.html
7 comments:
How do you celebrate Texas Independence Day, with Mexican food?
I don't need as special day to eat Mexican food. We do it at least once a week. I 'celebrate' Texas Independence Day bu staying as far away from downtown and campus as possible. It usually doesn't work,though. I had to go to work yesterday and got caught in the road closure mess caused by the parade. They used to fire a cannon from the 'war of independence' on campus every year but I think they have finally stopped doin that.
I'm guessing there are plenty of Americans wishing that Texas had stayed a republic.
I'm just sayin . . .
to take brave sir robin's little sally a step further
i've mostly wished that the mason-dixon line had been a coastline.
i've mostly wished that the mason-dixon line had been a coastline.
Now THAT belongs on a t-shirt.
I'm not sure which side of the line would be under water and I'm not much of a swimmer. If you wore it down South, folks would think you were a damn Yankee and if you wore it up North, they would think you were a Dixie Hick. Trouble either way.
I love your take on Texas history - not what I learned at all back in 7th grade in Lubbock! All I remember is that they taught us the 6 different flags, so we knew why Six Flags amusement park was given its name.
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