Early Republic

James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas

1819
Texas
Date
1819
Location
Texas
Type
expedition

What happened

Virginian filibuster James Long invaded Spanish Texas in 1819 in an attempt to liberate the region. On June 22, the combined force declared a new government with Long as president and issued a declaration of independence.

People involved

When this happened

James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas occurred in 1819, during the early republic period of American history.

Where this happened

James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas took place in Texas. Explore the full history of Texas and primary source records from this era.

Historical context — Early Republic

The early republic period saw the United States move from the weak Articles of Confederation to the federal Constitution ratified in 1788, with the Bill of Rights added in 1791. George Washington served two terms as president (1789–1797), establishing precedents for executive authority, and the federal capital moved permanently to Washington D.C. in 1800. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled the nation's territory for roughly $15 million, opening vast trans-Mississippi lands to American expansion. The War of 1812 against Britain ended inconclusively but produced a surge of American national identity and eliminated most British support for Indigenous resistance east of the Mississippi. The Northwest Indian Wars (1785–1795) and the Creek War (1813–1814) broke Indigenous confederacies that had resisted US expansion. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 temporarily balanced slave and free states as the nation expanded westward, but embedded the contradiction of slavery in every subsequent territorial debate.

Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia: Spanish Texas.

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This page covers James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas. A full Aubrey report on Texas pulls together this event alongside land records, conflicts, and everything else the historical record holds about the area:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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About James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas

What was James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas?
Virginian filibuster James Long invaded Spanish Texas in 1819 in an attempt to liberate the region. On June 22, the combined force declared a new government with Long as president and issued a declaration of independence.
When did James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas happen?
James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas occurred in 1819.
Where did James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas take place?
James Long's Filibuster Expedition into Texas took place in Texas.

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