Texas
Texas was first claimed by Spain following the arrival of conquistadors in 1519, though permanent settlement did not begin until 1681 near modern El Paso. France briefly established Fort Saint Louis near Matagorda Bay in 1685, but the colony collapsed by 1688 after Karankawa raids; Spain responded by establishing missions and eventually the settlement of San Antonio in 1718, maintaining colonial administration until Mexico won independence in 1821. Mexican Texas lasted from 1821 to 1836, when Texians declared independence following the Texas Revolution and established the Republic of Texas, a sovereign nation recognized by several powers but never by Mexico. Texas was annexed by the United States on December 29, 1845, becoming the 28th state, though Mexico's formal recognition of Texan independence did not come until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
Pre-contact era
Indigenous people lived in what is now Texas more than 10,000 years ago, as evidenced by the discovery of the remains of prehistoric Leanderthal Lady. In 1519, the arrival of the first Spanish conquistadors found the region occupied by numerous Native American tribes. The name Texas derives from táyshaʼ, a word in the Caddoan language of the Hasinai, meaning 'friends' or 'allies.'
Colonial history
Spain did not attempt to establish a permanent settlement in Texas until after France established the colony of Fort Saint Louis in 1685. The first European settlement was established in 1681 along the upper Rio Grande near modern El Paso by exiled Spaniards and Native Americans from the Pueblo of Isleta after the Pueblo Revolt.
Although the colony lasted only three years, it established France's claim to possession of the region that is now Texas. La Salle was murdered during a mutiny in early 1687. The colony's last ship was wrecked in 1686, leaving colonists unable to obtain resources from French Caribbean colonies.
Spanish authority remained concentrated mainly around missions, presidios, ranches, and settlements. San Antonio began as a Spanish mission and presidio complex in 1718 and later became the capital and largest settlement of Texas. Reaching a maximum population of perhaps 5,000 Spanish, mixed-ancestry, and mission-affiliated Native residents in 1810, only about 2,500 people remained in Hispanic Texas by the end of the Mexican War of Independence.
Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836. Ratification of the 1824 Constitution of Mexico created a federal structure, and what is now Texas was joined with the province of Coahuila to form the state of Coahuila y Tejas. Mexico refused to recognize Texas as a new country even after the revolution.
The Mexican Congress refused to recognize the independence of the Republic of Texas, as the Treaties of Velasco were signed by Santa Anna under duress as prisoner. Much of its territory was controlled and disputed by Mexico or the Comancheria; Mexico considered it a rebellious province during its entire existence. European powers (France and Britain), along with the United States, hesitated to recognize the new republic, in deference to established relations with Mexico.
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State history content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Historic sites data: National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
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