Chapter one

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historical events, demographic statistics, economic regions, and political culture concepts from the Texas lecture notes.

Tejanos

Spanish settlers in Texas.

Empresario

A person who contracted with the Spanish and Mexican governments to recruit new settlers in exchange for claiming land.

Gonzales Flag

A flag created during the revolt against Mexico in 1835 featuring the phrase "Come and Take it".

Treaty of Velasco

The treaty Santa Anna was forced to sign following the 1836 loss at the Alamo.

Adelsverein

A society associated with German settlers in Texas.

Manifest Destiny

The doctrine of the United States stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Balcones Escarpment

A dry, arid, and treeless geographic region that limited Anglo expansion to the West.

Reconstruction in Texas

The post-Civil War period under Union control that began in 1865 to restore law and dismantle slavery.

Carpetbaggers

A term used during Reconstruction in Texas to describe Northerners who came to the South.

Constitution of 1876

The current constitution of Texas, which demonstrates distrust of government and emphasizes freedom and liberty.

Sitio or Legua

A Spanish unit of land measure equal to 4,428 acres.

Spindletop (1901)

The 1901 oil strike that marked the transition of the Texas economy to dominant oil drilling.

East Texas / Piney Woods

A Texas economic region where the primary economy is centered on timber.

Metroplex (DFW)

A Texas economic region with an economy focused on banking, high tech, and legal services.

Central Corridor / Midstate

A Texas economic region containing 3 large state universities, high-tech industry, and military bases.

Demography

The study of population.

Majority-Minority State

A status Texas reached in 2004 where all racial and ethnic minority groups combined (including Black, Mexican, and Asian populations) form the majority.

Moralistic Political Culture

A political culture view where government is seen positively as a means to achieve the public good.

Individualistic Political Culture

A political culture view that conceives government as a mechanism to benefit the individual.

Traditionalistic Political Culture

A political culture view mostly prevalent in Texas where government function is designed to benefit small elites.

Classical Liberalism

A political ideology in Texas associated with libertarian views.

Social Conservatism

A political ideology in Texas centered on social issues like abortion and school prayer.

Populist

A political view advocating for federal government involvement to assist small businesses.