Texas History and Geography

Austin

Capital of Texas

Houston

Largest city in Texas by population

Rio Grande

River forming the border between Texas and Mexico

Guadalupe Peak

Highest point in Texas

Rocky Mountains

Mountain range running through western Texas

The Great Plains

Vast, flat grassland region in Texas

Chihuahuan Desert

Desert extending into western Texas

Galveston Bay

Large bay along the Texas Gulf Coast

Brazos River

Longest river entirely within Texas

Padre Island

Barrier island along the Texas Gulf Coast

El Paso

City in Texas known as the 'Gateway to the West'

Buffalo Bayou

Bayou flowing through Houston into the Gulf of Mexico

Natural Bridge Caverns

Famous limestone caverns near San Antonio

Lake Travis

Reservoir formed by a dam on the Colorado River in Texas

Alonso Álvarez de Pineda

Spanish explorer who mapped the Texas Gulf Coast in 1519

Spanish missions

Type of missions established by Franciscan missionaries in East Texas in the 1690s

Adams-Onís Treaty (1819)

Treaty settling boundary disputes between the United States and Spain

Mexican Constitution of 1824

Document establishing Mexico as a federal republic

Law of April 6, 1830

Mexican law restricting immigration to Texas from the United States

Texas Declaration of Independence

Document signed in 1836 leading to the establishment of the Republic of Texas

Treaties of Velasco (1836)

Treaties ending hostilities between Texas and Mexico after the Texas Revolution

Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

Conflict between the United States and Mexico over territorial disputes

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)

Treaty ending the Mexican-American War and resulting in Mexico ceding territory to the United States

Compromise of 1850

Series of legislative measures addressing slavery and territorial issues

Reconstruction Era (1865-1870)

Period following the Civil War aimed at rebuilding the South and integrating freed slaves

13th Amendment (1865)

Amendment abolishing slavery in the United States

14th Amendment (1868)

Amendment granting citizenship and equal protection under the law

15th Amendment (1870)

Amendment granting voting rights regardless of race

What was the purpose of Spanish missions in Texas

To convert Native Americans to Christianity and establish Spanish presence in the region.

Which European country established the Spanish missions in Texas?

Spain

What was the primary activity of the missionaries in the Spanish missions?

Religious instruction and conversion of Native Americans to Christianity.

Name one of the missions established by the Spanish in Texas.

Mission San Antonio de Valero (commonly known as the Alamo).

Where were the Spanish missions typically built in relation to Native American settlements?

Near Native American settlements or villages.

What was the typical layout of a Spanish mission complex?

It included a church, living quarters for the friars, workshops, granaries, and sometimes defensive walls.

What agricultural activities were carried out in the Spanish missions?

Farming, ranching, and cultivating crops.

What challenges did the Spanish missionaries face in their efforts to convert Native Americans?

Resistance from some Native American groups, diseases, and conflicts with other European powers.

What was the ultimate fate of the Spanish missions in Texas?

Many were abandoned or secularized in the 18th and 19th centuries, while some continue to operate as active churches or historic sites.

What happened in 1519?

Alonso Álvarez de Pineda maps the Texas coastline.

What occurred in 1685?

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, establishes Fort Saint Louis in Texas.

What event took place in 1718?

San Antonio is founded by Spanish settlers.

What significant events happened in 1836?

March 2: Texas Declaration of Independence is signed.

What occurred in 1845?

• Texas is annexed by the United States and becomes the 28th state.

: What happened in 1861?

Texas secedes from the United States and joins the Confederacy.

What occurred in 1865?

Emancipation of enslaved African Americans is announced in Texas (Juneteenth).

: What event took place in 1876?

Texas adopts its current state constitution.

What happened in 1901?

What happened in 1901?

Spindletop gusher in Beaumont marks the beginning of the Texas oil boom.