Texan social studies

Who was Edmund J. Davis?

Radical Republican governor of Texas (1870–1874) who expanded public education and created an integrated state police force.

Who was James Stephen Hogg?

First Texas-born governor who created the Texas Railroad Commission in 1891.

Who was Norris Wright Cuney?

Leading Black Republican leader in post-Civil War Texas who fought for civil rights and political representation.

What were the Redeemer Democrats?

Conservative Democrats who regained control of Texas government after Reconstruction.

What did the Texas Constitution of 1876 do?

Limited state government power, reduced taxes, and remains Texas's governing constitution.

What was the purpose of the Cattle Drives?

To move Texas longhorns north to railheads in Kansas for shipment to markets.

Why did the Cattle Drives end?

Barbed wire fencing and expanding railroads made long drives unnecessary.

What were the Fence-Cutting Wars?

Conflicts between large ranchers and smaller farmers over access to land and water.

Why is the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 significant?

It was the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history and helped Houston replace Galveston as Texas's leading commercial center.

What was the poll tax?

A voting fee used to disenfranchise many Black and Mexican American Texans.

What was the white primary?

A system that excluded non-white voters from Democratic Party primaries.

What was sharecropping?

A system where farmers worked land for a share of the crop and often remained trapped in debt.

How did the buffalo slaughter affect Plains tribes?

It destroyed their primary resource base and helped force them onto reservations.

What was the Red River War?

The conflict that ended major Comanche resistance in 1874–1875.

What was the Farmers' Alliance?

A large agricultural movement that sought economic reforms for farmers.

What was the Populist Movement?

A political movement advocating railroad regulation, income taxes, and direct election of senators.

What was the XIT Ranch?

The largest fenced ranch in the world, located in the Texas Panhandle.

What happened at Spindletop in 1901?

A massive oil gusher launched the Texas oil boom.

How did Spindletop change Texas?

It transformed Texas from a primarily agricultural state into an industrial oil powerhouse.

What was the East Texas Oil Field?

A giant oil field discovered in 1930 that triggered a major oil boom.

Why did the Texas Railroad Commission become powerful?

It regulated oil production and influenced oil prices.

How did oil contribute to urbanization?

Oil wealth fueled city growth, industry, infrastructure, and jobs.

What caused the cotton boom-and-bust cycle?

Overproduction, falling prices, and later the boll weevil infestation.

What was the boll weevil?

An insect that devastated Texas cotton crops in the early 1900s.

What happened during the 1980s oil bust?

Texas suffered major job losses, bank failures, and recession.

Why did Texas diversify its economy after the 1980s?

To reduce dependence on oil and gas.

What industries helped diversify Texas's economy?

Technology, telecommunications, healthcare, finance, and military sectors.

What were Progressive Era reforms in Texas?

Railroad regulation, anti-trust laws, child labor reforms, and expanded public education.

When did Texas ratify the 19th Amendment?

1919.

Who was Heman Sweatt?

Plaintiff in Sweatt v. Painter, a key case leading to desegregation of higher education.

Why was Sweatt v. Painter important?

It ruled that separate law schools were not equal and challenged segregation.

Who was Lulu Belle Madison White?

Houston NAACP leader who fought segregation and voter suppression.

Who was Cesar Chavez?

Labor leader who inspired farmworker activism and union organizing.

Who was Barbara Jordan?

First Black woman from the South elected to the U.S. Congress and a major Texas political leader.

What did Smith v. Allwright (1944) accomplish?

It ended the white primary in Texas.

What did Brown v. Board of Education require?

Desegregation of public schools.

What was the Chicano Movement?

A movement advocating educational equity, political representation, and civil rights for Mexican Americans.

Who founded the American GI Forum?

Dr. Hector P. Garcia.

Who was Miriam 'Ma' Ferguson?

The first female governor of Texas.

Who was Ann Richards?

Texas governor known for modernizing state government and promoting diversity.

How did World War I affect Texas?

It boosted agriculture and military activity but also increased racial tensions.

What was the Houston Riot of 1917?

A deadly conflict involving Black soldiers stationed at Camp Logan.

How did the Great Depression affect Texas?

Cotton prices collapsed, banks failed, and unemployment soared.

What was the Dust Bowl?

A period of severe drought and dust storms that devastated the Panhandle.

How did World War II transform Texas?

It accelerated urbanization, industrialization, and population growth.

Who was Lyndon B. Johnson?

36th U.S. President who signed major civil rights and Great Society legislation.

What major laws did LBJ help pass?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.

What happened on November 22, 1963?

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

Why is NASA important to Texas?

Houston became Mission Control and a center for space exploration.

How did Texas become more Republican?

Conservative voters gradually shifted from the Democratic Party after the 1960s.

What are the four major natural regions of Texas?

Mountains and Basins, Great Plains, North Central Plains, and Coastal Plains.

What is the highest point in Texas?

Guadalupe Peak.

Which region contains Big Bend National Park?

Mountains and Basins.

What is the Llano Estacado?

A large plateau in the Great Plains region.

What major aquifer supports Panhandle agriculture?

The Ogallala Aquifer.

What is the Caprock Escarpment?

The dramatic eastern edge of the Llano Estacado.

What is the main economic activity in the Mountains and Basins region?

Ranching, tourism, and mining.

What city is the major urban center of the Mountains and Basins region?

El Paso.

What are the Cross Timbers?

Woodland belts marking the western edge of reliable rainfall.

Which Texas region is the largest by area and population?

The Coastal Plains.

What is the Piney Woods region known for?

Forests, timber, cotton, and historical plantation agriculture.

What is the Blackland Prairie known for?

Highly fertile soils and cotton production.

Why is Houston economically important?

It is a major petrochemical, medical, and space exploration center.

Why is San Antonio historically significant?

It contains the Alamo and major Spanish missions.

How did Fort Worth develop?

As a cattle market and meatpacking center.

Why is Austin important?

It is the state capital, home to UT, and a major technology hub.

Why is El Paso strategically important?

It serves as a major international trade and border crossing center.

What is the Rio Grande Valley known for?

Agriculture, Hispanic culture, and rapid population growth.

What is the significance of the 98th meridian?

It roughly divides wetter eastern Texas from drier western Texas.

Why were rivers important in Texas history?

They served as transportation routes, water sources, and boundaries.

What river forms the Texas-Mexico border?

The Rio Grande.

What is the Balcones Escarpment?

A geological boundary separating the Coastal Plains from interior highlands.

Why did Austin and San Antonio develop along the Balcones Escarpment?

Reliable springs and water sources were available there.

How has irrigation modified Texas's environment?

It increased agricultural productivity but depleted aquifers.

What are benefits of dams and reservoirs?

Water storage, flood control, and hydroelectric power.

What environmental problems resulted from land clearing?

Soil erosion, habitat loss, and increased flooding.

What are benefits of oil and gas extraction?

Economic growth, jobs, and energy production.

What environmental concerns are linked to oil and gas extraction?

Pollution, groundwater risks, earthquakes, and climate impacts.

How has urbanization affected Texas?

Economic growth but also more flooding, sprawl, and environmental strain.

Why did slavery become concentrated in East Texas?

The region's geography was ideal for cotton cultivation.

Why is Texas economically diverse?

Its varied geography supports many different industries.

What industries helped urbanize Texas?

Oil, railroads, cattle, technology, manufacturing, medical, and energy industries.