Early Texas Statehood 1845-1861

1845

Annexation Finalized: Texas officially joins the United States on December 29. President Anson Jones hands over the government to the first state governor, James Pinckney Henderson. While Anglo-Texans celebrate statehood for its economic security, Spanish-Texans remain wary of how U.S. law will treat their ancestral land titles.

1846

The Mexican-American War Begins: Disputes over the Rio Grande boundary lead to the first shots of the war. Many Anglo-Texans and the Texas Rangers enlist to fight, eager to settle old scores with Mexico. The war places Spanish-Texan families in South Texas in a difficult position, as their homeland becomes an active battleground between two nations.

1847

Victory in Mexico: U.S. forces, bolstered by thousands of Anglo-Texan volunteers, capture Mexico City. The Texas Rangers earn the nickname "Los Diablos Tejanos" (The Texan Devils) from Mexican civilians for their fierce and often brutal tactics during the occupation.

1848

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: Mexico officially cedes its claims to Texas. The Rio Grande is permanently established as the southern border. However, the treaty's promise to respect the property rights of Spanish-Texans is poorly enforced, leading to decades of legal battles over land grants.

1849

The Gold Rush Trail: Texas becomes a major thoroughfare for "Forty-Niners." The massive influx of travelers increases friction with Native Nations like the Comanche and Kiowa, as travelers deplete local water and game along the trails.

1850

The Compromise of 1850: Texas settles its boundary dispute with New Mexico, giving up claims to "Upper" New Mexico in exchange for $10 million. This windfall allows the state to pay off old Republic debts, mostly held by Anglo-Texan creditors, and fuels a period of internal growth.

1851

Frontier Defense: The U.S. Army builds a new line of forts across the Texas Hill Country. This military presence encourages Texan settlement further west, directly infringing on the Comanchería and leading to an increase in frontier raids.

1852

Steam and Steel: The first railroad company in Texas begins construction. This infrastructure shift starts to change the economy, moving away from Spanish-Texan traditional cart-hauling toward mechanized transport controlled by Anglo capital.

1853

Political Growth: The Democratic Party becomes the dominant force. Political power is concentrated among the Anglo-Texan elite in East and Central Texas, while the Spanish-Texan population in the south and the Native Nations in the west are largely marginalized from the state's growing political structure.

1854

Indigenous Reservations: Texas establishes two small reservations on the Brazos River for groups like the Caddo and Tonkawa. Despite their cooperation, these tribes face constant harassment from nearby Anglo-Texan settlers who covet the reservation lands.

1855

The Know-Nothing Challenge: The American (Know-Nothing) Party briefly rises in Texas. Their platform is overtly anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic, directly targeting the cultural and religious identity of Spanish-Texans and German immigrants.

1856

The Camel Experiment: In a unique military trial, the U.S. Army brings camels to Camp Verde. While the experiment is a logistical success for desert transport, it is eventually abandoned due to the onset of the Civil War and the resistance of traditional horse-based Anglo-Texan cavalry.

1857

The Cart War: Violent clashes break out as Anglo-Texan teamsters attack Spanish-Texan freight haulers (cartmen) to seize control of the trade routes between the coast and San Antonio. The conflict only ends after the Mexican government and the U.S. Secretary of State intervene.

1858

The Battle of Little Robe Creek: Texas Rangers lead an aggressive strike into the heart of the Comanchería. This battle marks a transition toward total war against Native Nations, as the state government seeks to permanently remove the "Indian Threat" to allow for expanded ranching.

1859

The Return of Sam Houston: Houston is elected Governor on a pro-Union platform. Meanwhile, the Native Nations on the Brazos reservations are forcibly removed from Texas to Oklahoma due to settler violence. In South Texas, the Cortina War begins as Spanish-Texan Juan Cortina occupies Brownsville to protest the mistreatment of his people.

1860

The Election of Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln wins the U.S. Presidency. In Texas, the "Texas Troubles"—a wave of hysteria over rumored slave revolts—leads to the lynching of many suspected abolitionists and further alienates Anglo-Texan Unionists like Houston.

1861

Secession: Texas votes to secede and joins the Confederacy. Governor Sam Houston is deposed for refusing to swear allegiance to the CSA. Many Anglo-Texans rush to join the Confederate army, while Spanish-Texans and Native Nations prepare for a period of renewed chaos and frontier vulnerability as federal troops withdraw from the state.

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