Texas During The Progressive Era 1901-1929

The period from 1901 to 1929 saw Texas transform from a rural, agricultural society into an emerging industrial power. Driven by the "Black Gold" of the oil boom and the social reforms of the Progressive Era, the state began to modernize even as it grappled with internal political conflicts.

1901

The Age of Oil Begins: The Spindletop gusher near Beaumont produces more oil in one day than the rest of the world combined. This transforms the Texas economy from agrarian to industrial, shifting the center of power toward Anglo-Texan oil magnates in East Texas.

1902

The Poll Tax: Texas adopts a poll tax. This serves to disenfranchise many poor Anglo-Texans, Black Texans, and Spanish-Texans, ensuring that the state's political direction is controlled by the wealthy, white Democratic establishment.

1903

The Terrell Election Law: This law establishes the primary system but also allows for "White Primaries." This legally excludes Black Texans and many Spanish-Texans from the only elections that mattered in a one-party state.

1904

The Houston Ship Channel: Construction begins to turn Houston into a deep-water port. This massive project, funded by Anglo-Texan business leaders, eventually makes Houston the energy capital of the world.

1905

Progressive School Reforms: The legislature passes the "First School Law," consolidating small districts. While it improves education for Anglo-Texans, schools for Black and Spanish-Texan children remain severely underfunded and segregated.

1906

The Brownsville Raid: Following a mysterious shooting, Black soldiers are falsely accused of a riot. The incident highlights the intense racial tensions in South Texas as the U.S. military and local Anglo-Texan authorities clash with minority populations.

1907

Department of Agriculture Created: Texas establishes this department to help farmers. Even as oil grows, the state remains a global leader in cotton, with many Anglo-Texan and Spanish-Texan families tied to the "crop-lien" debt system.

1908

The Great Dallas Flood: The Trinity River devastates Dallas. In response, Anglo-Texan city leaders begin a massive engineering project to redirect the river, demonstrating the Progressive Era belief in "mastering nature" through technology.

1909

The El Paso Summit: American President Taft and Mexican President Díaz meet in El Paso. The summit underscores the strategic importance of the border, where Spanish-Texan communities act as the primary cultural and economic bridge between the two nations.

1910

The Mexican Revolution Begins: Violence across the border causes a massive wave of refugees to enter Texas. This influx of people creates a labor boom but also triggers a "nativist" backlash among some Anglo-Texans in South Texas.

1911

Revolution in El Paso: Thousands of people watch from rooftops in El Paso as the Battle of Juárez unfolds across the river, marking the first major victory for the Mexican revolutionaries. The conflict brings a heavy military presence to the border, disrupting the traditional cross-border lives of many Spanish-Texan families.

1912

Rice University Opens: Funded by the estate of William Marsh Rice, the institute becomes a beacon of Anglo-Texan academic ambition, focusing on science and engineering to fuel the state's new industrial era.

1913

Federal Reserve in Dallas: Dallas is chosen as a regional headquarters for the new Federal Reserve system. This cements the city as the financial heart of the Southwest, dominated by Anglo-Texan banking interests.

1914

The Rise of "Pa" Ferguson: James E. Ferguson is elected Governor. A populist who appeals to struggling Anglo-Texan tenant farmers, he eventually becomes the only Texas governor to be impeached and removed from office.

1915

The Plan de San Diego: A revolutionary plot is discovered calling for an uprising to reclaim Texas for Mexico. It leads to a "reign of terror" by the Texas Rangers, resulting in the extrajudicial killing of hundreds of innocent Spanish-Texans.

1916

The Pershing Expedition: Following Pancho Villa's raid, the U.S. Army uses Texas as a staging ground for an invasion of Mexico. This period sees the militarization of the border, forever changing the social landscape for Spanish-Texan residents.

1917

The Zimmerman Telegram & WWI: A German plot to return Texas to Mexico is exposed, pushing the U.S. into WWI. Thousands of Anglo-Texans and Spanish-Texans enlist, while the state becomes the nation's primary military training ground.

1918

Women's Suffrage (Primaries): Texas women win the right to vote in primaries. Anglo-Texan suffragists lead the charge, though Black and Spanish-Texan women still face significant barriers at the polls due to the poll tax.

1919

The Canales Investigation: State Representative José T. Canales leads an investigation into the Texas Rangers, exposing widespread abuses and killings of Spanish-Texans along the border. The Rangers are subsequently downsized and professionalized.

1920

Urbanization and the 19th Amendment: For the first time, more Texans live in cities than on farms. Women gain the full right to vote, marking a major milestone for Anglo-Texan progressive reformers.

1921

The KKK Resurgence: The Ku Klux Klan gains massive political power in Texas, targeting Black Texans, Catholics, and Spanish-Texans. The Klan successfully elects several Anglo-Texan members to local and state offices.

1922

The KKK Senate Victory: Earle B. Mayfield, supported by the Klan, is elected to the U.S. Senate. This marks the peak of the Klan's influence over the Anglo-Texan political establishment.

1923

State Parks Board Established: Under Governor Pat Neff, the state begins creating public parks. This move reflects a new Anglo-Texan middle-class interest in "motor tourism" and the preservation of the state's natural beauty.

1924

"Ma" Ferguson Elected: Running against the Klan, Miriam "Ma" Ferguson becomes the first female governor of Texas. She represents a populist coalition of Anglo-Texans and Spanish-Texans weary of Klan violence.

1925

The Anti-Mask Law: Governor Ferguson signs a law banning masks in public, effectively breaking the power of the KKK. This is a major victory for the religious and ethnic minorities of Texas.

1926

Texas Tech Opens: The college opens in Lubbock, providing the residents of the High Plains with their first major research institution, funded largely by the wealth of the Anglo-Texan ranching and farming boom.

1927

The Big Swing: The cotton industry reaches its height. Tens of thousands of migrant workers, mostly Spanish-Texans, begin the "Big Swing" harvest circuit, which becomes the backbone of the state's agricultural economy.

1928

The Houston Convention: The Democratic National Convention is held in Houston. Despite local Anglo-Texan opposition to his Catholicism and "Wet" (anti-Prohibition) stance, Al Smith receives the nomination.

1929

LULAC Founded: The League of United Latin American Citizens is formed in Corpus Christi. It becomes the oldest and largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States, fighting for the end of segregation and discrimination in Texas. It becomes the premier civil rights organization fighting against the segregation of "Mexican Schools" and for the rights of Hispanic citizens.