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Copyright 2001. The Lazy 'C' - All rights reserved.
history
Today's Lone Star Flag was first adopted on January 24, 1839 as the national flag of the Republic of Texas.
The flag was later adopted as the state flag when Texas became the 28th state in 1845. As with the flag of the United States, the blue stands for loyalty, the white represents strength, and the red is for bravery.
The official description of the Texas flag, which specifies the exact proportions of each of its elements, was only recently adopted by the state legislature. Accordingly,
"The state flag consists of a rectangle with a width to length ratio of two to three containing: (1) a blue verticle stripe one-third the entire length of the flag wide, and two equal horizontal stripes, the upper stripe white, the lower red, each two-thirds the entire length of the flag long; and (2) a white, regular five-pointed star in the centre of the blue stripe, oriented so that one point faces upward, and of such a size that the diameter of a circle passing through the five points of the star is equal to three-fourths the width of the blue stripe."
The flag was later adopted as the state flag when Texas became the 28th state in 1845. As with the flag of the United States, the blue stands for loyalty, the white represents strength, and the red is for bravery.
The official description of the Texas flag, which specifies the exact proportions of each of its elements, was only recently adopted by the state legislature. Accordingly,
"The state flag consists of a rectangle with a width to length ratio of two to three containing: (1) a blue verticle stripe one-third the entire length of the flag wide, and two equal horizontal stripes, the upper stripe white, the lower red, each two-thirds the entire length of the flag long; and (2) a white, regular five-pointed star in the centre of the blue stripe, oriented so that one point faces upward, and of such a size that the diameter of a circle passing through the five points of the star is equal to three-fourths the width of the blue stripe."
Nickname: The Lone Star State.
Capital: Austin.
Constitution: The 28th State.
Statehood: December 29th 1845.
Motto: Friendship
History:
When the first Europeans arrived, about 30,000 Indians lived in what is now Texas. Spanish adventurers, for "glory, God, and gold," began exploring Texas during the early 1500's. The Spaniards sent many expeditions to look for the Seven Cities of Cibola, a legendary group of cities of great wealth.
Franciscan missionaries built Texas' first two missions in 1682, near present-day El Paso. By 1731, Spain had established missions throughout central, east, and southwest Texas. Mexico broke away from Spain in 1821, and Texas became a part of the new Empire of Mexico.
In 1821, the first colony of Americans settled in Texas under the sponsorship of Stephen F. Austin. From 1821 to 1836, the number of American settlers grew to between 25,000 and 30,000. Mexican officials became alarmed by the increasing numbers, and relations between the settlers and the officials grew steadily worse. In 1834, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, a Mexican politician and soldier, overthrew Mexico's government and made himself dictator. The next year, the American colonists in Texas revolted against Mexico.
Texan troops captured San Antonio on Dec. 11, 1835. Santa Anna assembled a large army and marched on the city. Texan rebels withdrew behind the Alamo, the chapel of an old Spanish mission. The Alamo fell to Santa Anna on March 6, 1836. On April 21, Texas won independence when Sam Houston's troops captured Santa Anna and crushed his army at San Jacinto.
For nearly 10 years after the war, Texas remained an independent republic. It became a U.S. state in 1845. Disputes over the boundary between Texas and Mexico led to the Mexican War (1846-1848). Mexico gave up all claims to southwestern lands after the war.
Texas seceded (withdrew) from the U.S.A. and joined the Confederate States of America in March 1861 in spite of strong Union feeling in some sections of the state. After the American Civil War (1861-1865), Northern sympathizers called Radicals rose to power in Texas state politics. Racial violence broke out and the Ku Klux Klan became powerful. Texas was readmitted to the Union on March 30, 1870.
From the mid-1860's to the 1880's, Texans drove cattle along trails to railway centres in Kansas and Missouri. Railways crossed Texas in the 1880's, ending the cattle drives and aiding settlement.
The state's great oil and gas industries began in 1901 with the discovery of the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont. The annual value of manufactured goods more than doubled between 1900 and 1910.
During the early 1920's, Texas Governor Pat M. Neff made important improvements in education and prisons. Great highway construction took place during the 1920's and 1930's. New legislation helped ease hardships during the Depression and droughts of the 1930's.
During World War II (1939-1945), over a million servicemen trained in Texan military camps. After the war, manufacturing expanded rapidly. Texas began to shift from a rural, farm economy to an urban, industrial one.
As in many other U.S. states, civil rights issues associated with racial discrimination arose in the 1950's and 1960's. On Nov. 22, 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas became President of the United States after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. Texas took a leading role in the U.S. space programme during the 1960's. In 1969, officials at the NASA headquarters near Houston directed the Apollo 11 flight, in which astronauts made the first landing on the moon. During the mid-1980's, the state's economy was deeply hurt by a sharp decline in oil and natural gas prices. By 1990, the economy had begun to recover.
Bird:
Ask any Texan, and you will no doubt learn that the mockingbird has the prettiest song of any bird native to North America. That's perhaps the chief reason the "mocker" was adopted as the state bird of Texas in 1927.
The song of the mockingbird is, in fact, a medley of the calls of many other birds. Each imitation is repeated two or three times, then another song is started, all in rapid succession. In the above sample audio file, the songs of four distinct species were recorded in the span of about seven seconds. It is common for an individual bird to have as many as 25-30 songs in its repertory.
The mockingbird is also known as a fierce protector of its nest and environment. It is sometimes seen swooping down on a dog, cat or predator that may be venturing too close to the bird's protected territory.
The mimus polyglottos, as the mockingbird is known scientifically, is about ten inches in length, including its relatively long tail. It has a light grey coat and a whitish underside. Its wings and tail are darker grey with white patches.
Economy:
Agriculture: Cattle, cotton, dairy products, nursery stock, poultry, sorghum, corn, wheat.
Industry: Chemical products, petroleum and natural gas, food processing, electric equipment, machinery, mining, tourism.
Flower:
Named for its colour and, it is said, the resemblance of its petal to a woman's sunbonnet, the bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. It blooms in the early spring and can be readily found in fields and along the roadsides throughout central and south Texas.
Scientifically named Lupinus texensis, the bluebonnet is also called buffalo clover, wolf flower, and (by the Mexicans) el conejo. It was adopted as the official state flower by the Texas Legislature in 1901.
Origin of state's name:
Based on a word used by Caddo Indians meaning "friends".
Seal:
Today, the seal of the state of Texas has developed into a uniform design with both a front (obverse) and a reverse side. By law, the seal is required to authenticate official documents of the state. The origins of the seal go back to the early days of the republic.
The Obverse:
The Convention of 1836 convened on March 2 at Washington on the Brazos and declared independence from Mexico. Ten days later, the convention adopted a resolution providing for "a single star of five points" as the "peculiar emblem" of the Republic. At least when used on official documents, the seal was to be either gold or silver in colour.
Later that same year, the newly formed government of the republic passed a bill which refined somewhat the original description of the seal. Thus, it declared, "for the future, the national seal of this republic shall consist of a single star, with the letters 'Republic of Texas,' circular on said seal, which seal shall also be circular." Ad interim President David Burnet first proposed this description, and Sam Houston, who replaced Burnet as president, approved the design on December 10, 1836.
The Third Congress of the Republic of Texas modified the seal in 1839, adding a live oak branch (to represent strength) and an olive branch (to represent peace). The resulting design, basically, is the one used today. When Texas joined the United States in 1845, the design of the seal was retained, with the change only of the word "Republic" to "State".
Over the next century and a half, the various departments of the state government evolved more than a dozen different renderings of the basic seal design. To ensure more uniform usage, an official implementation of the seal (as shown above left) was adopted by the Secretary of State in 1992.
The Reverse:
The reverse of the Texas state seal (above right) developed much later than the obverse. It was adopted in 1961, based on a design proposed by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. It consists of a shield surrounded by the six national flags that have flown over Texas. Atop the shield is the familiar lone star from which Texas derived its nickname. A narrow banner across the upper part of the seal displays the words "Remember the Alamo". A similar banner at the bottom reads "Texas One and Indivisible".
The reverse of the seal is used only as a decorative symbol. Unlike the obverse seal, the reverse does not carry with it any legal use or significance.
Tree:
The pecan is a large tree native to North America. It bears sweet edible nuts, deep brown in colour, that range from 1 to 2 inches in length.
The mature pecan tree is usually 70 to 100 feet tall, as shown above, but can grow as tall as 150 feet and higher. The native pecan trees shown are estimated to be over 150 years old. Their trunks are more than three feet in diameter.
Texas is the largest producer of native pecans, and is second only to Georgia in the production of hybrid (orchard grown) varieties. The pecan became the Texas state tree by act of the Texas Legislature in 1919. Governor James Hogg favored the tree so much that he requested that one be planted at his gravesite.
When the first Europeans arrived, about 30,000 Indians lived in what is now Texas. Spanish adventurers, for "glory, God, and gold," began exploring Texas during the early 1500's. The Spaniards sent many expeditions to look for the Seven Cities of Cibola, a legendary group of cities of great wealth.
Franciscan missionaries built Texas' first two missions in 1682, near present-day El Paso. By 1731, Spain had established missions throughout central, east, and southwest Texas. Mexico broke away from Spain in 1821, and Texas became a part of the new Empire of Mexico.
In 1821, the first colony of Americans settled in Texas under the sponsorship of Stephen F. Austin. From 1821 to 1836, the number of American settlers grew to between 25,000 and 30,000. Mexican officials became alarmed by the increasing numbers, and relations between the settlers and the officials grew steadily worse. In 1834, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, a Mexican politician and soldier, overthrew Mexico's government and made himself dictator. The next year, the American colonists in Texas revolted against Mexico.
Texan troops captured San Antonio on Dec. 11, 1835. Santa Anna assembled a large army and marched on the city. Texan rebels withdrew behind the Alamo, the chapel of an old Spanish mission. The Alamo fell to Santa Anna on March 6, 1836. On April 21, Texas won independence when Sam Houston's troops captured Santa Anna and crushed his army at San Jacinto.
For nearly 10 years after the war, Texas remained an independent republic. It became a U.S. state in 1845. Disputes over the boundary between Texas and Mexico led to the Mexican War (1846-1848). Mexico gave up all claims to southwestern lands after the war.
Texas seceded (withdrew) from the U.S.A. and joined the Confederate States of America in March 1861 in spite of strong Union feeling in some sections of the state. After the American Civil War (1861-1865), Northern sympathizers called Radicals rose to power in Texas state politics. Racial violence broke out and the Ku Klux Klan became powerful. Texas was readmitted to the Union on March 30, 1870.
From the mid-1860's to the 1880's, Texans drove cattle along trails to railway centres in Kansas and Missouri. Railways crossed Texas in the 1880's, ending the cattle drives and aiding settlement.
The state's great oil and gas industries began in 1901 with the discovery of the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont. The annual value of manufactured goods more than doubled between 1900 and 1910.
During the early 1920's, Texas Governor Pat M. Neff made important improvements in education and prisons. Great highway construction took place during the 1920's and 1930's. New legislation helped ease hardships during the Depression and droughts of the 1930's.
During World War II (1939-1945), over a million servicemen trained in Texan military camps. After the war, manufacturing expanded rapidly. Texas began to shift from a rural, farm economy to an urban, industrial one.
As in many other U.S. states, civil rights issues associated with racial discrimination arose in the 1950's and 1960's. On Nov. 22, 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas became President of the United States after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. Texas took a leading role in the U.S. space programme during the 1960's. In 1969, officials at the NASA headquarters near Houston directed the Apollo 11 flight, in which astronauts made the first landing on the moon. During the mid-1980's, the state's economy was deeply hurt by a sharp decline in oil and natural gas prices. By 1990, the economy had begun to recover.
Bird:
Ask any Texan, and you will no doubt learn that the mockingbird has the prettiest song of any bird native to North America. That's perhaps the chief reason the "mocker" was adopted as the state bird of Texas in 1927.
The song of the mockingbird is, in fact, a medley of the calls of many other birds. Each imitation is repeated two or three times, then another song is started, all in rapid succession. In the above sample audio file, the songs of four distinct species were recorded in the span of about seven seconds. It is common for an individual bird to have as many as 25-30 songs in its repertory.
The mockingbird is also known as a fierce protector of its nest and environment. It is sometimes seen swooping down on a dog, cat or predator that may be venturing too close to the bird's protected territory.
Economy:
Agriculture: Cattle, cotton, dairy products, nursery stock, poultry, sorghum, corn, wheat.
Industry: Chemical products, petroleum and natural gas, food processing, electric equipment, machinery, mining, tourism.
Flower:
Named for its colour and, it is said, the resemblance of its petal to a woman's sunbonnet, the bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. It blooms in the early spring and can be readily found in fields and along the roadsides throughout central and south Texas.
Scientifically named Lupinus texensis, the bluebonnet is also called buffalo clover, wolf flower, and (by the Mexicans) el conejo. It was adopted as the official state flower by the Texas Legislature in 1901.
Origin of state's name:
Based on a word used by Caddo Indians meaning "friends".
Seal:
Today, the seal of the state of Texas has developed into a uniform design with both a front (obverse) and a reverse side. By law, the seal is required to authenticate official documents of the state. The origins of the seal go back to the early days of the republic.
The Obverse:
The Convention of 1836 convened on March 2 at Washington on the Brazos and declared independence from Mexico. Ten days later, the convention adopted a resolution providing for "a single star of five points" as the "peculiar emblem" of the Republic. At least when used on official documents, the seal was to be either gold or silver in colour.
Later that same year, the newly formed government of the republic passed a bill which refined somewhat the original description of the seal. Thus, it declared, "for the future, the national seal of this republic shall consist of a single star, with the letters 'Republic of Texas,' circular on said seal, which seal shall also be circular." Ad interim President David Burnet first proposed this description, and Sam Houston, who replaced Burnet as president, approved the design on December 10, 1836.
The Third Congress of the Republic of Texas modified the seal in 1839, adding a live oak branch (to represent strength) and an olive branch (to represent peace). The resulting design, basically, is the one used today. When Texas joined the United States in 1845, the design of the seal was retained, with the change only of the word "Republic" to "State".
Over the next century and a half, the various departments of the state government evolved more than a dozen different renderings of the basic seal design. To ensure more uniform usage, an official implementation of the seal (as shown above left) was adopted by the Secretary of State in 1992.
The Reverse:
The reverse of the Texas state seal (above right) developed much later than the obverse. It was adopted in 1961, based on a design proposed by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. It consists of a shield surrounded by the six national flags that have flown over Texas. Atop the shield is the familiar lone star from which Texas derived its nickname. A narrow banner across the upper part of the seal displays the words "Remember the Alamo". A similar banner at the bottom reads "Texas One and Indivisible".
The reverse of the seal is used only as a decorative symbol. Unlike the obverse seal, the reverse does not carry with it any legal use or significance.
Tree:
The pecan is a large tree native to North America. It bears sweet edible nuts, deep brown in colour, that range from 1 to 2 inches in length.
The mature pecan tree is usually 70 to 100 feet tall, as shown above, but can grow as tall as 150 feet and higher. The native pecan trees shown are estimated to be over 150 years old. Their trunks are more than three feet in diameter.
Texas is the largest producer of native pecans, and is second only to Georgia in the production of hybrid (orchard grown) varieties. The pecan became the Texas state tree by act of the Texas Legislature in 1919. Governor James Hogg favored the tree so much that he requested that one be planted at his gravesite.