About | Texapedia

Losing america’s memory

Americans are more online and more connected than ever before, but this is not translating to greater civic knowledge and participation.

57%

of young adults are dissatisfied with the U.S. political system

36%

of Americans can pass the U.S. Citizenship Test

18%

turnout of registered voters in the 2024 primary elections in Texas

42%

of Americans have “very little” confidence in the criminal justice system

74%

of college students can’t correctly answer a multiple choice question about the process for ratifying U.S. constitutional amendments

60%

of Americans don’t know which countries the USA fought in World War II

Sources: “Losing America’s Memory 2.0: A Civic Literacy Assessment of College Students,” American Council of Trustees and Alumni, 2024 (multiple choice format); “The Civic Outlook of Young Adults in America,” Institute for Citizens & Scholars, 2023; “Texas Courts: Trust & Public Confidence Survey,” SSRS, 2918; Gallup Poll, 2024; UT/Texas Politics Project Poll, June 2025; Annenberg Public Policy Center 2022 Annual Poll;

“A nation can only be free, happy, and great in proportion to the virtue and intelligence of its people.”

— Stephen F. Austin, statesman and founder of the Austin Colony

What We Do

Texapedia is an encyclopedia of civics, law, and history. Rigorously researched, edited, and maintained, it’s a labor of love for the state we call home. Texapedia is a free resource for teachers, students, voters, and the general public. It also provides a wealth of documents, data, and background information to guide researchers and policymakers.

Texapedia publishes articles about:

the structure of Texas government;
roles and responsibilities of state and local officials;
functions and structure of state agencies;
law and the legislative process;
individual rights and liberties;
government finances and taxation;
biographies of key political leaders;
the history of Texas law and government.

Our goal is to cover major themes and events, not the entirety of Texas’s historical record.

Mission Statement

The purpose of Texapedia is to enhance the civic knowledge of students, teachers, and the general public. We envision an informed, active citizenry equipped to reform what is lacking in their government while conserving what is good about it.

Research and Sourcing

Texapedia articles are grounded in primary sources, including Texas statutes, the state constitution, public records, and official government data. Many entries include original research based on public records requests and historical documents. Where appropriate, articles include formal citations—especially when referencing laws, budgets, and historical sources. Our aim is to strike a balance between rigorous sourcing and readability for a general audience.

Unlike Wikipedia, Texapedia is not publicly editable. All content is researched and written in-house. This allows us to ensure accuracy, preserve editorial integrity, and maintain higher reliability and timeliness than many crowd-sourced platforms.

That said, Texapedia is a living project. Some entries may become outdated over time, or inadvertently include mistakes. If you notice an error, we welcome your feedback.

Management & Ownership

Texapedia is independently owned and operated. Based in Central Texas, the founder and principal author is an amateur historian and proud Texan who prefers to write and edit anonymously or under a pen name while the project is still in its early stages. This choice reflects a belief that Texapedia should be judged by the quality of its content rather than paper credentials, gender, race, or personal affiliations. Anonymous and pseudonymous publishing has a long tradition in American civic life—from Benjamin Franklin’s ‘Silence Dogood’ letters to the Federalist Papers.

What began as a personal passion project has grown into a broader effort to document, explain, and celebrate the complexities of Texas — its past, its politics, and its people. Though privately run as a small business, with limited monetization through ads to support long-term sustainability, Texapedia embraces a public service mission. This structure guarantees editorial independence, operational flexibility, and the ability to pursue depth, nuance, and clarity without external pressures or institutional constraints.

Over time, Texapedia may expand or evolve in structure, but the core commitment to quality and independence will remain. Get in touch if you have comments, questions, corrections, or ideas for how to help: contact@texapedia.info.

Funding

Texapedia is a low-budget operation and we do not receive outside funding from any political parties, industry lobby groups, or other stakeholders in politics or government. We do receive a small amount of revenue through limited advertising. All advertisements on the site are rendered by Google or Amazon. Sensitive content categories are excluded, in order to ensure that the site is safe for children, youth, and students.

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Disclaimer

This site is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice. This website is a work in progress and information on this site may be out-of-date. For example, it may not reflect the latest changes in statute, rule changes, or political developments. Although information on this website is believed to be generally accurate at time of publication, we do not make any warranty or guarantee to that effect.

Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

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The basic nature of humanity is unchanging through the ages. Politics changes, technology, the economy, the environment, culture—all change. Yet humankind tends to repeat the same follies and to forget hard-learned lessons, age after age. For this reason, the ancient book of wisdom known as Ecclesiastes observed, "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, 'See, this is new'? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after” (Eccl. 1:9-11, ESV).

The study of history reminds us of the pitfalls, challenges, and triumphs of our forebears. It is not always a happy story (“All things are full of weariness," Eccles. 1:8), but it is a worthy pursuit for those seeking wisdom. History gives us not only knowledge of the past but also understanding of the present age: how it came to be, the forces that have shaped it, and insights into the nature of humanity itself.

As you explore Texas history, we invite you to imagine yourself living in another age. Try to picture yourself in the shoes of different people—leaders and common folks alike. This is how history becomes more than a ledger of events; its telling and retelling invite us to reflect, imagine, and grow.

There is no single “correct” way to read or write history. Yet beware of idealized versions of the past—simplistic, black-and-white narratives with distinct ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys,’ often crafted for political ends. Such histories are easy to grasp and may feel morally compelling. But wisdom doesn’t necessarily come from reading history in a simple, idealized way. Instead, try grappling with nuance, search out details, ask probing questions, and consider perspectives that may not align with your own.

History need not be boring. At its best, it is a discipline that sharpens the mind, cultivates empathy, and helps us to know ourselves more deeply.

— Texapedia Staff

Texapedia is not affiliated with any political party, and the articles on this site are written in an encyclopedic tone. Yet a project like this is inherently political in a broader sense: it deals with government and civic life, and our stated mission is to equip citizens with knowledge to “reform what is lacking in their government while conserving what is good about it.”

This sounds simple enough, since we live in an age of abundant knowledge: search engines, AI chatbots, and digital repositories can provide us with reams of information on almost any topic in an instant. Yet many Americans are too distracted to take in any of it. Ours is also an age of addictive social media, viral outrage, and “bingeworthy” entertainment.

There is also a crisis of authority. Americans no longer know who to trust, what information is reliable, and how to separate noise from substance in public discourse. The information environment is chaotic and disputatious. Information is rarely presented in coherent, organized ways that provide context and detail. Instead, many Americans learn about the world around them through TikTok, Instagram reels, 100-word tweets, or cable news sound bites. The nation is more politicized than ever—yet less connected, less communal, less trusting.

Here at Texapedia, we look on these developments with concern. You can read more of our perspective in the essay Toward Civic Renewal: Recovering Sobriety in a Frivolous Age.