The Reconstruction Era in Texas (1865–1874)

The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

After the Civil War, Texas entered a turbulent period of military occupation, economic hardship, and political realignment. The party of Lincoln took control of Texas state government. Backed by federal authority, Reconstruction Republicans granted civil rights to freed slaves, stripped former Confederate leaders of political power, and centralized state authority, provoking fierce resistance. This era saw the adoption of a new constitution, the first Black officeholders in Texas, and the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan.

Primary Sources in Texas History The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

Loyalty Oaths in Texas During Reconstruction

Under Congressional Reconstruction, authorities imposed an “ironclad oath” requiring individuals to swear they had never aided the Confederacy. This strict test barred many men from civic life.

Texapedia StaffJuly 28, 2025

Constitutions of Texas Legal History The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

The 1869 Texas Constitution and Reconstruction Rule

This article explores the origins of the 1869 constitution, its key provisions, and the administration of Governor Edmund J. Davis under its authority.

Texapedia StaffMay 4, 2025

Landmark Laws & Court Opinions Primary Sources in Texas History The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

The State Police Law of 1870

Known as "the governor's hounds," the Texas State Police of the 1870s were tasked with the suppression of outlaws and the Ku Klux Klan. Though short-lived, the police force arrested thousands during an era of raging civil and criminal violence.

Texapedia StaffJuly 11, 2025

From left to right: Walter Moses Burton, George Ruby, Matthew Gaines.

Texas History The Courthouse Era (1875-1900)The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

Black Politicians in Texas from Reconstruction to Jim Crow

The Rise and Fall of Black Political Power in the Shadow of Reconstruction, 1870s–1890s.

Texapedia StaffJuly 6, 2025

Appellate Courts and Procedure in Texas Judiciary Legal History The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

The Origins of Texas’ System of Two High Courts

The history, benefits, and disadvantages of Texas's system of having two courts of last resort, the Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Texapedia StaffNovember 18, 2022

Second Texas State Capitol building as seen in an historic photograph taken in 1875.

Texas History The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

The 1873 Coke–Davis Election Dispute

Surrounded by armed men and refusing to concede defeat, Governor Edmund Davis barricaded himself in the Capitol, touching off one of the most dramatic political standoffs in Texas history.

Texapedia StaffJuly 16, 2025

Landmark Laws & Court Opinions Legal History The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

Texas v. White and the Question of Secession

In 1869, the Supreme Court declared the United States to be a “perpetual union” from which no state could unilaterally secede.

Texapedia StaffJuly 15, 2025

Primary Sources in Texas History Speeches & Addresses The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

The Redeemer Triumph: Richard Coke’s 1874 Inaugural Address

Verbatim transcript of Governor Richard Coke’s 1874 inaugural address, with historical context and explanatory notes.

Texapedia StaffSeptember 11, 2025

Biography Governors of Texas The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

James Throckmorton: The Texas Governor Ousted by the U.S. Army

The first elected governor of Texas after the U.S. Civil War, Throckmorton was removed by General Philip Sheridan for being too lenient toward ex-Confederates.

Texapedia StaffJuly 13, 2025

Biography The Civil War The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

Cassius Clay: Lincoln’s Forgotten Pick to Govern Postwar Texas

If Lincoln had lived, this man would have ruled Texas—and history might have taken a different path.

Texapedia StaffJune 23, 2025