Category

Landmark Laws & Court Opinions

Explore a curated selection of historic Texas laws and court rulings that have influenced the state’s legal and political development. This collection includes early statutes, key legal codes, and notable judicial decisions—each offering insight into how law was written, interpreted, and applied across different periods of Texas history. This section is a work in process and more primary sources will be added with time.

Landmark Laws & Court Opinions The Courthouse Era (1875-1900)

The First Segregation Law of Jim Crow Texas

Read the full text of Texas’s 1891 Separate Coaches Law, which marked the beginning of formal Jim Crow segregation in Texas.

Texapedia StaffJune 27, 2025

Landmark Laws & Court Opinions Primary Sources in Texas History The Courthouse Era (1875-1900)

The Codification of Segregated Schools in Texas (1893-1895)

Texas had separate "colored schools" from the 1860s until the 1960s. Read the original primary sources codifying this practice.

Texapedia StaffJuly 11, 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

Rundown School

20th Century History Education Landmark Laws & Court Opinions

The Edgewood v. Kirby Case and School Finance Reform

How a 1989 Texas Supreme Court decision forced the state to confront deep funding disparities between wealthy and impoverished school districts.

Texapedia StaffMay 15, 2025

20th Century History Landmark Laws & Court Opinions Primary Sources in Texas History

Planning Apartheid: The Origins of Racial Zoning in Texas

Senate Bill 275 (1927) authorized racial zoning in Texas cities during the Jim Crow era. This article presents the full text of the law alongside historical context.

Texapedia StaffJuly 31, 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

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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.

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