Map of the Republic of Texas (1844)
Map showing the borders, rivers, and major towns of Texas in 1844 during its time as an independent republic.
editorJune 2, 2025
History of the Republic of Texas (1836–1845)
The Republic of Texas existed as an independent nation for nearly a decade until its annexation by the United States in 1845.
Constitution of 1845: Foundations of Statehood
The 1845 Constitution gave Texas its first stable framework of government as a U.S. state—melding republican principles, fiscal restraint, and frontier legal pragmatism into a durable institutional design.
editorMay 22, 2025
The Road to Annexation: Why Texas Joined the United States in 1845
In 1845, Texas became the 28th state. This in-depth article explores the diplomacy and political intrigue behind annexation.
editorMay 17, 2025
Texas Government in the Post-Frontier Generation, 1880s–1890s
Examining how government operated in Texas in the post-Reconstruction period and comparing it to the present.
editorMay 13, 2025
The Confederate Constitution of Texas (1861)
Drafted in a wartime climate, the 1861 constitution enshrined slavery as permanent and untouchable law.
editorMay 22, 2025
The 1869 Texas Constitution and Reconstruction Rule
History of the 1869 constitution and the fierce resistance that followed it.
editorMay 4, 2025
Texas’ Little-Known Right to Split Itself into 5 States
Uniquely among U.S. states, Texas was admitted to the Union with a pre-approved 'entitlement' to further divide itself into up to five states.
editorNovember 21, 2022
Map of Texas Under Mexican Rule in 1833
In the early 1830s, Texas was a northern frontier province of the Mexican Republic, governed as part of the larger state of Coahuila y Tejas.
editorMay 21, 2025
Key Figures in the Texas Revolution
Quick biographies of Sam Houston, William Travis, Davy Crockett, Juan Seguin, Jim Bowie, Susanna Dickinson, and Lorenzo de Zavala.
editorMay 24, 2025
Bracket Bills: Circumventing the Texas Constitution?
How bracket bills work, why they exist, and whether they are constitutional.
editorJanuary 1, 2023
The Influence of Spanish Law in Texas
Texas’ legal system is based on Anglo-American foundations, but there are vestiges of Spanish law.
editorJune 21, 2024
The Origins of Texas’ System of Two High Courts
Dual high courts serve different functions, have different origins
editorNovember 18, 2022
History of Juneteenth
Holiday celebrating the freeing of slaves during the U.S. Civil War
editorNovember 19, 2022
The First Capital of Texas: Washington-on-the-Brazos
For a brief but pivotal period, Washington-on-the-Brazos served as the first capital of the Republic of Texas.
editorMay 30, 2025
History of the Lone Star Flag
The Lone Star Flag first served as the flag of the Republic of Texas in 1839, though there is debate about when it originated.
editorNovember 18, 2022