Illuminating Civic Life in Texas
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From the 1870s to the 1990s, Texas was part of the Democratic-dominated Solid South. In its early decades, one-party rule upheld racial segregation and concentrated power in conservative hands. Over time, the Democratic Party became a battleground among Progressive reformers, New Deal liberals, rural populists, machine politicians, and segregationist conservatives. By the late 20th century, a liberal wing embraced civil rights and social changes, prompting a conservative exodus to the GOP.