The Texas Connection With The American Revolution

The Texas Connection with the American Revolution

Texas Roots

In today’s Texas, with its growing urban populations and big-city lifestyles, it is worth remembering that in 1850 only 10 percent of Texans lived in towns with as many as 100 people. The rest—of many ethnic and racial groups—lived off the land, which was blessedly suited to a profitable variety of crops and livestock and also provided an abundance of wildlife free for the taking. In Texas Roots, C. Allan Jones reminds us that the economic wealth of modern Texas arose from its agricultural heritage, a rich mixture of practices and traditions including: · Caddo hunting, gathering, gardening, and farming · Irrigated agriculture at Spanish missions · Hispanic ranching · Slave-based plantations · Small-scale farmers and ranchers Through time, people adapted the agricultural technologies, laws, and customs of New Spain, Mexico, Europe, and the South to their own practical, institutional, and legal needs. The result was a particularly Texan system that would serve as the foundation for the state’s economic strength after the Civil War. Texas Roots shines a bright light on our relationship and connection with the land, bringing alive an aspect of the Texas history that contributed immeasurably to the state’s identity and prosperity.

Encyclopedia of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution

"Remember the Alamo!" is a phrase that is woven into the American consciousness, but what do most people really remember about the Alamo? Much of the true story has been shrouded in myth for over 150 years. This comprehensive encyclopedia provides thorough coverage for people, places, events and issues spanning the pre-Revolution period and settlement of Texas by Americans to the forming of the Republic in 1836. When appropriate, a mini-chronology supplements the entry, placing the discussion in context. A day-by-day account details the thirteen day famous siege. Entries cover major players such as Santa Anna, Jim Bowie and David Crockett and provide biographies (from obscure sources, in some cases) of every Alamo defender killed in the battle. American and Mexican resources have been used to assure a well-rounded picture of often misunderstood events. Maps and an extensive bibliography complement the text.