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Texas History

The complete Texas story through primary sources and multiple perspectives. From Indigenous nations through Spanish colonization, revolution, Civil War, oil booms, civil rights, and modern politics. TEKS §113.19 aligned.

14 Units

30-45 minutes per unit

What You Will Learn

Primary Sources

Read the actual documents — letters, treaties, speeches, and court records that shaped Texas.

Multiple Perspectives

Whose Texas? Examine the same events through Indigenous, Tejano, Anglo, and African American lenses.

Modern Connections

How historical patterns in land, oil, immigration, and governance shape today's Texas politics.

All Units

The Physical Landscape & First Peoples

Explore Texas's four geographic regions and the Indigenous nations who shaped the land for over 13,000 years before European contact.

•Identify and describe the four major geographic regions of Texas and their defining features
•Explain how geography influenced the cultures, economies, and political systems of Indigenous peoples
•Analyze the complexity of pre-contact civilizations and challenge the myth of 'empty land'

Spain Arrives: Exploration and Colonization

Trace the Spanish exploration and colonization of Texas, from shipwrecked explorers to the mission-presidio system that reshaped Indigenous life.

•Describe the motivations and experiences of early Spanish explorers in Texas
•Analyze the mission-presidio system and its impact on Indigenous peoples
•Evaluate the consequences of European contact from multiple perspectives

From New Spain to Mexican Independence

Follow Mexico's independence from Spain, the empresario system that brought Anglo settlers to Texas, and the growing tensions that would lead to revolution.

•Explain how Mexican independence changed the political landscape of Texas
•Analyze the empresario system and its intended versus actual consequences
•Identify the sources of tension between Anglo settlers and the Mexican government

Revolution and the Republic

Examine the causes, key battles, and multiple perspectives of the Texas Revolution — from the Alamo to San Jacinto.

•Identify the political, economic, and cultural causes of the Texas Revolution
•Analyze key events including the Alamo, Goliad, and San Jacinto from multiple perspectives
•Evaluate the roles of diverse participants including Tejanos, Anglo settlers, and Mexican soldiers
+1 more objectives

The Lone Star Republic (1836-1845)

Examine the Republic of Texas's nine turbulent years of independence — its leaders, its debts, its conflicts, and the question of annexation.

•Compare the presidencies of Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar and their different visions for Texas
•Analyze the Republic's major challenges including debt, Native conflicts, and international recognition
•Evaluate the debate over U.S. annexation and the role slavery played in that debate

Statehood, Expansion, and the Civil War

Trace Texas from statehood through the Mexican-American War, secession, and the devastating experience of Civil War on multiple fronts.

•Explain how Texas annexation led directly to the Mexican-American War
•Analyze the causes and consequences of Texas secession from the Union
•Evaluate the Civil War experience from the perspectives of soldiers, civilians, and enslaved people

Reconstruction and Its Aftermath

Examine how Texas navigated Reconstruction after the Civil War, including the promise of Juneteenth, the brief era of Black political participation, and the violent rollback of freedom that followed.

•Explain the significance of Juneteenth and why news of emancipation arrived in Texas two months after the war ended
•Describe the role of the Freedmen's Bureau and the gains made during Black Reconstruction
•Analyze how Redeemer Democrats used law and violence to dismantle Reconstruction achievements

Cattle Kingdom and the Western Frontier

Explore the cattle drive era, the multiracial reality of cowboy life, Buffalo Soldiers on the frontier, and the devastating destruction of the buffalo that ended Plains Indian civilization.

•Explain the economics of the cattle drives and the major trails that connected Texas to northern markets
•Analyze how the myth of the cowboy differs from the actual multiracial reality of the cattle frontier
•Evaluate the consequences of the buffalo slaughter and the removal of Plains Indians from Texas

Railroads, Industry, and Urbanization

Explore how railroads transformed Texas from an isolated frontier into an industrial economy, connecting cities, mining operations, and immigrant communities.

•Explain how railroad expansion created new cities and economic opportunities in Texas
•Analyze the role of immigrant communities in building and shaping industrial Texas
•Evaluate how industrialization changed the natural landscape and way of life in Texas

Spindletop and the Oil Revolution

The 1901 Spindletop gusher transformed Texas overnight, replacing cattle and cotton with oil as the foundation of the state economy.

•Explain the technological breakthrough at Spindletop and its immediate economic impact
•Analyze how oil transformed rural Texas and created new industries and cities
•Evaluate the long-term consequences of oil dependence for Texas economy and environment

Texas and the World Wars

Explore Texas's role in World War I and II, from military bases and training camps to the Bracero Program and Audie Murphy's heroism.

•Explain how Texas became a major military training center during the World Wars
•Analyze the experiences of Texas soldiers and home front workers during wartime
•Evaluate the Bracero Program and its impact on Mexican American workers and relations

Civil Rights in Texas

Explore segregation in Texas, the courageous fights for equality by Hector P. García, Sweatt v. Painter, Barbara Jordan, and the Chicano movement.

•Explain how segregation was enforced in Texas and how communities resisted it
•Analyze landmark legal cases and leaders who challenged segregation and discrimination
•Evaluate the ongoing struggle for equality and representation in Texas politics

Modern Texas: Growth, Politics, and Identity

Explore the population boom, Sunbelt migration, technology growth, changing demographics, and the political shift that made Texas Republican.

•Explain the Sunbelt phenomenon and why Texas became a destination for migration and business
•Analyze how technology, space exploration, and new industries shaped modern Texas cities
•Evaluate how immigration and changing demographics transformed Texas politics and identity

Texas Today: Governance, Economy, and the Future

Explore Texas government, its unique no-income-tax system, energy economy (oil, wind, solar), and the tensions between rapid growth and sustainability.

•Explain how Texas government is structured and why it is distinctive
•Analyze how Texas funds itself without an income tax
•Evaluate the challenges and opportunities of Texas's energy transition and rapid growth

Grade 7 Texas History. Required for all Texas students. TEKS §113.19 aligned.