Curriculum Map

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

Early Units (Foundation)

Building Skills

Advanced Concepts

Capstone/Synthesis

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.

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

Revolution and the Republic

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

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

Railroads, Industry, and Urbanization

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

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

Modern Texas: Growth, Politics, and Identity

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

3-4 days

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.

3-4 days

Learning Progression

This course is designed to be taken sequentially. Earlier units establish foundational concepts that later units build upon. While you can explore units in any order, following the numbered sequence provides the most coherent learning experience.