History of Texas

"To understand aright the making of Texas, one must see it in its proper historical relations as a part of the process by which the peoples of Europe occupied America, and which has culminated in the formation of the American Union and its dominance on the Western Continent. It is easy to see that, from the standpoint of general history, the Revolution of 1776 is but the transition to a new stage of this process. Monroe's famous annual message in 1823 officially asserted that the period of colonization from overseas was at an end; but this did not stop the flow of population, nor the shifting of political boundaries with the advance of the United States..." - George P. Garrison

Contents: European Expansion in America. Pre-Colonial Explorations of the Texas Country. Encroachments of the French. Fort Saint Louis. Counter-Expeditions of the Spanish, and the Beginnings of Texas. Mission San Francisco de los Tejas. Renewed French Encroachments. Expedition of Saint-Denis. Spanish Settlements in Texas. The Beginnings of San Antonio. Fixing a Border with the French. The Failure of the Spanish Way. Mexico at the Wheel. Anglo-American Invasions. The Fringes of Texas during the Decay of Spanish Rule. Austin's Colony. The Crowd of Empresarios. The Fredonian War. Mexican Misrule and Colonial Insubordination. The Struggle for the Constitution of 1824. The Struggle for Independence. Home Affairs of the Republic. Foreign Affairs of the Republic. Annexation and Boundary Adjustment. Statehood. Civil War And Reconstruction.