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History of Texas State
In chapter 12, Richardson discusses the challenges, growth of the economy and industry, and politics, which had a significant impact on the history of Texas. He discusses how this state had been a stronghold of the republicans, and with the elections of 1873, there was a change in this whereby the democratic government took over, and it made things better. However, only the judiciary remained a stronghold of republicans (Richardson, 245). Democrats were viewed as the saviors of the nation as they always had the will to rule correctly. Therefore, it meant that they only had this chance to lead, and in the ten years that followed, there was a rule of the democrats who tried to deal with all the challenges that faced the state of Texas, and it was a successful term. Even though there arose different challenges like the agrarian unrest, they tried their best to deal with them. Therefore the period of 1874 to 1890 can be termed as a period whereby many changes were realized in Texas (Calvert et al., 100).
Politics is a very central part of this period because politics has always been of a very significant impact on the lives of everyone and especially the development of Texas. Therefore its effect has had a considerable impact on the people’s lives and why Richardson gives it a central part (Richardson, 251). Even though the Republicans had written their constitution in 1869, the democrats saw it fitting to have their constitution, which was not radical as the republicans were. Therefore in 1875, there was a constitutional convention to deal with this issue(Calvert et al., 186). With this convention came the constitution of 1876. it was very general and gave almost all the necessary instructions and guidelines towards the manner of action for everyone. This was a very significant step for the democratic leadership led by Governor Richard coke (Richardson, 247). Law and order during this period were very successful as the government made sure that everyone obeyed the law (Richardson, 257). The construction of the railroads was also a significant part of the Texas government and the people. It was seen as the gate to the prosperity and success of the government leadership. With all these activities, the economy was changing positively, and many things were appropriate.
In chapter 13, Richardson presents us with the effects of the railroad construction, the settlement of most Texans on the western side, and the civil war (Richardson, 269). This chapter also presents the Indians, their conflict with the other groups of Texas, and how they were defeated and removed from the places they had settled. The Indians also valued buffalos very much, and they got a lot of items and value from them, like their skins which were very valuable (Richardson, 274). However, with the civil war and the advance of the Texas frontier, buffalos were slaughtered, which made the Indians angry. The buffalos were referred to as the Indian ‘cattle’ (Richardson, 276). With the soldiers and priests coming to Texas there was an introduction of the cattle, and therefore there arose a concept of kettle kingdom. It provided a lot of basic needs by Texas, and consequently, it was an essential part of the history of Texans as a lot of cattle was found along with Texas feeding.
With the cattle, there was a lot of open range distribution of these cattle, and therefore with the introduction of the ranges, the open range ended. However, it had made tremendous success before its end, and it was a big part of the Texas economy at that time (Richardson, 282). During this same period, there was also the importance of horses, sheep, and goats. Several people captured and tamed wild horses known as mustang (Richardson, 286). With all these animal dealings, there was an increased interaction as many people came together to either purchase or sell any of their animals. Therefore, this concentration of people and their differing natures made them be known as the people of the range. In 1870 there was the advancement of the farmer’s frontier to Bandera and the gulf coast.
In chapter 14, Richardson presents us with the age of the reform which happened in Texas. This was brought by the effects of the events after reconstruction whereby the frugal policies, which were also conservative, did not attend to them in the best manner possible. Therefore there was a change in the way in which the lives of the Texans were. The first two decades following the civil war saw Texas being good to big businesses. Grande and greenback criticized the democratic government for the many benefits it offered to the farmers. This was seen as a way of mismanagement because the wealth of the big businesses and farmers was not controlled. There were several reforms during the 1880s, and James Stephen Hogg was one of the leading people towards this reform. The populist party formed mainly by farmers had a very significant impact. They demanded a change in how they were treated, and different people joined them even outside Texas.
In chapter 15, Richardson presents us with life in Texas from the 19th century into the 20th century. He discusses the Galveston flood, how life was in the farms and the towns, along with other issues like urbanization and leisure time living (Richardson,319). Education, religion, and healthcare are also fundamental aspects of this life of the individuals who lived in Texas then. Ethnic communities and religions are as well discussed. He finally discusses literature and art. Therefore, in this chapter, he talks of Texas’s general state and nature and how the challenges and activities the state had gone through had impacted it. After this, he speaks of the then-current state of 1900, when the century was coming to an end and another one coming into place (Calvert et al., 201).
Therefore, he discusses the issues in a very well-structured and vivid manner, giving an excellent understanding of what it meant to be a Texan. He discusses the significant activities and the significant people who challenged and improved Texas, and he talks of how these people did this. Politics is a vital part of Texan history. He discusses it clearly, informing the reader of the first governor from the time he began writing about this history.
In conclusion, therefore, this history is a significant one. It opens our eyes to see current Texas through the eyes of history. It thus allows us to identify what it means for us to protect what is important and most valued because as history changes, we become the history. Just as the democrats at the beginning of chapter 12 did a lot of things for a chance to be realized in Texas, this chapter informs us that we should also do similar positive and good things. This all for current Texas in the love of it and the good not only of us but also for the future.
Works Cited
Richardson, Rupert Norval. “Texas: The Lone Star State (; Englewood Cliffs, NJ.” (1964): 140-141.
Calvert, Robert A., Arnoldo De León, and Gregg Cantrell. The history of Texas. John Wiley & Sons, 2020.
