The Old West: The Texans

Another nice entry in the Time-Life "The Old West" series. The book begins by noting that (Page 6): "The lure of a new life in fabulous Texas, with land and riches thrown in, proved irresistible to thousands of Americans in the decades after 1822. . . ." The story includes some impressive figures, such as Stephen Austin, Sam Houston, Davey Crockett, and Ben McCulloch. The first chapter features the development of an influx of Americans into Texas, then under Mexican sovereignty. Moses Austin and his son Stephen are highlighted here. A map on page 17 shows the shifting boundaries of Texas. There follows the story of the Alamo and San Jacinto. Then, the Republic of Texas is born, followed by the pathway to statehood. In the process, we read of the conflict between the Texans and native Americans; we read of the developing culture of Texas; the story of the economy of Texas is told. All in all, a nice introduction to Texas as a part of this series. . . .

Anyone interested in American history, and especially Texas history, will certainly find this book to be to his or her liking. Basically, it tells the story of the founding, life, and existence of the Republic of Texas, but it does much more than that. The story, as told herein, begins in 1820 when Stephen F. Austin's father, Moses Austin, petitions the Mexican Government for a colonization grant which would allow him to bring 300 families into the Mexican territory which is now the state of Texas but which, at that time, was essentially a wilderness inhabited by a small number of Mexicans and various Indian tribes, including the Cherokee and Comanche. Moses's grant was awarded with some misgivings, since the Mexican Government feared American expansionism, and with the stipulation that all persons to be settled in Texas be of good character, swear their allegiance to Mexico and become Mexican citizens, and are, or become, Catholics. The book then explores such topics as the struggles of the early settlers, particularly the founders who became known as "The 300"; the reasons for the strife between the Texans and the Mexican government; how Santa Anna achieved absolute dictatorial power in Mexico; the events leading up to the battle at the Alamo; the fight at the Alamo and its aftermath; the fighting and subsequent executions at Goliad; Sam Houston's plan to save Texas and his victory at San Jacinto, how it happened, what happened, and why; the founding of the Texas Republic and its struggles to survive and to be recognized as a sovereign nation; and finally how and why Texas was annexed by the United States and how it later seceded from the Union. The story ends with Sam Houston, then Governor of Texas, choosing to give up the Governorship rather than sign an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy and his death shortly thereafter. This is a outstanding book, populated with so many extraordinary events and fascinating characters that it rivets the readers attention. It is, in fact, one of the few books which I have ever read which was interesting throughout and which managed to hold my attention from beginning to end. Highly recommended.