Texas History Timeline

1911

20,000 US troops are sent the the Mexican boarder for national security reasons during the Mexican Revolution.

1820-1824

Mexico wins independence from Spain; Austin founds a New Colony

1962

NASA is created in response to Russians launching Sputnik and the Manned Spacecraft Center was built just outside of Houston. It became mission control center a year later.

1888

The State Capital building is completed.

1893

The Texas Equal Rights Association began and was the first statewide women's suffrage organization, created by Rebecca Henry Hayes of Galveston.

1891

The Texas Railroad Commission is established after Governor James S. Hogg campaigned on the platform of regulating railroads.

1835

The Texas Revolution begins on October 2, 1835.

February of 1848

The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo is signed on Feb. 2nd and the war is over. The US obtains California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona, along with parts of Wyoming and Colorado. This added to more than 25% of its present day size and Mexico lost over half its land.

May of 1846

The U.S.-Mexican War begins on May 8th.

1882

The beginning of the women's equality movement in TX.

1991

Ann Richards is elected the 45th governor of Texas.

January of 1839

Austin becomes the capital of TX. TX adopts the Lone Star flag as the official flag of the Republic of TX.

1967

Barbara Jordan is elected to the Texas Senate- she's the first African American since 1883.

1954

Brown v. BOE ended segregation in public schools. San Antonio was among the first cities to comply.

1873

Buffalo Soldiers are first posted in TX.

1828

Conflict starts to brew when TX settlers see themselves as Texans rather than Mexican Nationals

1988

George H.W. Bush is elected president.

2000

George W. Bush is elected president.

1824

Mexico encourages foreign settlement in TX

November 1963

JFK is assassinated in Dallas. LBJ is sworn in as President.

1932

John 'Cactus Jack' Garner was elected VP under FDR in 1932 and retired in 1940 after serving 2 terms. He is the first VP from Texas.

1993

Kay Bailey Hutchinson is the first woman elected to the Texas US senate.

1924

Ma Ferguson is the first woman governor elected in Texas.

1830

Mexico bans U.S. Immigration

1894

Oil is discovered in Corsicana.

1876

On February 15, 1876, the present day Texas Constitution was adopted.

June 1865

On June 19, 1865 enslaved African Americans in TX were emancipated. This day is known as Juneteenth and has been celebrated as a holiday since 1979.

1919

Prohibition goes into effect in Texas and will last until 1933.

June 1943

Race riots occur in Beaumont and the city is under martial law for 5 days.

September of 1836

Sam Houston was elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas, with Mirabeau B. Lamar as the VP. SFA was appointed to be Secretary of State.

1833

Santa Anna becomes the President of Mexico

June 1919

Texas adopts the 19th Amendment and women can finally vote.

1936

Texas celebrates the Centennial Exposition in Dallas on state fairgrounds.

March of 1836

Texas declares its independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. On March 6, Santa Anna led troops to the Alamo, where they ultimately defeated TX forces- anyone who wasn't killed in the fighting was captured and executed.

1833-1834

Texas delegates propose changes to the 1830 law that would allow U.S. Immigration. SFA was arrested along with others for inciting indirection. Eventually the law was repealed but Mexico would not grant statehood to TX.

February of 1846

Texas is finally annexed into the United States under the administration of President James K. Polk.

1860-1865

Texas joins the confederacy and fights for the South in the Civil War.

April of 1836

The Battle of San Jacinto occurs on April 21, 1836 when Sam Houston led an attack on sleeping Mexican forces. Santa Anna was then captured after the battle.

1869

The first African American, George T. Ruby, was elected to the Texas Senate.

1910

The first military air flight takes place in San Antonio on March 2nd.

1853

The first railroad in TX is established- the Harrisburg Railroad.

1854

The first telegraph office opens up.

1950

UT Law School is integrated after an African American student is denied admission. This case is known as Sweatt v. Painter.