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Texas History and Culture

Texas History and Culture. Chapter 1. Maxwell & Crain. Texas History. 100 years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca (Spanish explorer) set foot on Texas

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Texas History and Culture

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  1. Texas History and Culture Chapter 1 Maxwell & Crain PPT by Teresa Nevárez

  2. Texas History • 100 years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, AlvarNuñezCabeza de Vaca (Spanish explorer) set foot on Texas • Texas has had 37 Spanish governors, 15 Mexican governors, 5 presidents of the Republic of Texas, and 48 state governors • After the end of the 1836 Texas Revolution, the English/Scotch-Irish culture and Protestantism became the dominant culture and religion in the state • During the Republic of Texas period, there were no political parties. Conflict revolved around pro-Houston and anti-Houston factions • Right after becoming independent from Mexico, Texans approved annexation to the United States

  3. Texas History • Texas was annexed by the U.S. on December 29, 1845, becoming the 28th state in the Union • Early Statehood and Secession: 1846-1864 • Sam Houston (hero of the Mexico-Texas War) was a strong Unionist • Texas supported secession • Although a Unionist, Sam Houston refused an offer from President Lincoln to send troops to Texas to prevent secession • Texas seceded and joined the Confederate States of America in 1861 (alongside 10 other southern states) • Confederacy collapsed in 1865, federal troops occupied the states and restore government functions and stability

  4. Texas History Post-Civil War Texas: 1865-1885 • Reconstruction (1865-1873) • Democrats and friends of the Southern Confederacy were ineligible to vote or hold public office during this period for their connection to Black Codes • Texas is under military rule of the US Army from 1865-1869 • Ku Klux Klan (KKK) becomes active in the state during this period • Republican governor E.J. Davis is elected in 1869 (one 4-year term) • Perceived to have been imposed • 1869 Constitution centralized power in the e office of the governor • 1873 Davis loses to Democrat Richard Coke and refuses to leave office • 1876 Constitution • End of Reconstruction • 90 member delegation (75 Democrats, 15 Republicans) • 40 delegates were members of the National Grange (farmers’ organization)

  5. Texas History Progressive Era : Period were laws regulating railroads, child labor, employer abuses, as well as reform of prisons, taxes, etc. were passed • James Steven Hogg played an important role during this period James Ferguson(“Farmer Jim”): 1914-1918 • Helped alleviate problems of tenant farmers, rural schools, and state courts • Impeachment Case: illegal use of public funds, bribery, embezzlement along with declaring war against the UT-system • Impeached on 21 counts and convicted on 10 WWI • Texas becomes an important training area for military

  6. Texas History • Civil Rights • Women were unable to vote because of their gender • African Americans continued being discriminated through poll tax law, white primary and other unlawful terror tactics • Approximately 80,000 Texans joined the “invisible empire “of the KKK • KKK saw itself as a patriotic, Christian, fraternal organization for native-born white Protestants • Discrimination drove ethnic groups to organize and fight back: NAAP, LULAC, etc. • Miriam “Ma” Ferguson ran for governor in 1924 and wins under slogan of “Two Governors for the Price of One” (anti-KKK) • Texas’ first female governor

  7. Texas History • The Great Depression: (1929-1939) • Texas economy was crushed • The Independent Oil Crisis • Discovery of East Texas oil field in 1930 • Controlled largely by independent oil producers not associated with major oil companies • Major oil companies owned refineries and refused to purchase the “independents” oil for refining • Independents requested assistance from Governor who instead ordered their field to close down • Independents refused to stop production and built their own refineries • Legislative act in 1934 ended expansion of independents

  8. Texas History • Civil Rights Revisited • Mexican-Texans • Returning WWII veterans found discrimination still existed in the Homeland • Felix Longoria’s funeral • Decorated casualty of WWII was refused the use of Three Rivers cemetery chapel because “whites” would not like it. • Senator Lyndon B. Johnson arranged burial at Arlington National Cemetery • African-Texans: • NAACP was very active • Smith v. Allwright (1944)-primaries are declared part of the election process, allowing Blacks to participate in the Democratic primaries • “Separate but equal” remained the rule

  9. Texas History • Tidelands Controversy • The discovery of oil in the Gulf of Mexico initiated a dispute between the federal and Texas governments over how far Texas jurisdiction extended • Republican Presidential Candidate Dwight Eisenhower was sympathetic to the Texas position over the tidelands issue • Shivercrat v. Loyalist • Shivercrats advocated splitting the vote: Republican for President and Democrat for state offices • Loyalist advocated voting a straight Democratic ticket • Electoral votes from Texas went for the first time to the Republican candidate • 1960’s • Most African-Americans and Mexican-Americans were relegated to the lowest paid jobs

  10. Texas History • Protests and rallies were broken up by Law enforcement officers • Supreme Court rules that the Rangers had been enforcing laws that were unconstitutional • 1970’s • Sharpstown scandal (1971) • Stock fraud scandal that involved high level democrats • Governor Smith and house speaker Gus Mutscher were accused of accepting bribes to support Frank Sharp, owner of Sharpstown State Bank • Democrats were deeply affected by the scandal • 1979: William Clements became the first Republican governor of Texas since E.J. Davis

  11. Texas History • 1980’s • House Bill 72 (1984): increased teachers’ salaries, equalized school district income, raised standards for students and teachers • No pass, no teach • No pass, no play • Three Republicans were elected to the Texas Supreme Court and one to the Railroad Commission • 1990’s • State Board of Education adopted the first elementary and high school biology texts since the 1960’s that contained a thorough explanation of Darwin’s theory of evolution • 1994: Pictures of male and female reproductive systems and information on puberty were removed from high school health books

  12. Texas History • By 1994, Texas became a two-party state • Dan Morales was elected attorney general • Ann Richards served as governor from 1991-1995 • Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison elected to U.S. Senate • Joined Republican Phil Gramm to become the first two Republicans to hold the US Senate seats from Texas • George W. Bush became governor of Texas in 1995 • In 1996, Republicans won a majority in the Texas Senate for the first time since Reconstruction • Republican Dominance • Electric companies in Texas were deregulated • Parents’ permission was required for underage girls to obtain abortion or have bodies pierced

  13. Texas History • Legal blood-alcohol level for driving was reduced to .08% • Cities and Counties were prohibited from suing gun manufacturers • Civil unions for same-sex couples were outlawed • Despite passage of CHIP, over 20% of children remain uninsured today • Limits on pain-and suffering jury awards were placed • 2002: Republicans swept statewide offices and both chambers of the legislature • $10 billion budget deficit • Governor reduced funding for state programs among them for education, health care, children’s health insurance and services for the needy

  14. Texas History • Redistricting Controversy • After the 2000 census, a panel of 1 Democrat and 2 Republican federal judges redrew districts for U.S. Representatives • Tom DeLay (Texas Congressman and U.S. House Majority Leader) and Governor Rick Perry agreed to call a special session to re-redraw districts • Special Session 1 (June 30, 2003), House Democrats left state for Oklahoma to prevent quorum • Special Session 2 (July 28, 2003) • Republican Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst changed the 2/3 Senate rule required to have quorum • Senate Democrats left to New Mexico to prevent quorum • Special Session 3 (September 15, 2003), Democrats were unable to block quorum and new district lines were drawn • U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of states to redistrict more than once throughout each decade

  15. Texas History • Texas Culture and Regions (values and beliefs of a people) • Daniel J. Elazar’s 3 Political Cultures: • Moralistic Culture • Government is a positive force that should work to benefit the general public. Politicians should not profit from their public service. • Individual Political Culture • Government is practical and its main objective should be to further private enterprise. Business and politics are viewed as means for an individual to advance her/his interests. • Traditional Culture • Government’s primary function is to maintain the dominant social and religious values. • Texas is a mix between traditional and individualistic cultures

  16. Texas History • D.W. Meinig 9 cultural regions: There is no unified culture • East Texas • Extension of Old South, mainly fundamentalist Protestants. • Prominent industries: real estate, banking, construction and retail merchandising • Gulf Coast • Industrial, petrochemical and shipping center supported by sale of raw materials • South Texas • Ranchero culture, mingling pot for Mexican-Americans and Anglo-Americans. • Livestock production, agriculture (citrus fruits and vegetables), maquiladora industry, • One of the poorest regions in the U.S.

  17. Texas History • 4. Southwest • Bicultural region, large Mexican American population • El Paso – “capital” of Southwest Texas • Military, manufacturing and commercial center, sheep, goat, and cattle production • German Hill Country • Area settled mostly by Germans, but also Czechs, Poles and Norwegians, mostly • Lutherans or Roman Catholics, and socially and politically conservative groups • West Texas • Migration primarily from the southern U.S. • Protestant (Bible Belt) fundamentalist • Industries in the area: sheep, goat, cattle, oil, cotton, grain, etc.

  18. Texas History 7. Panhandle • Migration primarily from Midwestern U.S. • Socially and politically conservative • Industries: feedlots for livestock and wheat 8. North Texas • Many trained professionals immigrated there: doctors, teachers, musicians, and scientists. Industries: defense, aerospace , electronic, computer, plastic, banking and commercial centers. Many international corporations have established headquarters here. • Central Texas • “Core area” of Texas-Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Industries: High-tech industries

  19. Texas Culture and Regions Texas Political Culture: Maxwell original figure based on Elazar and Meinig concepts

  20. Texas History • Basic Facts: • Texas is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation • Anglo-Saxons: 53% of population • Hispanics: 32% of population • African American: 11.6% of population • Other: 3.3% of population • Unequal distribution of wealth • More public executions, gun shows, and registered machine guns than any other state • Texas spends $7,142 per school student • Texas spends $20,232 per prison inmate

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