Texas : The Lone Star State

This is a comprehensive yet accessible survey of Texas historyfrom early times to the present. Written in a narrative style, this book offers a balanced presentation of all time periods and topics of Texas history. From the beginning sections on geography and prehistoric people, to the concluding discussions on the start of the twenty-first century, this book successfully considers each era equally in terms of space and emphasis. For interested history enthusiasts looking for a comprehensive survey of Texas history.

Some sixty-three years ago, as the world was moving from depression to war, Professor Richardson completed the first edition ofTexas: The Lone Star State,written as a comprehensive, general history of Texas and intended primarily for use in college history courses. Many years later near the end of the 1960s, Professor Richardson, recognizing the evolutionary character of historical studies and the need to provide new insight and ideas, added two authors, Ernest Wallace and Adrian Anderson, in the preparation of the third and subsequent editions. As we moved into the new millennium, a new author, Cary D. Wintz, joined in the preparation of the eighth and continues with this, the current and ninth edition ofTexas: The Lone Star State.Professor Wintz, whose suggestions influenced the preparation earlier editions, brought to the book his broad and comprehensive knowledge of Texas history and his long experience in the study of specialized areas, some of which were scarcely recognized at the time of the original edition. When Professor Richardson prepared the final draft of his manuscript for the first edition ofTexas: The Lone Star State,he wrote in his preface that his mission was to "provide, as far as the limitations of a single volume will permit, acomplete surveyof the history of Texas." His goal was to present not only the topics affording "adventure, contest, and color" but also "the more prosaic but equally important subjects." In search of balance, he sought to tell the story of "cotton pickers" and "priests and conquerors," of "filibusterers" and "farmers"--a complete story, to the extent possible. In keeping with his purpose, Professor Richardson wrote history in narrative or "storytelling" form. Where circumstances demanded and space permitted, he analyzed and interpreted events and issues, but the essence of his work was the evolution of his story and his effort to present it in an account that was as complete and fair as possible. The events of the years since the first publication ofTexas: The Lone Star Statehave been included in successive editions. And, the discovery of new information has sometimes led to reexamination of past events. More often, however, it is an increased awareness of the contributions and role of minorities, women, and other groups which have been ignored or inadequately recognized in the past that has led to a new, and it is hoped, a more complete and meaningful story. In reexamining the past, many of the old traditions or "myths" have been carefully scrutinized and found lacking in terms of meaning and sensitivity; others have been altered or modified. Such changes are appropriate and necessary to the preservation of a free people. But while old "myths" must be constantly reviewed and examined in order that they may not distort our history, care also must be taken to make sure that new "myths," which inevitably arise, do not likewise mislead us in our understanding of our heritage. New materials have been added to bring the text up-to-date in this edition, and where new scholarship is available, some of the earlier chapters have been revised. Substantial changes will be noted in chapters dealing with the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The story of Texas is presented through the events of the newest century, including the tragedy of September 11, 2001 and the political changes that culminated in the elections of 2002 and the subsequent redistricting struggle. In a few instances, the organization has been changed for the sake of clarity, and, unfortunately, for the sake of space, some material of older editions has been deleted. Considerable care has been taken to add a comprehensive listing of recently published books and articles in the bibliographies at the end of each chapter. In recognition of the increased role of visuals--pictures, graphs, and maps-in the learning of the twenty-first century, we have