A major theme in Chapter 1 is that change has been an important factor in the history of Texas. The text identifies several events and trends that have led to significant change in Texas. Choose one of the following events and discuss its impact on Texas both historically and today: the immigration of Anglos into Texas, the rise of the Grange and the “Redeemers,” the rise of oil as an important industry, or the rise of the Republican Party. What was the event? What were its effects on Texas at the time? How does it continue to affect Texas today?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Each of these events had significant effects on Texas then and now. The immigration of Anglos into Texas led, of course, to the Texas Revolution, statehood, and the Mexican-American War. The state of Texas today is defined by these events, and the Hispanic population reflects Texas’s Spanish heritage. The Grange and the “Redeemers” led to the creation of the post-Reconstruction government and the writing of the Texas Constitution. Their policies reduced the rights of former slaves, increased the power of agricultural interests, and left behind a constitution that complicates the ability of Texas to deal with its problems in the modern age. The rise of the Republican Party has turned Texas into a two-party state and given control of statewide government to a conservative party. This also influences national politics as the state Republican Party provides leaders in Congress and the executive branch of the national government.