Unlike most states, Texas does not celebrate the date that it was admitted to the United States. (For the record, it was December 29, 1845.)
It is perhaps revealing that instead Texas celebrates March 2, 1836, the date that a band of American and Mexican rebels declared independence from the autocratic rule of a distant government. They fought the issue to a bloody conclusion at storied places like Gonzalez, Goliad, the Alamo, and San Jacinto. Then, for a decade that followed, Texas went it alone. As historian T.R. Ferenbach wrote in Seven Keys to Texas: "Texans have suffered history upon their own soil."
2011 marks the 175th anniversary of the Texas Revolution. The Texas State Library and Archives itself has its roots in that storied event -- one of the first acts of the provisional government was to begin the systematic collection of government records.
During the revolution itself, the archives was in constant motion to prevent capture by the Mexican army. To commemorate the 175th anniversary of Texas independence, the Texas State Library and Archives is proud to present a dozen selected documents that showcase the people and events of the Texas Revolution.
Want to know more? Check out our other exhibits on early Texas, including:
Native American Relations in Texas
Fortune Favors the Brave: The Story of the Texas Navy
Triumph and Tragedy: Presidents of the Republic of Texas
Hard Road to Texas: Texas Annexation 1836-1845