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Texas America250: Historical Documents from Texas History
What is Texas? Before Texas became the 28th state to join the United States of America, it was an independent republic, a province of Mexico and New Spain, and the open lands of early people. The shape of the state stands out on a US map for its size alone, but the boundaries were not always as they are now. Historical maps and documents from the State Archives can show us what happened in the past, including how the different versions of Texas’ borders evolved into today’s iconic, recognizable shape. Records created by different Texas governments and by people living their daily lives, sometimes written by hand, sometimes typed or printed, and sometimes even drawn, are all pieces of evidence that help answer questions about our history.
.jpg "A map on tan paper with text in French. This French map from 1840 covers parts of Louisiana, New Mexico, Mexico, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory in addition to Texas. The map was published in Coup D'Oeil Historique et Statisque surle Texas (A Historical and Statistical Overview of Texas) by Henri Fournel (Paris, 1841). Carte de Texas: Extrarte de la grande Carte de Mexique, 1840. (Map of Texas: Excerpt from the Great Map of Mexico, 1840.) Cartographer, Adrien Hubert Brue; Published in Paris; French. Texas State Archives Maps Collection, Map#0044")
Carte de Texas: Extrarte de la grande Carte de Mexique, 1840. (Map of Texas: Excerpt from the Great Map of Mexico, 1840.) Cartographer, Adrien Hubert Brue; Published in Paris; French. Texas State Archives Maps Collection, Map#0044. Click or tap on image to view larger version.
This French map from 1840 covers parts of Louisiana, New Mexico, Mexico, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory in addition to Texas. The map was published in Coup D'Oeil Historique et Statisque surle Texas (A Historical and Statistical Overview of Texas) by Henri Fournel (Paris, 1841).
.jpg "A large map showing different areas of Texas in different colors. This map from 1840 covers most of Texas excluding West Texas, part of northern Mexico, the Indian Territory, Louisiana, and Arkansas. It shows rivers, mountainous areas, counties, towns, forts, routes and trails, and Indian tribes and villages. Texas, Compiled from the Latest and Best Authorities, 1840. Published in A New Universal Atlas by Jeremiah Greenleaf; Battleboro, Vermont; English. Texas State Archives Map Collection, Map#1404")
Texas, Compiled from the Latest and Best Authorities, 1840. Published in A New Universal Atlas by Jeremiah Greenleaf; Battleboro, Vermont; English. Texas State Archives Map Collection, Map#1404.
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This map from 1840 covers most of Texas excluding West Texas, part of northern Mexico, the Indian Territory, Louisiana, and Arkansas. It shows rivers, mountainous areas, counties, towns, forts, routes and trails, and Indian tribes and villages.
New Map of Texas, 1841. Lithographed by Day and Haghe; English. Texas State Archives Map Collection, Map#55.
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This map from 1841 covers parts of New Mexico, the Indian Territory, the Osage Territory, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and northern Mexico in addition to Texas. It shows political, conventional, and natural boundaries of Texas while under both Spain and Mexico as well as the Republic of Texas. Roads shown include the Old San Antonio Road and the Great Spanish Road to the Red River. New Mexico is labeled as “Santa Fe.”
.jpg "A map of US, Mexico and Central America showing different regions in different colors. This map from 1841 covers the United States south of the Great Lakes, as well as Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands, including Haiti, the Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica. It shows rivers, mountainous areas, states, territories, Indian districts, cities, towns, presidios, mines, and Indian tribes. Inset: The Mexico City region. Table: List of states in Mexico and Central America. This map from 1841 covers the United States south of the Great Lakes, as well as Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands, including Haiti, the Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica. It shows rivers, mountainous areas, states, territories, Indian districts, cities, towns, presidios, mines, and Indian tribes. Inset: The Mexico City region. Table: List of states in Mexico and Central America.
This map is in German")
Mexico and Central America, 1841. Drafted and signed by Haupton and Stulpnegal; German. entw. u. gez. vom Haupton v. Stuelpnegel. Texas State Archives Map Collection, Map#2338. Click or tap on image to view larger version.
This map from 1841 covers the United States south of the Great Lakes, as well as Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands, including Haiti, the Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica. It shows rivers, mountainous areas, states, territories, Indian districts, cities, towns, presidios, mines, and Indian tribes. Inset: The Mexico City region. Table: List of states in Mexico and Central America.
This map is in German.
Annexation vote tally, November 10, 1845. Texas Department of State election returns, 2016/132-7. Click or tap on images to view larger versions.
In 1845, after nearly ten years as an independent republic, Texans held a referendum, allowing a popular vote on whether to join the United States. This document is the “statement of the number of votes polled in the several counties of the Republic on 13th Oct. 1845 for the adoption or rejection of annexation, the state Constitution, and ordinance concerning colony contracts, the returns of which were not received at the Department of State until after the 10th day of Nov. 1845.”
Texas voters approved annexation by 7,664 to 430.
Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States, Austin, Texas, July 4,1845. First page. General and Special Laws of the State of Texas, 1st Legislature, 1846. Texas Documents Collection, L1800.4 G286. Click or tap on image to view larger version.
Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States, Austin, Texas, July 4,1845. Second and third pages. General and Special Laws of the State of Texas, 1st Legislature, 1846. Texas Documents Collection, L1800.4 G286. Click or tap on image to view larger version.
Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States, Austin, Texas, July 4,1845. Fourth and fifth pages. General and Special Laws of the State of Texas, 1st Legislature, 1846. Texas Documents Collection, L1800.4 G286. Click or tap on image to view larger version.
Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States, Austin, Texas, July 4,1845. Sixth page. General and Special Laws of the State of Texas, 1st Legislature, 1846. Texas Documents Collection, L1800.4 G286. Click or tap on image to view larger version.
In July 1845, a popularly-elected Constitutional Convention met in Austin to consider the annexation proposal from the United States Congress. The Convention voted to accept the proposal, and the annexation ordinance was submitted to a popular vote in October 1845. Upon approval by Texas voters, the ordinance and new state constitution were then submitted to the US Congress. The United States House and Senate, in turn, accepted the Texas state constitution in a Joint Resolution to Admit Texas as a State, which was signed by the president on December 29, 1845. So, although the formal transfer of government did not occur until February 19, 1846, Texas statehood dates from the 29th of December.
Texas flag and seal design by Peter Krag, approved January 25, 1839. Texas Secretary of State legislative bills and resolutions filed (General and special laws), 2-7L/3. Click or tap on image to view larger version.
This original design for the Republic of Texas flag and seal was approved on January 25, 1839. Signatures of Mirabeau Lamar, President of the Republic of Texas; John M. Hansford, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives; and David Burnet, President of the Texas Senate are visible on the document.
On view from February 2 – July 31, 2026
Texas Constitution, 1876. Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875 Records. Click or tap on image to view larger version.
Since Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836, there have been six constitutions established as the law of the land. This constitution was developed in the period after Reconstruction, and the majority of the framers were Democrats reasserting control of state government. A defining feature of the document is the extensive detail and description usually found in the state legal codes rather than constitutions. There are 17 articles covering such topics as suffrage, education, railroads, and taxes. The first page includes a short preamble and 14 sections from Article I, the Bill of Rights. The Texas Constitution of 1876 stands as the current constitution for the state.
View the full Texas Constitution of 1876 online in the Texas Digital Archive. 
View a transcription of the Texas Constitution of 1876 from the University of Texas at Austin's Tarlton Law Library.