what paved the way for settlement of west texas

What was the most successful settlement in Texas history?

During the century, San Antonio, founded in 1718, proved to be the most successful settlement, a combination of civilian, military, and mission communities. Evidence of the presidio and mission system can still be seen in San Antonio today, with the Alamo – the remains of Mission San Antonio Valero – and the nearby settlement at La Villita.

Where were the first Spanish missions in Texas?

The first Spanish missions were established in the 1680s near present-day San Angelo, El Paso and Presidio – areas that were closely tied to settlements in what is today New Mexico. In 1690, Spanish missions spread to East Texas after news surfaced of La Salle’s French settlements in the area.

What was the purpose of the Spanish colonization of Texas?

Throughout the 1700s, Spanish Texas served as a buffer protecting the wealthier provinces to the south from both rival Europeans and independent Indian peoples. It was a time of turmoil in the region.

What caused the Texas War of Independence?

It was a time of turmoil in the region. Conflict among colonial powers was magnified by Spanish settlers arriving from the south and new groups of Native Americans, including the Comanches and Wichitas, making their way into Texas from the north.

What led to the settlement of Texas?

When Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, Austin's son, Stephen Austin, received Mexican approval of the grant. He led his first band of settlers to the area along the lower Brazos and Colorado rivers. By 1832 Austin's several colonies had about 8,000 inhabitants.

What attracted settlers to West Texas?

Anglo-Americans were attracted to Hispanic Texas because of inexpensive land. Undeveloped land in the United States land offices cost $1.25 an acre for a minimum of 80 acres ($100) payable in specie at the time of purchase.

What happened in Texas during the westward expansion?

Westward Expansion and the Mexican War In 1837, American settlers in Texas joined with their Tejano neighbors (Texans of Spanish origin) and won independence from Mexico. They petitioned to join the United States as a slave state.

WHO Expanded Texas westward?

In 1824, the Mexican government, which owned Texas, began to actively encourage the American colonization of Texas in order to promote trade and development. By 1830, about 7,000 Americans lived in Texas, outnumbering Hispanic settlers two to one.

Why did Mexico encourage settlement in Texas?

Why did the Mexican government encourage Americans to settle in Texas? The Mexican government encouraged Americans to settle in Texas to prevent border violations form horse thieves and to protect the territory from Native American attacks.

What were some reasons American settlers wanted to settle the West Write your answer in two or three sentences?

Gold rush and mining opportunities (silver in Nevada) The opportunity to work in the cattle industry; to be a “cowboy” Faster travel to the West by railroad; availability of supplies due to the railroad. The opportunity to own land cheaply under the Homestead Act.

What was the most famous route for settlers heading west?

The Oregon TrailThe Oregon Trail was a roughly 2,000-mile route from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, that was used by hundreds of thousands of American pioneers in the mid-1800s to emigrate west. The trail was arduous and snaked through Missouri and present-day Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and finally into Oregon.

What was the most common method for settlers to move westward?

Overview. Land, mining, and improved transportation by rail brought settlers to the American West during the Gilded Age.

What caused westward expansion?

Westward expansion, the 19th-century movement of settlers into the American West, began with the Louisiana Purchase and was fueled by the Gold Rush, the Oregon Trail and a belief in "manifest destiny."

What was the biggest impact of westward expansion?

Westward Expansion had the biggest impact on the economy and there were several positive outcomes as a result of Manifest Destiny. First, Westward Expansion led to the creation of many new technologies including steamboats, canals and the transcontinental railroads.

When did the westward expansion start?

Westward expansion began in earnest in 1803. Thomas Jefferson negotiated a treaty with France in which the United States paid France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory – 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River – effectively doubling the size of the young nation.

What was the westward expansion quizlet?

The term Westward Expansion encompasses the acquisition of territories by the United States across the whole area of the North American continent from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west.

How did the Mexican government try to attract settlers to Texas?

Stephen Austin's contract to bring settlers to Texas, June 4, 1825 (Gilder Lehrman Collection) In order to settle Texas in the 1820s, the Mexican government allowed speculators, called empresarios, to acquire large tracts of land if they promised to bring in settlers to populate the region and make it profitable.

Why did most settlers in Texas use the services of empresarios?

Empresarios acted as land agents, recruiting a certain number of people to move to Texas. They provided settlers with loans and supplies. They also acted as the colony's representative to the Mexican government. For their services, the empresarios were paid with large grants of land.

What were the first Texans?

The first Texans were nomadic hunters. Between approximately 12,000 to 8,000 years ago, small bands of hunters were living in Texas. These Paleoindians, known as the Folsom, Clovis, and Plainview cultures from the places in Texas and New Mexico where their sites were first found, shared a number of characteristics. They made weapon points, scrapers, and knives, used fire, hunted in groups, and used the spear or atlatl as their principal weapon.

What is the significance of the Lower Pecos Rock Art?

Thomas Hester: “Some archaeologists look at the Lower Pecos rock art that depicts figures that are human and often have deer associated with them or panthers associated with them as hunting magic art that was done to guarantee the success of the hunt, or that the panther was a rival to the humans. Other people look at them and see them as shaman figures or medicine men, and their regalia, and that the deer and the antlers and so forth are all part of the medicine man’s gear that he would use. Other people look at them as shamans who are in the process of transforming themselves from humans into animals, which is a phenomenon that we see around the world, a lot of cultures have medicine men who claim that they can transform themselves into other kinds of animals.”

What did the Comanche people do in the 1680s?

Wallace Coffey (Chairman, Comanche Tribe): “About the 1680s, when our Comanche people began to look to the buffalo as a way of life, we became a horse culture after the acquisition of the horse, the maneuverability, the ability to travel from one location to another, it became an economic resource. We became very functional with regards to the Southern Plains, the areas of Oklahoma and Texas were very conducive to our standard of living, and by all means the buffalo was one of the main purposes with regards to the relationship that we had with the Southern Plains. So we were very adept in warfare, we were probably some of the greatest hunters on horseback, and to this day we have a reputation that our ancestors established for us as the Lords of the Plains.”

What is the West Texas region?

West Texas is often subdivided according to distinct physiographic features. The portion of West Texas that lies west of the Pecos River is often referred to as "Far West Texas" or the " Trans-Pecos ", a term first introduced in 1887 by Texas geologist Robert T. Hill. The Trans-Pecos lies within the Chihuahuan Desert, ...

What is the most arid part of Texas?

The Trans-Pecos lies within the Chihuahuan Desert, and is the most arid portion of the state. Another part of West Texas is the Llano Estacado, a vast region of high, level plains extending into Eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle. To the east of the Llano Estacado lies the “ redbed country ” of the Rolling Plains and to the south ...

What is the redbed country of Texas?

To the east of the Llano Estacado lies the “ redbed country ” of the Rolling Plains and to the south of the Llano Estacado lies the Edwards Plateau. The Rolling Plains and the Edwards Plateau subregions act as transitional zones between eastern and western Texas.

What is West of the Pecos?

West Texas. "West of the Pecos" has become a metaphor for the universe of Westerns. "Fastest draw west of the Pecos" and similar superlatives are a cliche, and the title character of Chisum observed "There’s no law west of Dodge, and no God west of the Pecos”.

What are the major industries in West Texas?

Major industries include livestock, petroleum and natural gas production, textiles such as cotton, grain, and because of very large military installations such as Fort Bliss, the defense industry. West Texas has become notable for its numerous wind turbines producing clean and alternative electricity .

What is the climate of West Texas?

West Texas receives much less rainfall than the rest of Texas and has an arid or semi-arid climate, requiring most of its scant agriculture to be heavily dependent on irrigation. This irrigation, and water taken out farther north for the needs of El Paso and Juarez, Mexico, has reduced the once mighty Rio Grande to a stream in some places, even dry at times. Much of West Texas has rugged terrain, including many small mountain ranges, while most parts of the state are at or near sea level. The northern parts of West Texas (notably the Texas Panhandle) and the higher elevations of the mountain ranges of the Trans-Pecos region are prone to occasionally heavy snowfall during winter, while snow is less common in other areas of West Texas.

How many counties are there in West Texas?

The counties included in the West Texas region vary depending on the organization. The Texas Counties.net website acknowledges the variations, and includes 70 counties in its definition, based on the five principal metropolitan areas it contains: El Paso, Lubbock, Abilene, Midland / Odessa, and San Angelo.

What happened to the capital of Texas?

When the French turned over Louisiana to Spain at the end of the French and Indian War, the capital of Texas was transferred to San Antonio. Some of the residents of Los Adaes eventually established Nacogdoches at the site of an abandoned Caddo settlement. Aside from these successful communities, the Spanish experimented with establishing mission fields for various Indian groups, including Apaches, but never with long-term success.

What was the name of the Spanish outpost in Texas?

Remains of an early outpost called La Bahía, which also included a presidio and missions, can be seen at today’s Goliad. And a settlement called Los Adaes served as the capital of Spanish Texas – in an area that is now a state park in Louisiana.

What was the Spanish colonial era in Texas?

The Spanish Colonial era in Texas began with a system of missions and presidios, designed to spread Christianity and to establish control over the region. The missions were managed by friars from the order of St.

Where were the first Spanish missions?

The first Spanish missions were established in the 1680s near present-day San Angelo, El Paso and Presidio – areas that were closely tied to settlements in what is today New Mexico . In 1690, Spanish missions spread to East Texas after news surfaced of La Salle’s French settlements in the area. The Spanish settlers there encountered the Caddo Indians, who they called “Tejas” (derived from the Caddoan word “Tay-yas”, meaning friend).

What did European explorers and settlers bring to the Americas?

Throughout the Americas, European explorers and settlers brought disease and disruption to native peoples. In early settlements across the state, the Spanish engaged in a power struggle with local groups, with neither side ever declaring full victory over the other.

Why did Spain establish mission fields in Texas?

Following the Louisiana Purchase, Spain began to reinforce Texas in order to protect its Mexican colony from its new neighbor, the United States.

Was Texas part of the Louisiana Purchase?

In the process, Texas came to the attention of the Americans, some of whom claimed that Texas had been part of the Louisiana Purchase. By the time Texas became a part of independent Mexico in 1821, the province had suffered widespread destruction.

What led to the need for more paved roads?

In America, the rapid adoption of bicycles led to the need for more paved roads. In 1908, when Ford released the inexpensive Model T, the need became even more apparent. Several bills designed to fund infrastructure went into effect. In 1921, the Federal Highway Act created the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) and funded a two-lane highway system throughout the United States. It would be decades before this project was complete. In 1956, the Federal-Aid Highway Act expanded and funded continued highway development. In 1966, concerns about public transit, urban development, and environmental concerns led to the creation of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The BPR transitioned into the Federal Highway Administration under the DOT.

Who maintains the Texas highway system?

The federal government maintains the highway system, and local roads are maintained by city, county, and state government. Many government roadway construction and maintenance projects are outsourced to independent paving companies. The next time you need your driveway resealed or new asphalt laid in Texas, contact Lone Star Paving.

When were roads invented?

Wheeled transport necessitated the development of paved roads, and human settlements as far back as 4000 B.C. show evidence of paving. Early techniques involved the use of gravel, cobblestone, brick, limestone, and other small pieces glued into place with an adhesive. Roman roads typically consisted of several layers. The underlayment would be a rough gravel designed to allow for drainage. On top, a layer of fine gravel allowed for transport. The top layer was often constructed using cut stone and limestone, creating a smooth road surface.

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West of the Pecos in popular culture

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