Why lone star state called

The Lone Star State is known far and wide as a self-sufficient place full of self-sufficient people. Which is probably why Curious Texas received this question from across the pond: How did Texas become the Lone Star State and when did Texas decide to rejoin the Union? The question, submitted by Louise Percival from Wilmslow, Cheshire, in the United Kingdom, is part of an ongoing project from The Dallas Morning News that invites you to join in our reporting process.

The idea is simple: You have questions, and our journalists are trained to track down answers. After proclaiming our independence from Mexico, the Republic of Texas officially adopted the lone star flag we know and love in William Harris Wharton.

The Rangers were playing the Royals in an exhibition game. It also introduced the world to the Lone Star of Texas. The star is said to represent our independence as a single republic — as opposed to the star-spangled flag of the United States.

After nearly a decade as an independent republic, government officials in Austin and Washington, D. In February , the U. Congress passed a bill that allowed for Texas to become part of the union if it voted to do so.

Mexico, which never officially recognized the independence of Texas, had threatened the U. Texans, however, voted in October to join the U. Yet Texas was not long for the union, and voted in to secede and join the Confederate States of America. When the rebellion ended on April 9, , Texas joined the Union once again.

What do you wonder about the culture, people and institutions of North Texas — and the rest of our great state? Do you hate to love chicken-fried steak? California and New Mexico have distinct versions of dishes derived from Mexican influences, and Texas is no different.

Tex-Mex has its roots in the unique Tejano culture. Tejanos are the descendants of the Spanish and Mexican settlers who lived in Texas before it became an independent republic in The classic Tex-Mex dish is cheese enchiladas covered with chili gravy, served with rice and refried pinto beans.

It is distinguished by its abundant use of cumin and chili, flavors first brought to Texas in the s by settlers from the Canary Islands. Tex-Mex is a people's food, not fine dining! As Tex-Mex evolved, it liberally incorporated influences from Anglo and German settlers, including the use of flour tortillas, beef, cheddar and American cheese, and canned tomatoes.

What's your favorite Tex-Mex recipe? Fossils from 21 different dinosaur species have been discovered in Texas. These creatures roamed the earth from million years ago to 65 million years ago, and have been uncovered in the Panhandle, Central Texas, and Big Bend.

And yes— Tyrannosaurus Rex was among them! Have you ever found a fossil in Texas? No one knows for sure. The earliest evidence for human habitation of Texas has been dated back to around 13, BCE, and it appears Texas was continuously inhabited by American Indians for thousands of years. The first permanent non-native settlement in Texas was San Antonio, founded in by 56 Spanish immigrants from the Canary Islands.

In February, , the United States Senate passed a joint resolution to admit Texas as the 28th state of the union—a resolution that passed by only one vote!

In the fall of that year, Texas voters overwhelmingly approved annexation. In December , the U. Congress formally approved the annexation and it was signed into law by President James K. The Stars and Stripes were raised over Texas and James Pinckney Henderson, the master diplomat who had helped negotiate the treaty of annexation, was sworn in as the first governor of the state of Texas.

What was your first Texas experience? Most people have heard stories of extreme Texas weather, but on Saturday, September 8, , Galveston was the site of the worst natural disaster ever to hit the United States. A hurricane of almost unimaginable force leveled two-thirds of the city and killed between 6, and 8, people in Galveston.

The death toll along the Texas coast was estimated at 10, to 12, Scenes of horror and suffering followed for weeks after the disaster. Once one of the leading commercial centers of the South, Galveston rose from the grave after the hurricane via some remarkable feats of engineering, including building a six-mile long seawall and raising the entire grade of the island by as much as 17 feet. In this extraordinary effort, over 2, buildings were jacked up and filling pumped underneath, including a 3,ton church.

Several storms as powerful have hit the United States in the years since, but none had the tremendous loss of life of the Great Storm of It's still referred to as simply the "Great Storm" because weather forecasters didn't start naming storms until the s. Have you lived through a Texas tragedy? Texan culture has powerful myths and images that native Texans enjoy as much as non-natives do.

But these days, ranching , petroleum extraction , and petrochemicals are just a part of what makes Texas Texas. The Texas economy is extremely diverse, with major industries ranging from agriculture to high tech, from aerospace to shipping, from the military and national defense to the music industry.

At last count, Texas has over research colleges and universities, as well as innumerable community colleges and trade schools. It is also home to the M. Remember your first cowboy hat? Emily West was a free African-American servant. After the Mexican defeat, stories began to circulate that Emily helped the Texan cause by distracting General Santa Anna while the Texans attacked.

Though the story has no basis in historical fact, it became a popular Texas myth and Emily West eventually became known as "The Yellow Rose of Texas. Years later, Texas soldiers serving in the Civil War used "The Yellow Rose of Texas" as their marching song and it has been indelibly associated with Texas ever since. What's your favorite Texas song? If you didn't, you should. Why is "everything bigger in Texas"?

Why is Texas called the "Lone Star State"? Why do Texans "remember the Alamo"? What symbolizes Texas to you? I shall never surrender or retreat I call on you in the name of liberty, of patriotism, and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch. William B.