Texas

===Colonization===
{{main|New France|Louisiana (New France)|French colonization of Texas|French and Indian War|Treaty of Paris (1763)|New Spain|Spanish Texas|Seminole Wars|Adams–Onís Treaty|Mexican War of Independence|Treaty of Córdoba|First Mexican Empire|Mexican Texas|Provisional Government of Mexico (1823–24)|1824 Constitution of Mexico|First Mexican Republic|Siete Leyes|Centralist Republic of Mexico}}
The first historical document related to Texas was a map of the [[Gulf Coast]], created in 1519 by Spanish explorer [[Alonso Álvarez de Pineda]].<ref>{{harvp|Chipman|1992|p=243}}; {{harvp|Weber|1992|p=34}}</ref> Nine years later, shipwrecked Spanish explorer [[Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca]] and his cohort became the first Europeans in what is now Texas.<ref name="CVaca">{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=fca06|title=Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca|first=Donald E. |last=Chipman|orig-year=June 12, 2010 |date=August 3, 2017}}</ref><ref name="SpanishT">{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=nps01|title=Spanish Texas|first=Donald E. |last=Chipman|orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> Cabeza de Vaca reported that in 1528, when the Spanish landed in the area, "half the natives died from a disease of the bowels and blamed us."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanjourneys.org/aj-070/summary/index.asp |title=The Journey of Alvar Nuńez Cabeza de Vaca |website=American Journeys |publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005010422/http://www.americanjourneys.org/aj-070/summary/index.asp |archive-date=October 5, 2012}}</ref> Cabeza de Vaca also made observations about the way of life of the Ignaces Natives of Texas.{{Efn|Cabeza de Vaca wrote, "They went about with a firebrand, setting fire to the plains and timber so as to drive off the mosquitos, and also to get lizards and similar things which they eat, to come out of the soil. In the same manner they kill deer, encircling them with fires, and they do it also to deprive the animals of pasture, compelling them to go for food where the Indians want."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=James West |first2=Mark H |last2=Lytle |title=After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection |volume=1 |publisher=McGraw Hill|date=2010 |chapter=Chapter 1 |page=7 |isbn=978-0-0733-8548-8 |edition=6th}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=James West |title=After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection |last2=Lytle |first2=Mark H |date=2010 |publisher=McGraw Hill |isbn=978-0-0733-8548-8 |edition=6th |volume=1 |page=7 |chapter=Chapter 1}}</ref> [[Francisco Vázquez de Coronado]] described another encounter with native people in 1541.{{Efn|Vázquez de Coronado wrote, "Two kinds of people travel around these plains with the cows; one is called [[Querecho Indians|Querechos]] and the others [[Teyas Indians|Teyas]]; they are very well built, and painted, and are enemies of each other. They have no other settlement or location than comes from traveling around with the cows. They kill all of these they wish and tan the hides, with which they clothe themselves and make their tents, and they eat the flesh, sometimes even raw, and they also even drink the blood when thirsty. The tents they make are like field tents, and they set them up over poles they have made for this purpose, which come together and are tied at the top, and when they go from one place to another they carry them on some dogs they have, of which they have many, and they load them with the tents and poles and other things, for the country is so level, as I said, that they can make use of these, because they carry the poles dragging along on the ground. The sun is what they worship most."<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Winship |editor-first=George Parker |title=The Journey of Coronado, 1540–1542|publisher=A.S. Barnes & Company |date=1904 |pages=210–211 |url=https://archive.org/stream/journeycoronado00winsrich#page/210/mode/2up}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/journeycoronado00winsrich#page/210/mode/2up |title=The Journey of Coronado, 1540–1542 |date=1904 |publisher=A.S. Barnes & Company |editor-last=Winship |editor-first=George Parker |pages=210–211}}</ref>

The expedition of [[Hernando de Soto]] entered into Texas from the east, seeking a route to Mexico. They passed through the Caddo lands but turned back after reaching the River of Daycao (possibly the Brazos or Colorado), beyond which point the Native peoples were nomadic and did not have the agricultural stores to feed the expedition.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hudson |first=Charles M. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/981166517 |title=Knights of Spain, warriors of the sun : Hernando De Soto and the South's ancient chiefdoms |year=2018 |publisher=University of Georgia Press |isbn=978-0-8203-5160-5 |oclc=981166517}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Clayton |first1=Lawrence A. |last2=Knight |first2=Vernon J. |last3=Moore |first3=Edward C. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/47010055 |title=The De Soto chronicles : the expedition of Hernando de Soto to North America in 1539-1543 |date=1995 |publisher=University of Alabama Press |isbn=0-585-36805-8 |oclc=47010055}}</ref>

European powers ignored the area until accidentally settling there in 1685. Miscalculations by [[René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle]] resulted in his establishing the colony of [[French colonization of Texas|Fort Saint Louis]] at [[Matagorda Bay]] rather than along the [[Mississippi River]].{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=149}} The colony lasted only four years before succumbing to harsh conditions and hostile natives.{{Sfnp|Chipman|1992|p=83}} A small band of survivors traveled eastward into the lands of the Caddo, but La Salle was killed by disgruntled expedition members.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Joutel |first=Henri |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/962854705 |title=The La Salle expedition to Texas : the journal of Henri Joutel, 1684-1687 |year=1998 |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |isbn=0-87611-165-7 |oclc=962854705}}</ref>

In 1690 Spanish authorities, concerned that France posed a competitive threat, constructed several [[Spanish missions in Texas|missions]] in [[East Texas]] among the Caddo.{{sfnp|Chipman|1992|p=89}} After Caddo resistance, the Spanish missionaries returned to Mexico.{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=155}} When France began settling [[Louisiana (New France)|Louisiana]], in 1716 Spanish authorities responded by founding a new series of missions in East Texas.<ref>{{harvp|Chipman|1992|pp=111–112}}; {{harvp|Weber|1992|p=160}}</ref> Two years later, they created [[San Antonio]] as the first Spanish civilian settlement in the area.{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=163}}
[[File:LaFora 1771 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Nicolas de La Fora's 1771 map of the northern frontier of [[New Spain]] clearly shows the Provincia de los Tejas.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bolton |first=Herbert Eugene |date=1915 |title=Texas in the Middle 18th Century|publisher=University of California Press |page=facing p. 382 |url=https://archive.org/stream/texasinmiddleei00boltgoog#page/n420/mode/2up}}</ref>|left]]

Hostile native tribes and distance from nearby Spanish colonies discouraged settlers from moving to the area. It was one of New Spain's least populated provinces.{{sfnp|Chipman|1992|p=205}} In 1749, the Spanish peace treaty with the [[Lipan Apache people|Lipan Apache]] angered many tribes,{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=193}} including the [[Comanche]], [[Tonkawa]], and [[Hasinai]].{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=189}} The Comanche signed a treaty with Spain in 1785 and later helped to defeat the Lipan Apache and [[Karankawa people|Karankawa]] tribes.<ref>{{harvp|Weddle|1995|p=164}}; {{harvp|Chipman|1992|p=200}}</ref>{{sfnp|Weddle|1995|p=163}} With numerous missions being established, priests led a peaceful conversion of most tribes. By the end of the 18th century only a few [[nomad]]ic tribes had not converted.{{sfnp|Chipman|1992|p=202}}
[[File:Stephen f austin.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Stephen F. Austin]] was the first American ''[[empresario]]'' given permission to operate a colony within [[Mexican Texas]].]]
[[File:Mexico 1824 (equirectangular projection).png|thumb|upright=1.35|Mexico in 1824. [[Coahuila y Tejas]] is the northeasternmost state.]]

When the United States [[Louisiana Purchase|purchased Louisiana]] from France in 1803, American authorities insisted the agreement also included Texas. The boundary between New Spain and the United States was finally set in 1819 at the [[Sabine River (Texas–Louisiana)|Sabine River]], the modern border between Texas and Louisiana.{{sfnp|Weber|1992|pp=291–299}} Eager for new land, many U.S. settlers refused to recognize the agreement. Several [[filibuster (military)|filibusters]] raised armies to invade the area west of the Sabine River.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|p=46}} Marked by the [[War of 1812]], some men who had escaped from the Spanish, held (Old) Philippines had immigrated to and also passed through Texas (New Philippines)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://texascultures.housing.utexas.edu/assets/pdfs/GTC_filipinotexans.pdf|title=Most of the Filipinos in Texas are comparatively recent arrivals. Strong economic and political ties with the Spanish empire from the 16th to the 19th centuries brought few known individuals to the Americas, but United States control in the early 20th century was responsible for Filipino settlement in every metropolitan area in the state. Considering the Spanish trade with the Philippines—the Manila galleons operated between Acapulco and Manila from 1565 to 1815—travelers from the islands may have been in Mexico after the mid-16th century|website=Texascultures.housing.utexas.edu|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref> and reached [[Louisiana]] where [[Ethnic groups in the Philippines|Philippine exiles]] aided the United States in the defense of [[New Orleans]] against a [[British Empire|British]] invasion, with [[Filipino people|Filipino]]s in the [[Saint Malo, Louisiana|Saint Malo]] settlement assisting [[Jean Lafitte]] in the [[Battle of New Orleans]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=From Manila to the Marigny: How Philippine pioneers left a mark at the 'end of world' in New Orleans|url=https://nola.verylocal.com/from-manila-to-the-maringny-how-philippine-pioneers-left-a-mark-at-the-end-of-world-in-new-orleans/89392/|last=Hinton|first=Matthew|date=October 23, 2019|website=Very Local New Orleans}}</ref>

In 1821, the [[Mexican War of Independence]] included the Texas territory, which became part of Mexico.{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=300}} Due to its low population, the territory was assigned to other [[administrative divisions of Mexico|states and territories of Mexico]]; the core territory was part of the state of [[Coahuila y Tejas]], but other parts of today's Texas were part of [[Tamaulipas]], [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], or the Mexican Territory of [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México]].{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=162}}

Hoping more settlers would reduce the near-constant Comanche raids, [[Mexican Texas]] liberalized its immigration policies to permit immigrants from outside Mexico and Spain.{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=164}} Large swathes of land were allotted to ''[[empresario]]s'', who recruited settlers from the United States, Europe, and the Mexican interior, primarily the U.S. Austin's settlers, the [[Old Three Hundred]], made places along the [[Brazos River]] in 1822.{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=198}} The population of Texas grew rapidly. In 1825, Texas had about 3,500 people, with most of Mexican descent.{{sfnp|Edmondson|2000|p=75}} By 1834, the population had grown to about 37,800 people, with only 7,800 of Mexican descent.{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=172, 201}}

Many immigrants openly flouted Mexican law, especially the prohibition against [[slavery]]. Combined with United States' attempts to purchase Texas, Mexican authorities decided in 1830 to prohibit continued immigration from the United States.{{sfnp|Edmondson|2000|p=78}} However, [[illegal immigration]] from the United States into Mexico continued to increase the population of Texas.{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=200}} New laws also called for the enforcement of [[duty (economics)|customs duties]] angering native Mexican citizens (''[[Tejano]]s'') and recent immigrants alike.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|p=77}}
The [[Anahuac Disturbances]] in 1832 were the first open revolt against Mexican rule, coinciding with a revolt in Mexico against the nation's president.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|p=85}} [[Texian]]s sided with the [[federalism|federalists]] against the government and drove all Mexican soldiers out of East Texas.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|pp=86–89}} They took advantage of the lack of oversight to agitate for more political freedom. Texians met at the [[Convention of 1832]] to discuss requesting independent statehood, among other issues.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|p=92}} The following year, Texians reiterated their demands at the [[Convention of 1833]].<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=mjc10 |title=Convention of 1833 |first=Ralph W. |last=Steen |date=June 12, 2010}}</ref>