Texas is an amazing state, full of variety in land, people, climate, history and economy. The state can boast of deserts and swamps, mountains and plains, huge cities and also miles and miles of farms and ranches. There are plateaus and mesas, buttes and canyons, and endless prairies where “blue northers” and grass fires alike can sweep across the land. There are even muggy tropical breezes and coastal hurricanes. The four regions of Texas are as diverse as any place on Earth.

From the time that prehistoric man migrated across from Asia and into the southern part of North America, citizens from all over the world and native Texans alike shared a home in Texas. From the 1500s when Spanish conquistadors and missionaries changed the faces of this continent, there have always been people migrating to Texas. The Comanche came from the northern plains and soon commanded the entire western half of the land. Settlers came to colonize from all over Europe with the guidance of empresarios like Stephen F. Austin. Soon farmers and ranchers were everywhere.

From Native-American Texans refusing to change their way of life for the Spanish missionaries, to settlers struggling to make a new home, to battles between Native Americans and settlers, early life in Texas was never easy. First under Spanish control, the colonists then became Mexican citizens after independence from Spain. Then the settlers of Texas battled for independence from Mexico and later joined the South in the Civil War. Texas was born of struggle.

Reconstruction and expansion following the Civil War encouraged the urbanization and industrialization of the state. Texans saw the birth of the petroleum industry, the growth of commercial farming and ranching, the invention of barbed wire and a large population growth. It also saw the end of the Native Americans’ way of life as they were devastated by the near extinction of the bison.

Texas of today has an aerospace industry, tourism, a variety of technology industries, and an immense system of highways and roads, as well a world-class shipping port. Texans come from all over the world. The strong influence of the Spanish culture is still very obvious, but there are influences from other cultures as well.

This book surveys the history, economy, geography, government and people of Texas and is intended as a jumping off place for further research on these topics. The number of possible ideas for further research is as big as the state itself! Following each summary are vocabulary activities, discussion questions, creative-thinking questions and creative-writing and other activities. At the end is a research-project unit. The TEKS for all activities are documented on a chart, divided by units or summaries.

Download the Table of Contents page here.

Grades 5–8.