Texian Blog

When we talk about the Alamo, we often picture grizzled frontiersmen—Crockett, Bowie, Travis. We imagine men who had lived long lives, fought many battles, and made their choices with the wisdom of experience. But the youngest defender to die at the Alamo wasn’t a man at all. He was a 15-year-old boy named William Philip King. And he wasn’t even supposed to be there. The story of how William…

Playing with Pingbacks. How’s this work?https://ronnieburt.com/process-is-a-crutch/

Happy Texas Independence Day! A day to remember how the collision of cultures, economies, and ambitions shaped the Texas we know today. Borders change, nations rise and fall, and history is rarely as simple as we'd like it to be.

Every March 2nd, Texans celebrate their Independence Day with barbecues, beer, and a whole lot of state pride. But behind the festivities lies a complex story of rebellion, cultural collision, and the birth of a republic that lasted just shy of ten years. The Road to Revolution The path to Texas independence wasn’t a straight line. After Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, it…

The story of Sally Newman Scull reads like a frontier novel, filled with gunfights, dangerous trades, murder, and mysterious disappearances.

The story of Sally Newman Scull reads like a frontier novel, filled with gunfights, dangerous trades, and mysterious disappearances. Born around 1817, she became one of Texas’s most fascinating pioneers, known for her expert marksmanship, shrewd business sense, and fierce independence. Her life spanned the tumultuous years of early Texas settlement through the Civil War, leaving behind a legacy…

When 16-year-old William King rode to the Alamo in his father's place in 1836, he joined the "Immortal 32" from Gonzales. His father John Gladden King lived to help build Texas—but at an unimaginable cost. A story of sacrifice from the Texas Revolution. #TexasHistory

In the tumultuous years that transformed Spanish Texas into an independent republic, few lives better illustrate the personal cost of revolution than that of John Gladden King. His journey from South Carolina to Texas patriarch, marked by both triumph and profound sacrifice, embodies the complex forces that shaped the American frontier. Born in Fairfield County, South Carolina in 1790, King came…

As every 4th grader in Texas knows, Antonio López de Santa Anna was Mexico’s most infamous caudillo—a political strongman who rose to power again and again, only to leave his country weaker every time. He was arrogant, opportunistic, and more interested in personal glory than national stability. Sound familiar? What is a Caudillo? A caudillo rules not through democratic legitimacy but through…

A Multicultural Celebration Christmas in early Texas was far more than a single holiday – it was a rich tapestry of traditions brought together by the diverse peoples who made Texas their home. Spanish and Mexican celebrations centered on Las Posadas and midnight mass, while German immigrants introduced Christmas trees and Advent calendars. African American communities developed their own…

On this day in 1835, the first battle of the Texas revolution was fought.

On a crisp October morning in 1835, as mist rolled off the San Antonio River, ninety Texian volunteers would make their stand in what would become the first major engagement of the Texas Revolution. The Battle of Concepción, though often overshadowed by the Alamo, set the tone for the entire independence movement and proved that Texian forces could stand toe-to-toe with Mexican regulars. The Eve…

Flags are more than just pieces of fabric fluttering in the wind. They are powerful symbols that encapsulate the essence of nations, states, and communities, conveying a sense of identity, belonging, and heritage. The study of flags, known as vexillology, delves into the history, symbolism, and significance behind these emblems. A person who studies flags is called a vexillologist, while a flag…