Texas Declaration of Independence - March 2, 1836

A Republic is Born

Today is such an important day to all Texans, that I am going to forego my usual brilliant insight and Nobel-worthy prose, to take a back seat to those who are far more qualified than I to inform you on this 175th Birthday of the Texas Constitution. On March 2, 1836, forty-one men gathered in a shack in Washington-On-The-Brazos and hammered out a document. A document that changed history. It was the Texas Declaration of Independence


"In October 1835, settlers in Mexican Texas launched the Texas Revolution. However, within Texas, many struggled with understanding what was the ultimate goal of the Revolution. Some believed that the goal should be total independence from Mexico, while others sought the reimplementation of the Mexican Constitution of 1824 (which offered greater freedoms than the centralist government declared in Mexico the prior year).^[1] To settle the issue, a convention was called for March 1836. This convention differed from the previous Texas councils of 1832, 1833, and the 1835 Consultation. Many of the delegates to the 1836 convention were young men who had only recently arrived in Texas, although many of them had participated in one of the battles in 1835. Most of the delegates were members of the War Party and were adamant that Texas must declare its independence from Mexico.^[2] Forty-one delegates arrived in Washington-on-the-Brazos on February 28" says Wikipedia.

If you want to learn as much Texas History as you can in one stop, there are few places, if any, more informative that the archives at Texas A & M University. The Aggies do Texas Independence with the pride and enthusiasm you'd expect from them. From the Aggie Archives we find this on the convention that brought us a Declaration of Independence for Texas.

The Handbook of Texas Online has several interesting links to the Texas Declaration of Independence, so it that would be great place as well.

I know you'll enjoy the Texas History lesson you'll get at any of the links in this post. I'll have more to say later today, so until then...God bless Texas!

Adios,
Toby

Texas Tidbits: Daydreaming and Talking to God

Today is a day to which I look forward every year. Today is Texas Independence Day!!! I have grown to appreciate this magnificent date so much more as I have gotten older. I think that's because I have lived away from Texas for for about half of the last twenty-five years. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, maybe? Whatever the reason, I have an appreciation of my home state that has grown stronger over that time. I haven't been home in about six and a half years, so I look forward to when I can pack up my family and head home for a major road trip/learning experience. My little girls (4 & 8) will get to see and learn about their Daddy's heritage and what a special place Texas is and why I brag about Her so often.

When my Mom first moved to Colorado in 1986 (I think), I found a small jar and filled it up with dirt from Texas. I made a label for it and called it "A Little Hunk of Home". She still has that damn thing. In November 2004, when I last lived in Texas, I did the same thing for myself. Jar meet Texas dirt. I still have it. One small touch of that Sacred Soil and I can daydream of Texas. Daydreams of fishin' the creeks and ponds of East Texas. Walking off a few miles into the woods, seeing Texas at her most beautiful and having a good heart-to-heart talk with God. My talks with God always went the same way. He listened patiently to a flawed man seeking redemption through His everlasting Grace. He listened to a man who was humbled in His presence, like a son to his Father. He listened to man who has had a "colorful" life, thankful for the hard times as much as the good. The hard times always produced a teachable moment or two, the good times, not so much. God always had the time to listen and He always had the mercy to forgive me of my sins. Then God would listen to some of my fishin' stories and I'd have to make another date with Him for another talk. After all, a fisherman wouldn't stretch the truth, would he? :) Fish.Fear.Me. And.God.Loves.Me. What.A.Deal.