Civil War & Secession
Why did Texas secede from the Union in 1861?
Answer: To protect slavery and states’ rights.
What year was the current Texas Constitution adopted?
Answer: 1876.
What three industries helped Texas grow in the late 1800s?
Answer: Cotton, cattle, and railroads.
What is the largest source of state revenue in Texas?
Answer: Sales taxes.
Who was a famous abolitionist who argued against slavery?
Answer: Frederick Douglass
What two sides fought in the Civil War?
Answer: Union (North) and Confederacy (South).
What principle means power comes from the people?
Answer: Popular sovereignty.
What commission was created to regulate railroad rates?
Answer: Texas Railroad Commission.
Why has large-scale farming been successful in the Great Plains?
Answer: Flat land and access to underground aquifers.
Who was a Confederate general, Governor of Texas, and later President of Texas A&M?
Answer: Lawrence Sullivan “Sul” Ross.
What does Juneteenth celebrate?
Answer: The day enslaved people in Texas were freed (June 19, 1865).
What principle means we elect representatives to make decisions?
Answer: Republicanism.
Who supported regulating railroads and helped create the Texas Railroad Commission?
Answer: James Stephen Hogg
How do modern wind turbines differ from early windmills?
Answer: Early windmills pumped water; modern turbines generate electricity.
Who was an important Comanche leader in Texas?
Answer: Quanah Parker
What invention ended the open-range cattle drives?
Answer: Barbed wire.
What is required by law for Texas citizens?
Answer: Serving on a jury.
Where were cattle driven to be shipped by rail?
Answer: Railheads in Kansas.
How does water availability affect Texas cities?
Answer: Cities often develop near water sources.
Who fought to end slavery and supported abolition?
Answer: Abolitionists.
Which Texas leader opposed secession and refused to support leaving the Union?
Answer: Sam Houston
What do both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions include to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful?
Answer: Checks and balances.
How did railroads affect Texas cities?
Answer: They helped cities grow and increased trade.
What is groundwater often used for in Texas farming?
Answer: Irrigation.
What group believed states had the right to leave the Union?
Answer: Supporters of secession / Confederates.