Exploration & Early Texas
This Spanish explorer is credited with one of the first European maps of the Texas coast in the early 1500s. Who is he?
Alonso Álvarez de Pineda (or Pineda) is credited with mapping parts of the Texas coast (accept similar correct early cartographers).
This 1620 document written by Pilgrims established a basic form of self-government for their colony. What is it called?
Mayflower Compact.
This man led Texan forces to victory at the Battle of San Jacinto and became a key leader of the Republic of Texas. Who is he?
Sam Houston (Samuel Houston).
The Civil War was fought mainly between the Northern states and the Southern states. What were the two sides commonly called?
The Union (North) and the Confederacy (South).
This 20th-century Texas president signed key civil rights and Great Society laws and is known for his influence on national policy. Who is he?
Lyndon B. Johnson.
Name the Spanish explorer who traveled across parts of the present-day American Southwest, including encounters in Texas region, and whose stories influenced later explorers.
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado (or Cabeza de Vaca for other earlier travels — accept Coronado or Cabeza de Vaca with explanation).
Name the early colonial representative assembly in Virginia that helped establish the idea of elected representation in what became the United States.
Virginia House of Burgesses.
Name the major battle in 1836 where a small group of Texans were besieged and died defending a fort in San Antonio.
The Battle of the Alamo.
Name the proclamation that declared enslaved people in Confederate states to be free as of January 1, 1863.
Emancipation Proclamation.
Name one major Texas industry that experienced boom-and-bust cycles and explain briefly how a boom could change a community.
Oil is a primary example (others: cattle, railroads, cotton, real estate). A boom can bring jobs, population growth, new businesses; a bust can cause unemployment and economic decline.
This French explorer attempted to start a colony in East Texas in the 1680s but was killed; his expedition influenced later Spanish efforts. Who was he?
La Salle (René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle).
The Articles of Confederation were replaced because they created a weak national government. Name one major problem under the Articles that led leaders to create the U.S. Constitution.
Problems included lack of central taxing power, inability to raise an army, trade conflicts between states, weak enforcement of laws.
Moses Austin and his son Stephen F. Austin are associated with what important development in early Texas settlement?
The Austins (Moses and Stephen F. Austin) led Anglo-American colonization/settlement through empresario grants and organized Anglo settlements in Texas.
Identify one major battle of the Civil War (either in the U.S. broadly or involving Texas) and explain why it was important.
Accept many answers: e.g., Battle of Gettysburg (turning point), Vicksburg (gave Union control of Mississippi), Battle of Galveston (important for Texas), Battle of Palmito Ranch (last land battle). Explain significance.
Identify one major U.S. event from the 20th century that affected Texas economically or socially and explain one effect.
Examples: Great Depression (unemployment, Dust Bowl migration), World War II (industrial growth, military bases), Civil Rights Movement (social change). Explain one effect provided.
Explain two major effects of European exploration and colonization on Native American groups in Texas before large-scale settlement by Anglo colonists.
Effects include spread of European diseases that reduced Native populations, loss of land, changes to native economies, introduction of horses and new goods, disruption of traditional lifeways. (Any two reasonable impacts.)
Identify and briefly explain one argument that the Anti-Federalists made against the new U.S. Constitution.
Anti-Federalists feared a strong central government would threaten individual rights and state powers; they wanted a Bill of Rights.
Explain one cause and one effect of Texas declaring independence from Mexico in 1836.
Cause: cultural and political conflicts between Anglo settlers and Mexican government (e.g., disputes over laws, slavery, and local control). Effect: Creation of the Republic of Texas, armed conflict, eventual annexation by the U.S.
Describe one major political or social change that occurred during Reconstruction after the Civil War.
Changes include passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, temporary federal protection for civil rights, military occupation of the South, new state constitutions, and political changes including enfranchisement of formerly enslaved people.
Name one civil rights leader or organization connected to Texas and describe one contribution they made to civil rights or social reform.
Examples: James L. Farmer, Jr. (civil rights organizer — founded CORE), LULAC (advocated for Latino rights), Oveta Culp Hobby (first director of the Women's Army Corps and later Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare), Hector P. García (founder of American G.I. Forum). Describe contribution.
Identify and describe the purpose of Spanish missions in Texas during the colonial period. Give one example of a mission-related individual and explain their role.
Spanish missions aimed to convert Native Americans to Christianity and to extend Spain’s control; example: Fray Damián Massanet (mission founder), Father Francisco Hidalgo (mission advocate), José de Escandón (settler/colonizer). Explain their roles in missions/towns.
Name two events or ideas from the Revolutionary Era that helped shape the desire for representative government in the United States.
Examples: Enlightenment ideas (e.g., consent of the governed), events like the Boston Tea Party or the Declaration of Independence; both support representative government.
Describe the role of Antonio López de Santa Anna in Texas history and give one consequence of his actions
Santa Anna was Mexico’s president/general who fought to keep Texas; he led forces at the Alamo and was captured after San Jacinto; consequence: his capture helped secure Texan independence and later shaped Mexican-Texan relations.
Explain how westward expansion and U.S. policies like the Indian Removal Act affected Native American life during the 19th century.
Effects include loss of lands, forced relocations like Trail of Tears, decline of buffalo herds, disruption of traditional economies — leading to social, cultural, and population changes.
Explain two ways immigration and migration in the 20th and 21st centuries have influenced Texas society and economy.
Immigration/migration influence: workforce growth, cultural diversity, changes in urbanization and politics, economic expansion in industries (technology, service, agriculture), and demographic shifts that affect schools and communities.