Antique Maps and Prints of Historic Texas.
This short
REFERENCE PAGE is designed to provide no more than a 'glimpse' of
the history of the State,
with a couple of examples of antiquarian maps and engravings and some interesting Links.
This Page is provided as a REFERENCE
RESOURCE - it is NOT an Inventory.
Genuine
historical maps and prints by mail order - all are eminently suitable for framing and
are offered On Approval, which
GUARANTEES
YOUR ENTIRE SATISFACTION!
Look us over, but don't
overlook us.
STATE OF TEXAS
The article below was written in 1885 and makes interesting reading.
Topography: Greatest length of the State, 825 miles; greatest breadth, 740 miles; area, 265,780 square miles, or 170,099,200 acres. Its sea coast of about 400 miles is irregular and bordered by many small islands.
The mountains of the district lying between the Pecos and the Rio Grande attain an elevation of from 4,000 to 6,000 feet; the west and northwest sections are an elevated table land, and from thence the slope is gradual to the sea, the south and southeast divisions being flat and low.
The largest and most accessible bay is that of Galveston, which extends inland thirty-five miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and has thirteen feet of water in the channel. The Rio Grande is navigable for over 400 miles the Red river, Nueces, Angelina, Trinity, and some other streams are navigable during the season for considerable distances.
The Canadian river, in the north, and the Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe and San Antonio are among the best-known streams.
Climate: The climate of Texas shows considerable variation, ranging from the temperate to the semi-tropical, but in general it is remarkably salubrious.
The mean annual temperature in the highlands of the extreme northwest is about 56º; in the central division, 65º to 66º, and in the southwest, 72º and the range of the thermometer is from 35º to 95º Fahrenheit.
The rainfall is the greatest along the coast and in the south. The average precipitation at Austin for a series of years was found to be 34.54 inches; at Fort Belknap, in Young county, about twenty-two inches, and in the northwest, from twelve to sixteen inches.
History: Texas, the largest State in the Union, was admitted Dec. 29, 1845, having been for nine years an independent republic. The first settlement was by the French under La Salle in 1685.
When Louisiana was acquired by the United States in 1803, border troubles immediately sprung up, and it was not until 1819 that the Sabine river was agreed upon as the boundary line. In 1820 Moses Austin received from the Mexican government a grant of lands in Texas, and this was confirmed to his son, Stephen F. Austin, who settled several colonies there.
Discriminative laws against citizens of the United States having been passed, and the provinces of Texas and Coahuila having been consolidated and put under the control of a Mexican governor in order to oppress the Texan settlers, the latter revolted in 1835.
In October, 1835, occurred the battles of Gonzales, Goliad and Concepcion, in which the Mexicans were defeated. A provisional government was constituted; an army formed with Gen. Sam Houston as commander-in-chief; and, after the capture of San Antonio de Bexar, Dec. 10, 1835, the Mexican troops were driven from the State, which declared its independence ten days later.
Gen. Houston was inaugurated as first president of the Republic of Texas in October, 1836, and the independence of the Republic was recognized by the United States in the following March, and by the leading European powers in 1839-40. A desultory war was carried on with Mexico, and the new State became involved in great financial difficulties.
The leaders, Americans by birth and education, advocated the annexation of Texas to the United States, and early in 1845 resolutions were passed for the annexation, which were ratified by Texas, and the State was admitted into the Union Dec. 29, 1845. In 1850 congress voted to pay the State $10,000,000 for her claims to lands without the present limits of the State.
The ordinance of secession was adopted in February, 1861. Gen. Houston, who had opposed all attempts at secession, refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, and was deprived of his office.
On Oct. 8,1862, the Federals occupied Galveston, but on Jan. 1, 1863, the city was retaken by the Confederates. The military operations within the State were unimportant, although Western Texas was occupied by the Union army in November, 1863, and the last battle of the war was fought near the Rio Grande, on Texan soil, on May 13, 1865. The process of reconstruction was extended over several years, and it was not until April 16, 1870, that the government was finally turned over to the civil authorities.
A new constitution was adopted in 1875, and is now in force.
Population: Census of 1880: Males, 837,840; Females, 753,909; Native, 1,477,133; Foreign, 114,616; White, 1,197,237; Colored, 394,512, including 136 Chinese and 992 Indians and Half-breeds.
VIEW OF RANCH LIFE IN TEXAS
Published in the Illustrated London News in 1887.
ANTIQUARIAN MAP OF TEXAS
Published by Rand, McNally - 1899
ANTIQUARIAN MAP OF TEXAS AS A REPUBLIC
Published by Findlay/Tegg - 1840
INTERESTING LINKS
OTHER POSTAPRINT US STATES FEATURE PAGES
Contributions and suggestions for additional links would be most welcome.
After very many years in the Trade,
I am now
retired and the
Postaprint Website
as such is no longer available.
However this large collection of Reference Pages
is being
left on line, as we hope you will find them to informative and helpful. They
provide details of many of the maps, books and engravings we had the pleasure of dealing in over so
many years.
For a complete index of all
such Reference Pages PLEASE DO CLICK
HERE.
However,
my wife has a
store on eBay, with
many offers of delightful antiquarian maps & prints
& engravings.
SOME INTERESTING & UNUSUAL GIFT IDEAS FROM JULIE
DO VISIT MY EBAY SHOP
FOR UNUSUAL IDEAS FOR PRESENTS
Perhaps a map or print of somewhere important in
someone's life. For example, where
they were born, got married, went on honeymoon etc. I do have a wide selection
of topographical views and historical maps.
America's,
UK,
Europe,
Asia,
Africa,
Australia,
The World, Etc.
...Or do a search for their last name, you will be surprised
what you might discover!
Specialist mail order suppliers of collectible historical antique maps and engravings.