1. Historical Eras What is an Era?
A period of time identified by distinctive features or events.
Why do Historians use Eras?
Historians divide the past into eras in order to create manageable periods of time that can be examined in depth while still maintaining continuity to the overall history of a place or people.

2. NATURAL TEXAS & ITS PEOPLE ERA
Nomadic or permanent societies
Undisturbed land
Lots of interaction between man and the environment
Highly adaptable people

3. AGE OF CONTACT ERA
European exploration and interaction with American Indians
Search for gold
Spain & France claim land
1519 – Pineda maps the TX coast
Ben Carter, Conquistadors in the New World

4. SPANISH COLONIAL ERA
Establishment of Catholic missions, towns & ranches
Spanish & French conflict over owning land
1718 – San Antonio de Valero established
Edward Vischer, Mission San Gabriel Archangel

5. MEXICAN NATIONAL ERA 1821-Mexico gets its independence from Spain
Father Hidalgo leads the rebellion
Empresarios settle Texas
Constitution of 1824

6. REVOLUTION & REPUBLIC ERA
Battles of Gonzales, the Alamo & San Jacinto
1836-Texans wins independence from Mexico
Republic of Texas
Council House Fight
1845 – Texas annexed into the U.S.
Robert Jenkins Onderdonk, The Fall of the Alamo

7. EARLY STATEHOOD ERA U.S. – Mexican War Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Compromise of 1850
Various immigrant groups settle in Texas

8. CIVIL WAR & RECONSTRUCTION ERA
Disagreement between northern & southern states over states’ rights, slavery, & tariffs
1861 – Civil War begins
Freedman’s Bureau
Black Codes
14th & 15th Amendments
Don Troiani, Lone Star

9. COTTON, CATTLE & RAILROADS ERA
Texas frontier expands
Manifest Destiny
Railroads increase transportation and industries
Growth of industry = growth in economy
W. Herbert Dunton, Old Texas

10. AGE OF OIL ERA 1901 – Spindletop Increase in urbanization
Government begins to regulate oil prices
Progressivism & Populists
World War I
Alexandre Hogue, Swindletop

11. GREAT DEPRESSION & WWII ERA
Extreme poverty
Dust Bowl
New Deal
World War II
Space Race

12. CIVIL RIGHTS & CONSERVATIVISM ERA
Labor Unions increase
Fight for equal rights of minorities and women
Negro in the Suburbs by Norman Rockwell

13. CONTEMPORARY TEXAS ERA
Advances in modern technology
New energy sources