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Lesson Plan
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Esc 20: Did Nature Help or Hinder the Building of Railroads in Texas? [Pdf]

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this lesson unit, students examine how Texans altered the environment in order to construct railroads, and the impact of those changes, both positive and negative. They then complete a project where they develop a plan for a railroad...
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Lesson Plan
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Esc 20: How Did Texas Grow One City at a Time? Case Study: Dallas [Pdf]

For Teachers 6th - 8th
An examination of the factors that led to the urbanization of Dallas, Texas, and the impact of the resulting changes.
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Handout
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Stephen F. Austin

For Students 9th - 10th
Read this short biography of Stephen F. Austin, complete with links to primary documents involving the empresario known as "The Father of Texas."
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Handout
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Lorenzo De Zavala

For Students 9th - 10th
Read this short biography of Lorenzo de Zavala, complete with links to primary documents involving the 19th-century Mexican politician.
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The Texas Constitution of 1876

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains the evolution of the Texas Constitution from its earliest manifestation in 1836 up to its final form in 1876. Numerous amendments took place after that, leaving it in its current state, which many people find confusing.
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Website
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Texas in Transition: Railroads, Oil, and the Rise of Urban Texas

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A collection of lesson plans that explore the changes that have taken place in Texas as a result of the railroad and oil industries. There are case studies of the impact of urbanization on six Texas cities, as well as online exhibits on...
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: About Texas: Reconstruction Acts: 1867

For Students 9th - 10th
The text of the Reconstruction Acts of 1867. Section one establishes military districts in the South.
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Website
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The Movement Comes of Age: The Anti Suffrage Movement

For Students 9th - 10th
Why would a woman be against women's suffrage? Read about the common "fears and emotions" held by Texas women opposing the movement. Also, learn about Joe Bailey, a Texas senator who opposed women's suffrage, and Carrie Chapman Catt, who...
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Battle of San Jacinto

For Students 9th - 10th
Website details the decisive battle which concludes the Texas revolution, and the implications of the Texas victory. You can view two documents listing the dead and wounded of both the Texans and Mexicans.
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Activity
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Mirabeau B. Lamar

For Students 9th - 10th
This detailed account tracks the life of Mirabeau B. Lamar, a fascinating poet and politician, who quickly became involved in the fight for Texas independence. Numerous primary source documents, ranging from handwritten letters to...
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Photographs of Miriam A. "Ma" Ferguson

For Students 9th - 10th
This website contains many interesting pictures of Ma Ferguson and her family. You will also find a few brief biographies of her life.
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Anson Jones and the Annexation of Texas

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about Anson Jones's influence on the Annexation of Texas. A picture of Anson Jones is also included on this website.
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Texas Treasures: Thomas Rusk

For Students 9th - 10th
Thomas Rusk's Oath of Citizenship, Report from San Jacinto, and Letter on the 1850 Boundary Compromise are found here. You will see a picture of the original document, and a typed translation.
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Texas Declaration of Independence, Original Manuscript

For Students 9th - 10th
Here is a copy of the original manuscript of the Texas Declaration of Independence. This 12-page document includes line-by-line transcription.
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The Treaties of Velasco

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief description of how the Treaties of Velasco came about. The full text of the Public Treaty as well as the Secret Treaty are included.
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The Mc Ardle Notebooks: Dawn at the Alamo

For Students 9th - 10th
Henry Arthur McArdle's "Dawn at the Alamo" notebook is "packed with letters, notes, and photographs," which McArdle used when researching for his well-known painting recording this important moment in Texas history. Browse the pages to...
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The Archives War

For Students 9th - 10th
Presented by the Texas State Library, this is an interesting account of the tug-of-war of where the Republic of Texas' capital city should be and where the archives should be kept. Click on the documents to see them more clearly and to...
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Texas Treasures: The Grass Fight

For Students 9th - 10th
Though brief, this section from the Texas State Library gives an account of Americans besieging Bexar (San Antonio), capturing Mexican pack animals, hoping to find gold, but finding only grass. Click on the document to go to a...
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Texas Treasures: The Siege of Bexar

For Students 9th - 10th
This informative site from the Texas State Library tells of the siege of Bexar and includes several documents, including Gen. Cos' surrender terms, to click on to enlarge. Transcriptions are provided.
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Texas Treasures:the Long Expedition

For Students 9th - 10th
On this website from the Texas State Library you can read about an early attempt by Americans, led by James Long, to establish a "Republic of Texas." Click on the document to see an enlargement of the list of men captured by the Mexican...
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The Turtle Bayou Resolutions

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about early struggles between Americans and the Mexican government in this article from the Texas State Library. The Turtle Bayou Resolutions were made by rebels against Mexican rule. Click on the document to enlarge it and to read...
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The Goliad Massacre

For Students 9th - 10th
Political infighting among Texas politicians doomed military strength. In this Texas Library site read about the Goliad Massacre, which was a result of that confusion. Click on the maps and documents to seen enlargements. Links are...
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission:battle of Coleto and Goliad Massacre

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a fascinating, first-hand account of the Goliad Massacre, written by an American survivor.
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Primary
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: African Americans at San Jacinto

For Students 9th - 10th
This website from Texas State Library contains a petition for pensions for African-Americans who served in the Battle of San Jacinto. Clicking on the document will enlarge it and will take you to a transcription of the document.