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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONTEMPORARY TEXAS ERA Advances in modern technology New energy sources