Texas History

The Wild West gunfighter is a stock figure in dime novels and cornball westerns—but what is the reality of the six-shooter packing outlaw?The new book by Bryan Burrough, The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild, separates myths from truths about the violence of the Wild West. Many of the bloody shootouts happened in the streets of San Antonio.

She was queen of the Wild West outlaws. She rode with Jesse James and other desperados. Belle Starr was a one-of-a-kind, dangerous woman who stole horses, robbed stagecoaches and lived a life of crime on the open plains. Her mysterious violent death still baffles investigators. Should Starr be considered a different kind of feminist icon?

Texas history is more than just history. It’s filled with myth— and amnesia—that provides a permission structure which fuels conservative politics. It also has a powerful influence on the nation as a whole. In his book Texas: An American History, Benjamin Heber Johnson shines new light on Texas history—while seeking to balance the dark chapters of Texas history and not letting them overshadow the achievements of the lone star state.

Richard Coke, the 15th governor of Texas, is a pivotal and controversial figure in post-Civil War Texas. Rosser Newton has written a book about his ancestor called “Richard Coke: Texan.”

The Marianist Cemetery on the campus of St. Mary’s University is among the few in San Antonio that are more than 100 years old. One man is helping restore the rich history buried beneath the hallowed soil.

Three student researchers spoke to other local students, teachers, and administrators about the role MAS plays in the community. They talk about their findings and what people can take away from the report.

Jorge Luis García Ruiz translated the baptismal, marriage, and burial records of the Mission San Antonio de Valero — now known as the Alamo — and published them in three volumes. He discusses the history of the mission and what can be gained from the records.

The stated goals of the Alliance for Texas History are to focus on a 21st century approach for historical analysis, dialogue, and perspective of Texas history.

The Alliance for Texas History stresses that inclusivity and a "fact-based" approach is essential when telling the story of the Lone Star State.

The last time a total solar eclipse crossed Central Texas was in 1878 – the heyday of the Wild West. That eclipse was crucially important to America’s rise as a scientific power and saw many of the era’s great scientists (including Thomas Edison) trek out to unsettled lands to witness the event firsthand. On April 8, Texas gets another gander at a solar eclipse—but this time without the train robberies and frontier backdrop.