Like many states in the south and west, Texas has an interesting early American past that begins with Native American settlement followed by Spanish colonization. It's also a state that was an independent nation before being admitted to the United States.

Today we explore Texas’ intriguing early American history with Andrew Torget, an Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Texas and author of Seeds of Empire: Cotton, Slavery, and the Transformation of the Texas Borderlands, 1800-1850.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Andrew Torget, an Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Texas and author of Seeds of Empire: Cotton, Slavery, and the Transformation of the Texas Borderlands, 1800-1850, leads us on an exploration of Texas’ early Americans past.

During our exploration, Andrew reveals what the Texas borderlands were and what early life and settlement in them was like; Details about Moses Austin and his plan to settle Texas with Anglo-American farmers; And, the stories of the Texas Revolution and the independent Republic of Texas.

What You’ll Discover

The Texas borderlands

Life and early settlement in the Texas borderlands

Native American peoples who lived in the Texas borderlands

Moses Austin and his plan to settle Texas

The Cotton Revolution

How Anglo-Americans came to settle in Texas

How the Mexican War for Independence affected Anglo-American settlement of Texas

Slavery in Texas and the tensions it caused with Mexico

The role slavery played in fomenting the Texas Revolution

The Republic of Texas

Ethnic relations within Texas

Juan Seguín

Texas’ admission to the United States

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Time Warp Question

In your opinion, what might have happened if the Republic of Texas had been a success? How would an independent Republic of Texas have affected the Antebellum and later history of the United States?

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