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Skriven 2011-03-02 17:54:20 av Roy Witt (1:387/22)
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Ärende: Texas Terquasqicentennial
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Texas the Only State with Declaration of Independence

Washington, Texas (AP)

The ferry crossing settlement along the trail used for generations by
Native Americans and later by Spanish explorers had a single defined
street and a dozen shacks and cabins when about five dozen men rode into
town to make history.

Their national politial convention on the banks of the Brazos River in
southeast Texas was in an unfinished hall owned by a gunsmith promised
$170 for the rent.

The gunsmith was never paid.

What came out of the discussions over a few days 175 years ago today was
the Texas Declaration of Independence, a hand written document proclaiming
Texas was freeing itself from its oppressive ruling government in Mexico.
The declaration was modeled after the American Declaration of Independence
authored 60 years earlier by Thomas Jefferson.

No other US state has such a distinction.

"The independent spirit that reigned on the Texas frontier during the era
of the Texas Revolution can still be seen today throughout the state."
said Light Cummins, an Austin College history professor and the Texas
state historian. "Texans today pride themselves on being independent,
hard-working, innovative and no-nonsense people, all of which is reflected
in our view of those who partipated in the Texas Revolution. Perhaps for
that reason, many Texans believe that this state is different from any
other in the nation in terms of its history and its heritage."

More than 1,100 descendants of the declaration signers replied to
invitations to be at Washington on the Brazos State Park over the weekend
to take part in activities celebrating the 175th anniversary of Texas'
declaration. "We want to give them a little bit more pride in who they
are." said Houston McGaugh, director of the park's Star of the Republic
Museum.

US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison was among them. She's a descendant of
English-born Charles Taylor, who moved to New York City in 1828 when he
was 20, then to Nacogdoches a few years later, and was one of four signers
representing the East Texas city. "Our independence was born out of great
bravery and sacrifice from our forefathers and should never be taken for
granted." Hutchison said. "We have passed our heritage of innovation and
risk-taking through the genrations."

McGaugh said it's important to remember declaration signers were and
represented people who chose to leave their homes and move to a foreign
country. Texas was part of Mexico. "I thnk that's just part of the Texas
mystique." he said. "It was a pretty adventurous lot -- or they were in
trouble and had to leave town. It was just the people, I guess. And
independence was a big deal. The people here realized they either had to
fight or run and maybe both."

George Childress, a lawyer originally from Tennessee and one-time editor
of the Nashville Banner newspaper, headed a committee tasked with the
writing the declaration. A Texas State Library account of the convention
says Childress likely had a draft of the declaration with him, written in
quill. The convention was (held) at the same time the Alamo in San
Antonio, 150 miles to the southwest, was under siege by Gen. Antonio Lopez
de Santa Anna's Mexican army.

"Our political connection with the Mexican nation has forever ended, and
that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and
independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and
attributes which properly belong to independent nations." Childres wrote
after listing grieveances against Mexico.


Happy Independence Day, Texans.

                R\%/itt

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