Texas

History of State Violence and Oppression in Texas

Texas, known for its "independent" identity, has a history saturated with Native genocide, slavery, racial violence, and labor repression. Texas was a "slave republic" that seceded from the US to preserve slavery and remains one of the world's centers of mass incarceration and capital punishment.

Native American Genocide in Texas

Before European contact, Texas was home to the Comanche, Apache, Caddo, and Karankawa peoples. Spanish colonization and US expansion led to the systematic destruction of these tribes. The Comanche — one of the most powerful horse-mounted tribes in America — were eventually defeated in the 1870s, with survivors forcibly relocated to reservations.

The Slave Republic of Texas

The Texas Revolution (1836) was essentially an uprising of Anglo-American settlers against Mexico to preserve slavery. Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829, but American settlers who brought slaves to Texas revolted to maintain the institution. The Republic of Texas was a slave republic.

Annexation and the US-Mexican War

The annexation of Texas in 1845 directly triggered the expansionist US-Mexican War, in which the US seized over half of Mexico's territory.

Jim Crow and Racial Terror

After the Civil War, Texas had one of the most violent Jim Crow systems. Between 1882 and 1930, over 493 people were lynched in Texas — the highest number of any US state.

Porvenir Massacre (1918)

The Texas Rangers, operating as a racist paramilitary force, murdered 15 innocent Mexican-Americans in the border village of Porvenir. One of the worst mass killings in Texas history.

Execution Capital of America

Texas has executed over 580 people since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976 — more than any other state.