Politics and Elections

EP. 117: A Murder in the Capitol

There has been one, and only one, assassination of a Texas state official and it happened in 1903. It occurred in the State Capitol building, the same one you can visit today. Hear about a disgruntled employee, a letter, and a gun in the latest episode of Wise About Texas.

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EP. 71: The First Declaration of Independence

When Texans talk about the Declaration of Independence, they usually mean the one signed at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836. Occasionally, we refer to the Goliad declaration of 1835. But there was one before all of them. In 1813, Texans in San Antonio de Bexar declared the province of Texas to be independent. The wording…

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Ep. 66: The Tories of the Texas Revolution

 The account of the Texas revolution makes for glorious telling, retelling and reading.  It seemed that every man, woman and child in early Texas just couldn’t wait to rebel against the tyrannical Mexican government and win another glorious war for independence.  Didn’t they?  Well, not exactly.  Just like the 13 American colonies, Texas had its…

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Ep. 34: Revolutionary Texas Government(s)-Organizing Chaos

In the late 1820’s, the Mexican government assessed the conditions in Texas and decided to clamp down on anglo immigration and try to prevent too much revolutionary fervor.  The American immigrants “traveled with their constitution in their pockets, always demanding their rights.”  Mexican President Bustamante issued a decree in 1830 that prevented any further immigration…

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Ep. 20: Island Time: San Jose, Mustang and Matagorda

In the middle of a hot Texas summer, let’s head for the beach!  San Jose Island is bordered by Matagorda to the north and Mustang to the south.  Texas barrier islands all have their unique stories and San Jose is no different.  It has seen explorers, ranchers, entrepreneurs and soldiers.  These islands together hold the…

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Ep. 9: The Davis-Coke Election and an Armed Standoff in the Capitol

Texas elections are always exciting but not all of them result in an armed standoff in the capitol between two Governors. The election of 1873 did! The Texas Supreme Court used a semicolon to cause the conflict and, change Texas history and end reconstruction! Learn more in Episode 9 of Wise About Texas.  

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Texas joins the United States–Episode 7

170 years ago today, December 29, the United States admitted Texas as the 28th State. Learn about what Texas President Anson Jones called the “great drama” in this episode of Wise About Texas!

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Capitals of Texas part 2: Houston and Austin go to War! (ep. 5)

Houston was the capital of Texas, but not for long.  After the capital moved to the new town of Austin, President Sam Houston kept trying to move it again…leading to an armed conflict and a cannon fired on Congress Avenue!  The only question is whether the war is really over…  

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Wise About Texas Episode 002- The 1948 Senate Election

In this episode, we celebrate the rough and tumble world of Texas politics by examining the 1948 Senate election.  This election had strange events, Texas Rangers, guns and lawsuits!  Download this episode to learn how a small precinct in a small South Texas county changed the course of U.S. history!  

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Wise About Texas Episode 000 Introduction

Welcome to Wise About Texas, the podcast about Texas history and culture.  This introductory episode tells you about the show, the host, and the goals of this podcast.  Subscribe to the show and enrich your knowledge of the Texas history stories you know and learn some Texas history you don’t know!

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