In 1846, there were more than 100,000 people living in Texas. Now that Texas was a state in the Union and the United States army was stationed along the Indian frontier, people felt that it was safe to move to Texas. Between 1850 and 1860, major cities in the state witnessed steady growth. For example, during this ten-year span, Dallas� population grew from 500 to 2,000 people, the population of Austin tripled and San Antonio became the state�s largest city with more than 7,500 people living there. Other cities that experienced growth during this period included Port Arthur, Beaumont, Corpus Christi and Brownsville. 

By 1860, the population of the state had grown to 600,000. American Southerners made up the largest percentage of the new arrivals to the state, but the population also included immigrants from other countries, especially Europe. Most immigrants came to the United States and Texas looking for a better life economically and socially. Some of the immigrants were influenced to come by a strong pioneer leader, who convinced others to follow him to a new land and a new beginning.

John Meusebach helped build German settlements in and around Fredericksburg, Texas. Settlers from England founded the town of Kent in 1850, and Frenchmen created a settlement at La Reunion near present-day Dallas. Another Frenchman, Henri Castro, and 300 colonists moved into the San Antonio region. In the early 1850s, a group of Norwegians settled in Henderson County near the present-day town of Brownsboro. Panna Maria, founded in 1855, was the first Polish settlement in the United States, and Czechs founded settlements in Fayette County.

The population of Mexican-born citizens continued to grow between 1850 and 1860. In 1850, there were approximately 4,000 Mexican-born Texans, and by 1860 their numbers had increased to more than 13,000. Mexican-born Texans were vital to the growth of towns such as Brownsville and Corpus Christi.

The African American slave population also grew rapidly during this early period of statehood. In 1846, there were approximately 40,000 slaves in Texas. On the eve of the Civil War in 1860, there were more than 180,000. In addition to slaves, a number of free blacks came to Texas. They hoped to escape the harsh treatment they endured while living in other Southern states. Their hopes soon faded because white Texans continued to embrace their Southern traditions.

The number of women living in Texas also increased as new settlers moved into the state. These women often experienced greater freedom than the women living further east. Some even ran their own businesses, such as hotels, general stores and laundries. Freedom, however, came at a high cost. Most women were isolated from friends, and they often had to work with their husbands in the fields as well as take care of their children and their household chores.

Agricultural production in Texas grew almost as fast as the state�s population. The most profitable crop was cotton. In 1850, planters in Texas produced 60,000 bales of cotton. By 1860, farmers in the state were producing more than 400,000 bales per year. In North Texas, farmers grew wheat and oats.

Ranching also developed rapidly within the state. In 1853, Captain Richard King established the famed King Ranch in Kleberg County. It was, and still is, one of the largest ranches in the world. Several other large ranches were established in the state during this period. Several industries also began to prosper in the 1850s. They included grist mills, tanneries, textile factories and the lumber business.

Another area of economic development was transportation. Roads were improved and travel by stage, though uncomfortable, became commonplace. Early railroads in the state began to appear in the 1850s. The first railroad was the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railroad, commonly referred to as the Harrisburg Railroad. Its rails connected the towns of Harrisburg and Alleyton. The Eastern Texas Railroad was another early railroad in Texas. River transportation was also utilized in the state, but it was never a very effective mode of transportation, mainly because the rivers in Texas were too shallow and narrow to support large steamboats.

Communication throughout the state greatly improved between 1850 and 1860, especially after the first telegraph was put into operation in 1852. It connected Shreveport, Louisiana, to Marshall, Texas. In addition to the telegraph, newspapers became more readily available. The two most informative and read papers in Texas during the 1850s were the Austin State Gazette and the Clarksville Northern Standard. Before the Civil War, there were more than 70 newspapers being issued in the state.

Additional Resources

1. What groups of Europeans moved into Texas during this period? Why did most of the immigrants come to Texas?(7.11:A)
2. What was life like for women living in Texas during this period of Texas history?(7.8:B;7.9:B)
3. Approximately how many Hispanics moved to Texas between 1850 and 1860?(7.8:B;7.9:B)
4. What was the increase in the slave population in Texas during this period?(7.8:B;7.9:B)
5. What was the most profitable crop grown in Texas during this period?(7.8:B;7.9:B)
6. What was the largest ranch in the world during this  period?
7. What developments were made in Texas transportation during this period?(7.9:C)
8. What developments were made in communication in Texas during this era?(7.9:C)

Vocabulary

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