Texas History in Twelve Eras

Identify the major eras in Texas history, describe their defining characteristics, and explain the purpose of dividing the past into eras, including Natural Texas and its People; Age of Contact; Spanish Colonial; Mexican National; Revolution and Republic; Early Statehood; Texas in the Civil War and Reconstruction; Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads; Age of Oil; Texas in the Great Depression and World War II; Civil Rights; and Contemporary Texas.

Part of The student understands traditional historical points of reference in Texas history

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Intro

Dividing Time into Eras

Texas history spans thousands of years, so historians split it into twelve major eras. An era is a stretch of years sharing a big idea or defining change. Each era has a clear starting event and a characteristic most people experienced, much like grading periods split a school year.

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1 of 73Eight Dates Every Texan Should Know