I’ve been living in Texas for over five years now, and it’s an interesting place to live. I never planned on living here this long, but at less for the foreseeable future, I don’t have any plans to leave. In any case, let me celebrate my Texas anniversary the way I celebrate everything else: by spouting useless trivia and pointless observations.
Texas is Five States
When Texas was admitted to the Union, the plan was to divide it into five states. Because of the antebellum balance of power between free and slave states, this never happened. Yet geographically and culturally, it really does function as at least five regions. Hilly, liberal Central Texas is a lot different from the flat, conservative North. Driving from Dallas to Austin is a lot like going from one European country to another.
Texas Was Its Own Country
Texas was an independent republic for a couple of years. After the Texians gained their independence from Mexico, they established their own English-speaking republic north of the Rio Grande. Unfortunately, the War of Independence from Mexico left the new republic’s economy in shambles, so they joined the United States in exchange for their debt. Many people here in Texas think that this is the only state that was independent. That’s not true. Vermont and Hawaii with both independent for years, and California was independent for about a week.
Texas Flies Its Flag High
Another myth that’s common here in Texas is that this is the only state that can fly its flag at the same height as the Stars and Stripes. In reality, there is no Federal law about this issue. However, in most of the states I’ve visited, the state flag is either on the same pole as the US flag, or on a slightly shorter pole. Here in Texas, it’s much more common to see the state and federal flags on equal sized poles. This is far from universal, but anecdotally, it seems more common. I’d be curious to see an actual study on the issue.
Many countries have semi-autonomous regions that color and define the nation as a whole. What would Great Britain be like without Scotland, Spain with Catalonia, or Germany without Bavaria? All of these countries are richer for their tenuous unions. Likewise, America wouldn’t be the same without Texas. It’s a fascinating place, and if you get the chance to visit, I highly recommend it.
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Scarborough Faire 2012 Photos — Steve Lovelace
April 19, 2013 at 10:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] Faire is an annual Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas, an hour south of Dallas. My friends and I went back in 2011 and had a blast, so when the 2012 [...]
A Rainy Day in the Bishop Arts District — Steve Lovelace
April 21, 2013 at 1:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] wet, and just after lunch it started to rain, but we put up with the damp weather. After a long hot Texas summer, it was a nice change of pace. And while I prefer sunny days for picture taking, I was still [...]
Fixing the Electoral College — Steve Lovelace
April 22, 2013 at 2:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] just a few “swing states” like Ohio and Florida. It also means that in big states like Texas and California, the voice of the minority party is lost. Finally, by categorizing each state as [...]
The Problem with Rivers — Steve Lovelace
April 22, 2013 at 3:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] ceding the orphaned strips of land to Mexico. On the other hand, in the domestic dispute between Texas and New Mexico, the Supreme Court sided with Texas, creating a swath of El Paso on the “wrong [...]
Atchafalaya: The Future Mississippi River — Steve Lovelace
April 23, 2013 at 2:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] corner of the State of Mississippi, there is a confluence of rivers. The Red River, which separates Texas from Oklahoma, meets up with the Mighty Mississippi. A mile to two downstream, a third river splits [...]
Keeping It Weird in Austin, Texas — Steve Lovelace
April 24, 2013 at 7:24 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] in the heart of Texas lies a city called Austin. Austin is known for a lot of things: it’s the state capital, [...]
Winter in Montpelier, Vermont — Steve Lovelace
April 24, 2013 at 12:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] went to visit my parents for Christmas back in December 2009, After several years of living in Texas, Vermont was quite a shock to my system. Still, it was a beautiful place, on a sunny winter day, I [...]
23 Reasons to Mourn Dublin Dr Pepper — Steve Lovelace
April 26, 2013 at 4:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] Dr Pepper is a Texas staple. Ever since soda manufacturers switched from cane sugar to high fructose corn syrup, the [...]