Name: _____________________________ Exam Date: _____________________ Period: __________
Texas History Benchmark 1 Exam Review:
I.)
Unit One: Native Texas and its People (Texas Geography and Native Americans)
***Geography  Create a title for the chart below and use the chart below to create four “short-answer” questions:
TITLE: ___________________________________________________
Characteristics
Coastal Plains
N. Central Plains
Great Plains
Mts. and Basins
Physical features
and Vegetation
Major cities
Flat, rivers,
beaches and
barrier islands
along coast, ends
at Balcones
Escarpment.
Gentle hills,
buttes and mesas
in the south,
ends at Edward’s
Plateau
Canyons, plains,
Canadian and Red
Rivers, Palo Duro
Canyon
Mountains, Pecos and Rio Grande
Rivers
Houston (Nasa),
Dallas, Galveston
Island
Forth Worth
(stockyards)
Waco (Cameron
Park Zoo)
Amarillo, Lubbock
(Texas Tech)
El Paso
LARGEST CITIES,
and MOST
POPULATED
Economy
Oil and gas
agriculture
Agriculture, oil
Agriculture, oil
Climate/weather
Most Rainfall,
hurricanes, Hot
summers
Cool winters,
tornadoes, Hot
summers
Cold winters, Hot
summers, tornadoes
Dry, Hot summers, cold winters
1.)
MAP A: Label the 4 major Texas regions (North Central Plains, Coastal Plains, Mountains and
Basins, and Plains), the Gulf of Mexico, the 3 border rivers (Sabine, Rio Grande, and Red River), and
Mexico.
2.)
MAP B: Locate and Label the following rivers and cities Rivers: Sabine, Red, Rio Grande,
Nueces, Brazos, Colorado Cities: Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Ft. Worth, Dallas, El Paso,
Brownsville
MAP A
MAP B
***Native Texans (Create a title for the chart below and use the chart below to create four “true/false” questions)
TITLE: ______________________________________________________
Native
Southeastern
Plains Cultures
Publeoan Cultures
Gulf Cultures
Texan
Cultures
(Apaches,
Comanches,
Karankawa,
Jumano
Cultural
Kiowas)
(Caddo, Wichita)
Coahuiltecan
Group
Shelter
Food
Location
Tipi made from buffalo hide
(easy to take down and set
up) made from natural
resources*
Nomadic hunters (especially
buffalo) Very dependent on
the buffalo (food, shelter,
)most did NOT farm
Domed shaped
house made from
natural resources*
Adobe house made
from natural
resources*
Huts made from
natural resources*
Settled farmers
Settled farmers,
used irrigation due
to lack of rain and
water resources
Nomadic
hunter/gatherer,
seafood
Great plains and North
Central Plains of Texas
Southeast Texas
West Texas in the
Mountains and
Basins region.
Coastal Plains
*Note: All Native Americans used natural resources to build their homes and adapted to their environment by
ways such as making their clothes from the hide of animals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Use the chart above to create a 4 color key, and shade
in the different Native Texan cultural regions.
Ex.- Pueblo Culture- you would shade in the “Jumano
and eastern pueblos” one color.
Native Texan Culture
Group:
Color for Cultural
Region
II.)
Unit Two: “Age of Contact” (European Explorers in Texas)
***Use the following significant people, dates, terms, and places to create 6” Matching” Questions:
Reasons for European exploration- God (spread Catholic religion), Gold (gain wealth for their country and themselves),
Glory (fame, pride in their country, competition, adventure)
1519- Pineda maps the coastal regions of Texas
1685-LaSalle lands in Texas and builds Fort St. Louis. Spanish begin to settle Texas in response to LaSalle
Conquistadors- Conqueror from Spain seeking wealth and fame in the New World
Alvarez de Pineda is first European to sight and map coast of Texas-1519
Cabeza de Vaca and Esteban first Europeans to enter Texas. Write about observations such as buffalo, landscape, and the
Karankawa Native Americans, heard stories of golden cities, which he reported back to Spain
Coronado Spanish explorer who came to find the “7 Cities of Gold” (Cibola), they did not exist, but instead were pueblo
homes made of adobe (sun-dried mud bricks)
LaSalle- French explorer who accidentally lands in Texas and builds Fort St. Louis. His Texas claim leads to the Spanish
further settling Texas (with Missions) to keep the French away from the riches in Mexico
III.)
Unit Three: “Spanish Colonial” (Missions, Presidios, Settlements)
***Use the information below to create six “Multiple Choice” questions:
Missions- Purpose was to convert Natives to Catholicism, train and teach skills and Spanish customs (to Natives) and to
protect Spain’s claim to Texas (keep the French away from the wealth found in Mexico)
Presidios- Military forts used to protect the Missions and (civilian) settlements
Settlements- towns built near the missions and colonists were brought in for settlements to grow and survive.
Spanish Legacy- Signs or customs of a previous culture. examples- river and city names {“Rio Grande”= Big River”,
Amarillo “yellow” This was the color of the soil of the area and the beautiful wildflowers} “Vaquero” = cowboys, Ranching,
(Roman) Catholic religion
Successes and Failures of Spanish Missions and Presidios:
Missions Successes (Gave Spain a strong presence in Texas, brought Catholicism into Texas and Mexico)
Failures (Eventually failed because Spain’s lack of funding)
**Note: Missions also were closed because France was no longer a threat to Spanish claims
Presidios Successes (Successfully Protected Missions)
Failures (Failed to adequately support soldiers and military life. Too expensive to maintain.)
IV.)
Unit Four: “Mexican National” (Mexico’s Independence, Empresarios)
***Use the information below to create two “True/False” questions:
The beginning of Mexican independence from Spain started in 1810, and was led by Father Miguel Hidalgo. Mexican
people faced hardships and struggles, and felt that the King of Spain wasn’t concerned. The caste (social class) system
that Spain put into place did not allow for many of them to better themselves or the situations in which they had been
born, They wanted to make their own laws instead of being controlled by the King that was so far away from Mexico.
They felt the King did not have a God-given right to rule, and thought a government should support the people’s rights
and interests.
***Use the information below to create 6 “Multiple-Choice” Questions:
Father Miguel Hidalgo- Led the Mexican Independence movement by giving a passionate speech known as “El Grito (de
Delores)” in 1810. In this speech he told the Mexican people that they needed to unite and fight for their rights against
the Spanish government, be true to the Catholic religion, and seek what would be best for the Mexican people.
“Recipe for Revolution”- People + Grievances (common cause/complaint) + Leader = Revolution (the overthrow of a ruler
or political system)
Battle of Medina- Important battle during Mexico’s fight for independence. The Mexican Republican army lost miserably
to the Spanish forces, but it encouraged others to participate in the revolution.
1821-Mexico wins independence from Spain, as a result Texas is now part of Mexico
Empresario- Land agent that helped settle Mexican-Texas by providing land grants to families. System began under the
Spanish, but was mostly under the Mexican government since they won their independence.
Moses Austin- First American to work with the Spanish government to settle Americans in Texas through the empresario
system. Although he put the plan into place and did the negotiating with the Spanish government, he died before he
could see his plan in action, so his son, Stephen F. Austin took over.
Stephen F. Austin- “Father of Texas,” took over the empresario plan after Moses dies. Settled 300 Anglo American families
in Texas, known as the “Old 300.”
Martin de Leon- A Mexican empresario who settled 200 Mexican families in South Texas (Between the Lavaca and
Guadalupe River). He and his wife founded the town of Victoria in 1824. His colonies focused on maintaining Mexican
culture (ex. Spanish names of places, the colonists were already Catholic)
Mexican Constitution of 1824- The constitution written after Mexico became independent from Spain. Was modeled after
the US Constitution. The republic took the name of United Mexican States, and was defined as a representative federal
republic, with Catholicism as the official religion. The Constitution created the state of Coahuila y Tejas merging the two
provinces.
***Use the following chart to create 4 “Short Answer” questions (2 should be about the “Purposes” and 2 should be
about the “Methods”)
Purposes and Methods for Settlement in Texas:
Spanish
Settlement
Purpose

Secure Spanish control in New
World

Maintain control of their territory

Gold, silver and resources
Method

Create a colony in Spain’s name

Resettled other Spanish colonist
ex. Canary Islanders

Mission and Presidio system

Creating settlements
V.)
Mexican
Settlement
Anglo
Settlement
Purpose

Increase population in northern
Mexico

Maintain control of their territory
Method

Empresario Grants

Supporting towns already in the area

Large ranches

Creating settlements
Purpose

Increase population in Texas

Utilize opportunities provided for
economic gain
Method

Allowed because of the National
Colonization Law

Empresario Grants

Settled in northern & eastern Texas

Farming/Agriculture (allowed to bring
and keep slaves)

Creating settlements
Unit Five: Texas Revolution (Road to Revolution, Battles, Convention of 1836)
*** Use the information below to create 3 “Matching” Questions about the “Road to the Texas Revolution”
Fredonian Rebellion (1826)- a group of Anglo settlers (The Edwards Brothers) start a small fight with Mexican government officials
over land ownership in East Texas most Texans did not support their rebellion and it quickly ended any trouble
Mier y Teran Investigation & Report (1828-1829)- General Manuel de Mier y Teran tours Texas and reports back to the Mexican
government that they may lose control of Texas because of the large amount of Anglo immigration and their lack of respect for Mexican
law. The report resulted in the Law of April 6.
Law of April 6, 1830- law passed by the Mexican government to increase their control over Texas and its Anglo settlers. It stated: 1) the
end of Anglo immigration from the U.S.; 2) Anglo settlers could not bring any more slaves into Texas; 3) to set custom duties (taxes) on
all goods coming in from the U.S.; 4) increase the number of Mexican Army troops in Texas to help enforce the laws
Turtle Bayou Resolutions (1832)- Texans write a series of statements that said they are not rebelling against Mexico, only defending
their rights under Mexico’s Constitution of 1824. They also stated they supported General Santa Anna, who was fighting for control of
Mexico’s government.
Stephen F. Austin Arrested (1833-1835)- Austin was arrested on a trip to Mexico City for treason.
***Use the information below to create four “Fill-in-the-Blank” questions about the “Significant Leaders During the Texas
Revolution”
William B. Travis- Leader of Texans at the Alamo; writes famous and heroic, “victory or death” letter asking for help
James Fannin- Led the Texans at Coleto Creek and surrendered to Urrea. Later he was executed at Goliad by order of Santa Anna.
Santa Anna- Dictator of Mexico and head of the Mexican Army
Sam Houston- Member of the Washington-on-the-Brazos independence committee and Commander of the Texas Army; hero at battle
of San Jacinto; First elected President of Texas
Lorenzo D. Zavala- Member of the Washington-on-the-Brazos independence committee and first Vice-President of Texas.
George C. Childress- Author of the Texas Declaration of Independence (Signed on March 2, 1836- “TX Independence Day”)
***Use the information below to create four “Multiple Choice” questions about the “Events During the Texas Revolution”
Battle of Gonzales (1835)- First battle of the Texas Revolution. Began because TX citizens of Gonzales refused to give up their canon to
Mexican soldiers. Considered to be a Texas victory.
Siege of Bexar (ended Dec. 1835)- Battle in San Antonio where Texans won control of the Alamo.
Convention of 1836 (March 2, 1836)- Occurred at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Childress wrote the Texas Declaration of Independence
(March 2, 1836), and the delegates created the 1st Texas Constitution, as well as a temporary government
(Fall of the) Alamo (March 6, 1836): Travis, Bowie, and about 200 other Texan troops die at the wrath of Santa Anna. Battle is a loss for
Texans, but motivates others to join the fight to avenge their loss. “Remember the Alamo!”
Goliad Massacre (March 27, 1836): After the Battle of Coleto Creek, Fannin and his men surrender to Gen. Urrea under the impression
they will not be killed, but taken as prisoners. Instead, Santa Anna orders Urrea to execute them all.
Battle of San Jacinto (April 21, 1836)- Final battle of the Revolution. Houston and his troops defeat the Mexican troops, capture Santa
Anna, and accept his surrender.
Treaties of Velasco- Agreement that ended the war. Santa Anna had to order all Mex. troops out of Texas, agree to help Texas gain
recognition as an independent Republic, make the new TX-Mex. border the Rio Grande.
VI.)
Unit Six: The Republic of Texas and Texas Annexation
*** Use the information below to create six “True/False” Questions:
President Sam Houston First Administration (1836-1838) – Houston focused on forming a government and dealing with the issues of
debt and the army, conflict with Native Americans and Mexico, and selecting a capital (He chose Houston;). {Texas Rangers, Chief
Bowles and the Cherokee}
President Mirabeau Lamar (1838-1841) – Lamar did not agree with Houston’s policies and wanted to remain a republic with plans to
expand. During his administration, he focused on pushing Native Americans farther west, a commitment to education, and a new
capital (Austin). On the negative side, he more than doubled the public debt by way of Indian Wars and increased inflation. {Redbacks,
Texas Navy, Cordova Rebellion, Council House Fight, Santa Fe Expedition}
President Sam Houston - Second Administration (1841-1844) – According to the Constitution, a person couldn’t be elected two times
in a row. Most Texans were unhappy with the conflict during Lamar’s administration and re-elected Houston. His main focus was to
return peace, decrease the public debt, and prepare Texas for statehood (Mier Expedition)
President Anson Jones (1844-1845) – Jones supported Houston’s policies. He maintained peace with the Native Americans, tried to
limit spending, and turned over Texas to the United States (Annexation to the US)
“Manifest Destiny” was the American belief that “had the God given right” to control all the land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific
Ocean.” In other words, it was America’s destiny to expand westward from coast to coast.
Causes of Texas Statehood
•
Texas independence
•
United States’ desire for Manifest Destiny
•
Sam Houston supported annexation
•
The Republic’s financial problems
•
American Texans desired to become part of the
United States
Events Leading to Texas statehood
•
Sam Houston’s second term as president – he
supported annexation
•
U.S. President James Polk’s support for annexation
•
Debate over annexation of Texas in the United
States because it would enter as a slave state
•
Manifest Destiny