Texas’ patriotic fervor is high during this semiquincentennial year, and communities in the state’s 254 counties are finding ways to celebrate, commemorate, and reflect not only on what it means to be an American, but the role Texas played in the formation of the country. With less than a month remaining until the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, events underway will continue beyond 2026.
The Texas America250 Commission encourages state agencies — like the Texas Veterans Commission, which initiated an oral history program — to promote deeper understanding of the founding of the United States and the contributions Texans have made as our nation continues its pursuit of a more perfect union. Working closely with the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, better known as America250, the Texas America250 Commission highlights local, statewide, and national initiatives. It also heralds the often-overlooked role that Spanish Texas played in America’s founding, when Spain provided vital financial support and thousands of head of cattle to sustain Revolutionary forces along the Gulf coast.
The Texas America250 Commission highlights local, statewide, and national initiatives. It also heralds the often-overlooked role that Spanish Texas played in America’s founding.
Communities throughout the Lone Star State are celebrating that shared legacy. With more than 700 copies being displayed in libraries, schools, and cultural centers, a traveling exhibit developed by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission features images of primary sources that tell the story of Texas’ contributions to the development of the United States and encourages participation through its Texas America250 Reading Challenge. Texas children enthusiastically submitted the most entries to the America’s Field Trip contest, are participating widely in Boston-based My America art flag project, and entered this year’s Revolution-focused National History Day contest by the thousands.
While Texans are proud of their unique Texian heritage, they are equally proud of their families’ contributions to the broader American story. The Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution identified new ancestors who supported the Revolutionary cause. The Texas Society Daughters of the American Revolution published a bilingual book, Before the Lone Star, which is being donated to elementary schools across the state. Even the small community on Texas’ Tiki Island discovered ancestors who had a role in America’s early days. Whether at the county level (like in Kerr and Bexar Counties, the latter the home of five original Spanish missions that predate the American Revolution) or at cultural centers across Texas (such as The National Museum of the Pacific War, Frontier Texas, and the Houston Heritage Society), special exhibits, seminars, public readings of the Declaration, and family-friendly programs promote experiences for all ages. Houston hosted the National Archives and Records Administration traveling exhibit with rare founding era documents.
The commemorations and celebrations will continue at the Texas State Fair in September and October, where the Texas Society Daughters of the American Revolution, the Our American Story traveling airstream oral history recording booth, and the Freedom Truck traveling exhibit will be on hand. While not one of the original 13 American colonies, Texans firmly believe that including the western history of the country is fundamental to understanding the breadth and reach of its founding and remain invested in learning more about and sharing its incredible history with the world.
Lynn Forney Young serves as a Commissioner of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and is a member of the Texas America250 Commission.