TEXAS

LIKE MANY STATES, PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTH and West, Texas has been owned and settled by different nations—in addition to initially encompassing a much larger area than it does today. Genealogists with ancestors from lands that are (or were) in Texas can find a treasure trove of different record types in the Lone Star State to aid their research.

BIG HISTORY

Indigenous tribes, including the Apache, Comanche, Hasinai, Tonkawa, and Karankawa, were the first inhabitants of what is now Texas.

In 1519, the Spanish arrived in what they called Texas (or Tejas) during their explorations to find a quicker trade route to the East Indies. Spain quickly claimed the land, but did not try to colonize the territory until 1689 when they discovered that the French had tried to establish a colony there. Wanting to stake its claim, Spain sent