In less than 200 years Texas has evolved from a fledging republic to one of the most powerful states in the Union, and easily the most recognizable of them all. Texans have witnessed and fought in the struggle for independence and peace on the frontier and continue to make strides in the contest toward racial and gender equality.

Concept for "Goddess of Liberty" statue atop the Texas Capitol dome as sketched by architect E.E. Myers, about 1881. Detail of Capitol drawing 148.

On display are documents and photographs integral to our state's social history, illustrating the heroic efforts of early Texas settlers, the consequences of Indian and Mexican conflicts, demands for civil rights for African-Americans and Tejanos and the campaign for women's suffrage.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission examines these turbulent times in our state and sheds light on the obstacles to freedom and justice that have been overcome through the dedication of individuals to the noble cause of equality for all Texans.

Our collective future depends upon our ability to preserve and re-examine these records of the past, so that we may see how much closer we have come to fair representation for all, and what paths remain until that freedom is granted to each and every person who calls the Lone Star State "Home."