History of slavery in Texas facts for kids

The history of slavery in Texas started slowly. Texas was first a Spanish colony, then part of Mexico. Later, it became the Republic in 1836, and a U.S. state in 1845.

The use of slavery grew a lot in the mid-1800s. This happened as White American settlers, mostly from the Southeastern United States, moved into Texas. They brought enslaved people with them. Slavery existed in Spanish America and Mexico before these settlers arrived. However, it was not as common, and the Spanish did not rely on it for labor in Spanish Texas.

The issue of slavery caused problems between the Anglo-American settlers and the Spanish governors. By the early 1800s, the governors and their leaders in Mexico City did not want slavery to grow. In 1829, the Guerrero decree tried to end slavery across Mexican lands. This decision made slave-holders among the Anglo-Americans very upset.

After the Texas Revolution ended in 1836, the Constitution of the Republic of Texas made slavery legal. The Constitution said that slave owners could not free enslaved people without Congress's permission. It also said Congress could not make laws to stop the slave trade or free enslaved people.

Many European Americans and enslaved people helped Texas's population grow. Towns grew, and more land was used to grow cotton and other crops. The cotton business became very big in East Texas. This is where enslaved labor was used the most. Free and runaway Black people found it very hard to get jobs in Texas. Many worked as cowboys herding cattle or moved to the Midwest, California, or Mexico for better chances.

Early Slavery in Texas

The first non-Native person enslaved in Texas was Estevanico. He was a Moor from North Africa. The Spanish captured and enslaved him when he was a child. Estevanico was with Captain Andrés Dorantes de Carranza on the Narváez expedition. Their ships crashed off the coast of Texas in 1528.

Estevanico, Dorantes, and Alonso del Castillo Maldonado were the only survivors. They lived on an island (now thought to be Galveston Island) for months. Then, in 1529, they reached the mainland. American Indians captured and enslaved them, making them work. They survived with the help of Castillo's faith healing. Later, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca joined them.

In 1534, they escaped. Even though Estevanico was still enslaved, the Spaniards treated him more like an equal. He later led a Spanish expedition. His stories, and those of the others, led to more Spanish exploration of the new land.

Slavery in Colonial Times

In Spanish Texas, leaders often said they wanted enslaved people to be freed. But these laws were often ignored. Starting in the 1740s, Spanish settlers sometimes captured American Indian children. They would baptize them and "adopt" them into their homes as servants. This happened with Apache and later Comanche children.

Bringing enslaved Africans to Spanish Texas was not common. In 1777, a count in San Antonio showed 2,060 people. Only 151 were of African descent, and only 15 of these were enslaved. By 1783, there were only 36 enslaved people in all of Texas. There was mixing between Black people, Indians, and Europeans. In 1792, 15% of the people in Spanish Texas were Black or mixed-race, and some were free.

When the United States bought Louisiana in 1803, Spain said any enslaved person who crossed the Sabine River into Texas would be free. Many enslaved people ran away to Texas. Free Black people also moved there. Most joined friendly American Indian tribes. Others settled in the East Texas forests.

The United States made it illegal to bring enslaved people from other countries in 1808. However, selling enslaved people within the country grew, especially in New Orleans. Between 1816 and 1821, Louis-Michel Aury and Jean Lafitte illegally brought enslaved people into the U.S. through Galveston Island. They sold them to people like Jim Bowie. These buyers would then sell them legally in other places.

Mexican Texas and Slavery

In 1821, after the Mexican War of Independence, Texas became part of Mexico. That year, Stephen F. Austin was allowed to bring Anglo settlers to Texas. Most of these settlers came from the southern U.S., where slavery was common. Austin's plan allowed settlers to get more land for each enslaved person they brought. At the same time, Mexico offered full citizenship to free Black people, including land ownership.

In 1823, Mexico made it illegal to buy or sell people. It also said that children of enslaved people should be freed at age fourteen. By 1825, Austin's Colony had 1,347 Anglo-Americans and 443 people of African descent, including some free Black people. In 1827, the government of Coahuila y Tejas made it illegal to bring more enslaved people. It also said all children born to enslaved people would be free at birth.

In 1829, Mexico ended slavery, but Texas got an exception until 1830. That year, Mexico made it illegal to bring enslaved people into Texas. This slowed down Anglo-American immigration. To get around the law, many colonists called their enslaved people "indentured servants" for life. Others made enslaved people sign contracts saying they owed money and would work to pay it off. The wages were so low that paying the debt was impossible. In 1832, the state said worker contracts could not last more than ten years.

Many enslaved people who escaped from Texas or the U.S. joined different East Texas Indian tribes. They were generally treated well. Many fought with the Cherokee against the Texan army in 1838. However, enslaved people often fought against the Comanche tribe. The Comanche sometimes killed enslaved people and their owners during raids. They sold captured enslaved people to the Cherokee and Creek tribes, who also held enslaved people.

By the 1800s, most enslaved people in Texas came from the United States. A small number were brought illegally from the West Indies or Africa. By 1836, there were about 5,000 enslaved people in Texas.

The ending of slavery caused problems between the Mexican government and slave-holding settlers. These problems led to the Anahuac Disturbances. In 1831, Juan Davis Bradburn, a military commander, gave shelter to two men who had escaped slavery from Louisiana. The slave owner hired William B. Travis, a lawyer, to get the men back. When Bradburn arrested Travis, settlers rebelled. The problems were solved, and one result was the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. These explained the settlers' complaints, including Bradburn helping enslaved people escape.

Republic of Texas and Slavery

When the Texas Revolution began in 1835, some enslaved people sided with Mexico, hoping for freedom. In the fall of 1835, nearly 100 enslaved people started an uprising along the Brazos River. They had heard rumors of Mexican troops coming. White people in the area stopped them and punished them harshly. Some enslaved people ran away to join Mexican forces. Texan forces killed one runaway and resold another into slavery. Other enslaved people joined the Texan forces. Three enslaved people were at the Battle of the Alamo. A boy named John was killed. William B. Travis's enslaved person, Joe, and James Bowie's enslaved person, Sam, survived and were freed by the Mexican Army.

Section 9 of the General Provisions of the Republic of Texas Constitution, approved in 1836, made slavery legal again. It also set rules for enslaved people and people of color:

• People who were enslaved for life under Mexican law would become property.
• The Congress could not make laws stopping people from bringing enslaved people into Texas.
• Congress could not free enslaved people.
• Slave owners could not free their enslaved people without Congress's approval, unless the freed people left Texas.
• Free people of African descent had to ask the Texas Congress for permission to keep living in Texas.
• Africans and their descendants, and Indians, were not considered "persons" with rights.

The next year, those already living in Texas at independence could stay. However, the government created segregation. It put free residents with at least 1/8 African heritage into a separate group. It took away their rights, like voting, owning property, testifying against white people in court, or marrying white people. As farmers grew more cotton, they quickly bought and brought in more enslaved workers. By 1840, there were 11,323 enslaved people in Texas.

Texas as a U.S. State

In 1845, the state government passed laws that further limited the rights of free Black people. For example, if they were found guilty of crimes, they could be forced to work on road gangs, similar to enslaved people.

By 1850, the enslaved population in Texas grew to 58,161. In 1860, there were 182,566 enslaved people. This was 30% of the total population. Texas was 10th in the U.S. for the total number of enslaved people.

Forty percent of Texas's enslaved people lived on large farms called plantations. These were along the Gulf Coast and in the East Texas river valleys. They grew cotton, corn, and some sugar. Fifty percent of enslaved people worked alone or in small groups of fewer than 20 on smaller farms. These farms stretched from the Nueces River to the Red River. Some enslaved people lived among cattle ranchers and helped herd sheep and cattle. Enslaved people were not held between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande. This was because there were many Mexican workers there, making enslaved labor too costly.

Most enslaved people lived in the countryside. However, by 1860, more than 1,000 lived in both Galveston and Houston. Several hundred lived in other large towns. Most worked as house servants or on farms near towns. Others worked as cooks, waiters, teamsters (drivers), boatmen, coachmen, and skilled workers like blacksmiths and carpenters.

Enslaved people on plantations usually lived in one or two-room log cabins. Most field workers received two sets of clothes twice a year, with a hat and coat for winter. Meals often included bread, molasses, sweet potatoes, hominy, and meat like beef, chicken, and pork. Enslaved people often lived like poor white people in Texas. However, poor white people could hope to improve their lives with hard work. Enslaved people had no such hope, as their work belonged to their owners.

Many churches in Texas allowed enslaved people to join. Both the Baptist and Methodist churches sent missionaries to enslaved people. They also allowed them to take part in church activities. In 1860, the Methodists said 7,541 enslaved people were members in Texas. Some enslaved people became ministers. However, their owners often tried to tell them what to preach. Like in other southern states, enslaved people made Christianity their own and developed strong religious faith.

Many towns made laws stopping enslaved people from having alcohol or weapons. They also could not sell farm products, hire out their own time, or be hired by free Black people. In rural areas, counties often had patrols. These patrols made sure enslaved people did not travel without passes from their owners. Enslaved people in cities often had more freedoms. Texas did not clearly ban teaching enslaved people to read or write. But most slave owners did not allow it. In 1865, 95% of enslaved people could not read or write.

Many enslaved people ran away. Some hid in swampy areas. Others lived among Native Americans. A few managed to get on ships going to northern or foreign ports. Most runaways tried to go to Mexico. By 1850, about 3,000 enslaved people had successfully escaped to Mexico. Another 1,000 crossed into Mexico between 1851 and 1855. Most runaways were men between 20 and 40 years old. This was because they were best able to handle the long, hard journey. However, people of all ages ran away, from 5 months to 60 years old.

As early as 1836, Texas slave owners sent people to Matamoros, Mexico. They tried to get their runaways back, but Mexico refused. See Underground Railroad § South to Mexico.

A group of enslaved people killed the sheriff of Gonzales. He tried to stop them from going to Matamoros. Over 30 of them safely reached freedom in Mexico. From 1849 to 1860, Texas tried to get the U.S. government to make a deal with Mexico. This deal would allow them to get runaways back. But it did not happen. Some slave hunters illegally went to Mexico and captured runaways.

White Texans were afraid of revolts. In 1854, people in Austin and other towns forced many poor Mexicans to leave. They feared these Mexicans might help with revolts.

In 1860, there was a lot of fear after many fires started across the state. Farmers arrested hundreds of enslaved people and questioned them harshly. Several said they were part of a plan by white abolitionists. The plan was to burn food supplies and poison slave owners. This was supposedly to get revenge for John Brown's execution. Up to 80 enslaved people and 37 white people may have been killed because of this supposed plot. Later, newspapers showed that most of what was confessed was likely false. Many fires happened during a summer drought. Also, new matches could catch fire by themselves. The supposed "poison" found was actually baby powder.

Texas in the Confederacy

Texas left the United States in 1861. It joined the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Texas replaced its pro-Union governor, Sam Houston. During the war, slavery in Texas was not much affected. Prices for enslaved people stayed high until the last few months of the war. The number of enslaved people in Texas grew a lot. This was because the Union Army took over parts of Arkansas and Louisiana. Slave owners in those areas often moved their enslaved people to Texas to keep them from being freed. By 1865, there were an estimated 250,000 enslaved people in Texas.

Many farmers, however, temporarily lost some of their enslaved workers to the Confederate Army. The army took one-quarter of the enslaved people from each plantation. They used them to build defenses along the Texas coast and to drive military supply wagons. Anyone found giving weapons to enslaved people during the war was sentenced to hard labor.

Unlike other Southern states, only a small number of enslaved Texans joined the Union Army. Few battles happened in Texas. Texas mostly supplied goods to the Confederacy. Since Texas was far from the Union Army lines, enslaved people could not reach them. The last battle of the war was fought at Battle of Palmito Ranch in 1865.

Emancipation in Texas

Ashton Villa in Galveston, where General Granger announced freedom.

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and over 2,000 federal troops arrived at Galveston Island. They came to take control of the state and make sure the Emancipation Proclamation was followed. The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued two years earlier. General Granger announced his "General Order No. 3" from the balcony of Ashton Villa:

The people of Texas are told that, according to a statement from the President of the United States, all enslaved people are free. This means that former masters and enslaved people now have equal personal rights and property rights. Their past connection now changes to that of an employer and a hired worker. The freed people are advised to stay quietly at their current homes and work for pay. They are told that they will not be allowed to gather at military posts. They will not be supported if they are idle, either there or anywhere else.

On some plantations, many enslaved people left right after hearing about their freedom. This happened even if their former owners offered to pay them wages. Throughout the summer, many East Texas newspapers still suggested that slave owners should fight against the Thirteenth Amendment. This amendment ended slavery. They hoped that freedom could be given out slowly. Some slave owners did not free their enslaved people until late in 1865.

Slavery was officially ended by the Thirteenth Amendment. It became law on December 18, 1865. Slavery had been declared theoretically ended by President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. That proclamation said only those enslaved in areas rebelling against the United States were free. Since the U.S. government did not control many of these areas until later in the war, many people declared free by the Emancipation Proclamation were still held in slavery. They remained enslaved until those areas came back under Union control.

Legacy of Slavery in Texas

June 19, the day freedom was announced, is celebrated every year in Texas and other states as Juneteenth.

The long-term effects of slavery can still be seen today in who lives where in Texas. The eastern part of the state, where cotton farming needed thousands of enslaved people, is like the western edge of the Deep South. It has a very large number of Texas's African-American population. On the other hand, western parts of Texas were still wild lands during the American Civil War. After the war, many Anglo Southerners settled there. Because of its history of ranching, some of these parts are more connected to the Southwest than the South.

In the 1870s, laws were made to create racial segregation and white supremacy. In 1876, Texas made a new constitution. It required separate schools for different races. It also added a poll tax, which meant poor voters, both Black and white, had to pay to vote. This reduced the number of voters. By the late 1800s, Texas passed other Jim Crow laws. The money given to schools was not enough, and schools for minority groups got much less money.

In 1900, African Americans made up 30% of Texas's population. This percentage dropped because many more Europeans moved to the state in the 1800s.

Like Georgia, the Texas Democratic Party used a whites-only primary. This meant only white people could vote in the main election to choose candidates. Since the Democratic Party controlled the state for many years after 1900, this was the only important election. The white primary was another way to stop African Americans from voting. The Supreme Court finally ended it in 1944 in the case Smith v. Allwright.

African Americans immediately started fighting these laws in court. But early Supreme Court cases, like Giles v. Harris (1903), supported the states. Through groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), African Americans kept working to get back their civil and voting rights. The civil rights movement led to the U.S. Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These laws protected the rights of all citizens to use public places and to vote.

On June 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the Voting Rights Act. This ruling was soon followed by new Voter ID laws in Texas.

|