not last long, but it did make the Spanish
move more quickly to build settlements
of their own. San Antonio was
founded in 1718 and became the main
settlement of Spanish Texas.
Sand dunes stretch along an island off the coast of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Texas 51
When Mexico declared its independence
from Spain in 1821, Texas became part
of Mexico. During this period, Mexico
allowed pioneers from the United States
to enter the territory and set up colonies.
Stephen F. Austin brought the first
group of colonists to a site along the
Brazos River. Austin is often called the
Father of Texas.
Texans soon became unhappy with the
Mexican government. In 1835 they
revolted, and the next year they declared
independence. In the most famous
battle of the Texas war for independence,
the Texans fought heroically to
defend a mission called the Alamo. They
lost at the Alamo, but they eventually
defeated the Mexicans at a battle along
the San Jacinto River. Texas became an
independent republic in 1836. Sam
Houston, the leader of the war, was
elected its first president.
In 1845 Texas was admitted to the
United States as the 28th state. Like
other Southern states, Texas allowed
slavery at that time. It joined the Confederacy
during the American CivilWar
(1861–65). Although Texans fought for
the South, the state itself was far
removed from the major battlefields.
After the war Texas cowboys began driving
cattle northward to markets or
ranges. This vital industry led to the
popular image of the cowboy in song,
story, and film. The great cattle drives
continued until about 1890.
The state’s oil industry owes much to a
place named Spindletop. Located near
Beaumont, Spindletop became the
state’s first great oil well in 1901.
Numerous other wells followed. A huge
oil field in eastern Texas was discovered
in 1930.
On November 22, 1963, U.S. president
John F. Kennedy was shot to death in
Dallas. The vice president, Texas politician
Lyndon B. Johnson, became the
country’s next president.
Another politician from Texas, George
Bush, served as the country’s president
from 1989 to 1993. His son GeorgeW.
Bush was elected president in 2000 and
reelected in 2004. The Bushes were only
the second father and son to both serve
as president (the first were John Adams
and John Quincy Adams).
..More to explore
Alamo • American CivilWar • Austin
Restaurants and cafes draw
many people to the section of
San Antonio, Texas, known as
the River Walk.
Facts About
TEXAS
Flag
Population
(2000 census)
20,851,820—
rank, 2nd state;
(2008 estimate)
24,326,974—
rank, 2nd state
Capital
Austin
Area
268,581 sq mi
(695,621 sq
km)—rank, 2nd
state
Statehood
December 29,
1845
Motto
Friendship
State bird
Mockingbird
State flower
Bluebonnet
52 Texas BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Textile
The word textile commonly means
woven or knitted cloth. Lace, felt, and
many other kinds of cloth are considered
textiles, too. Even nets, rope, and yarn
may be called textiles. People use textiles
to make clothing, towels, sheets, table
linens, carpets, boat sails, flags, and
many other things.
Textile production is one of the world’s
major industries. Factories throughout
the world produce many tons of textiles
every year. But people still create textiles
in small shops and at home as well.
Making Textiles
To create textiles, people first make
thread or yarn out of fibers. Some fibers
are natural—for example, cotton, wool,
linen, and silk. Others are artificial, or
man-made—for example, nylon and
polyester. Then people weave, knit,
knot, loop, or braid the thread or yarn
together. These processes may be done
by hand or by machine. People also may
make textiles by pressing or gluing fibers
together.
People often dye the thread or yarn
before making it into textiles. They also
may dye or print designs on cloth after it
is made.
History
People have made yarn and woven cloth
for thousands of years. Some of the
world’s oldest textiles have been found
in ancient Egyptian tombs. Fragments of
3,000-year-old cloth also have been
found in South America.
At first, people made cloth for themselves
and their families. Eventually
craftspeople took over the work and
divided it into separate trades. Different
workers spun the yarn, dyed it, and
wove it into cloth. Other workers sold
the cloth in shops. In the Middle Ages
(about AD 500 to 1500) certain cities
and regions became known for the kinds
of textiles they made.
People made textiles by hand or with
simple machines until the 1700s. Several
inventions then made weaving faster. By
the 1800s water and steam power ran
many textile-making machines. Since
that time, called the Industrial Revolution,
textiles have been made mainly in
factories.
#More to explore
Clothing • Fibers • Industrial
Revolution
Rayon was the
first artificial
textile fiber. It
was first made
in the 1800s.
Merchants in the country of
Uzbekistan display many kinds
of colorful cloth for sale.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Textile 53
Thailand
The local name for Thailand means
“land of the free.” True to its name,
Thailand is the only country in Southeast
Asia that was never ruled by European
