Texas is a special state within the US – not only the biggest of the contiguous 48 states, but also culturally distinct. Furthermore, it was at one time an independent state, after secession from Mexico and before absorption by the USA. This map shows what Texas might have been, had it remained independent and prospered.
This image can be found at www.forttours.com/ images/imperialtx.jpg
Very amazing site! I wish I could do something as nice as you did…mary
Comment by Economy news and blog — January 11, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
nice blog
Comment by Darren — January 12, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
California and Hawaii were also short-lived republics founded by white American landowners before becoming states.
Comment by Tom — February 17, 2007 @ 8:50 am
[...] map (below) shows what Texas might have been, had it remained independent and prospered.” { Strange Maps [...]
Pingback by the new shelton wet/dry — February 18, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
i saw a similar but much more detailed map in a Texas steakhouse (in the Va Beach area of all places) – it showed what looked like land grants and other areas to the western side of the territory shown above in what is now New Mexico. Most of the plots established then are the current NM cities of ABQ, Las Cruces and Socorro (basically the main towns along the Rio Grande)
And thank you for this amazing site!
Comment by jbavi — March 22, 2007 @ 6:55 pm
Your site is fascinating…..
…..and as a Texan, I offer this information not as a correction, but as a clarification.
Texas was an independent “nation” rather than state from 1836 to 1845. For a number of reasons related to economics and border protection, Texas agreed to relinquish its status as an independent republic and be admitted to US statehood. A longer version of the story of Texas’ time as a republic can be found here:
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/RR/mzr2.html
Comment by mmcgown — April 20, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
mmcgown, the word “state” is synonomous with the word, “nation”. It is only in the United States (and possibly, Australia) that “state” has come to mean a semi-autonomous area within a nation. Hence, “indepedent state” means the same thing as “independent nation” just as one can call a country a “police state” or a “totalitarian state” or a “communist state”. You get the idea…
Comment by Daniel Clohesy — April 22, 2007 @ 11:31 am
Vermont was also an independent “state” for a short time.
Comment by doninashburn — June 13, 2007 @ 12:27 am
In India too they use the term state for semi-autonomous regional entities which have local governers as heads of state and Chief Ministers as heads of local govt. with directly elected legislative assemblies.
Indians reorganised their state boundaries on linguistic basis in the 60s. Recently they split a state to create a new state.
I think the power of state govts. should be kept in check by limiting their size to manageable proportions.
Comment by shahryar — June 15, 2007 @ 4:02 pm
Quibble: the word nation originally had nothing to do with government; the root is the same as that of native. Only in the last few centuries, with the rise of nationalism (see nation-state) and then democracy (the illusion that the state and the people are the same entity), did sovereign states begin to call themselves “nations”.
Comment by Anton Sherwood — September 12, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
Interesting map. I happen to live in Texas, so they drill it’s history into our brains at school. I wonder if Texas would have been able to survive on its own as an independent nation.
Comment by trademark registration — December 19, 2007 @ 9:12 pm
Amazing writing! Maria
Comment by ESPACE YOGA — December 20, 2007 @ 4:33 pm
Texas probably could have survived, as it was recognized by the USA and the major European powers as an independent country. The problem is that the Republic of Texas was running up substantial debts, a lot of it from their on-going border clashes with Mexico.
If they had come to an arrangement with Mexico, which they were offered in exchange for yielding on the major border disputes, they could have survived.
Comment by John — January 24, 2008 @ 5:09 am
Hi..just stopping by to say a Happy New Year…interesting post there, and i’ve bookmarked this blog too…keep up the good job ;)
Comment by Texas Newspapers — January 25, 2008 @ 8:25 am
Funny how Texas claimed Alta California. In the alt history universe of Ill Bethisad, Alta California and Texas had a decades long war that resulted in invasion by Alta California and Mexico to stop Imperial Texas.
Comment by Oxytone — February 14, 2008 @ 7:56 am
Did Texas really claim right up to the 49th?
You should make a map of Fritz Leiber’s “A Spectre is Haunting Texas” boundaries for Texas. ;)
Comment by Will S. — March 21, 2008 @ 1:52 am
Yeah… let it be another country and let Bush be president just there, managing the cows.
Comment by Sergiu — July 21, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
thanks
Comment by hero — October 15, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
Какой то левый спам фильтр
Comment by bemsceabbed — March 31, 2009 @ 12:22 am
thanks alot
Comment by Tony — May 4, 2009 @ 2:22 am
thanks for this map
good
luck
Comment by Solomon — May 11, 2009 @ 7:05 am
merci
Comment by aspicco . — May 17, 2009 @ 4:47 am
teşekkür ederim
Comment by yory — June 12, 2009 @ 8:07 pm
Vielen Dank
Comment by moon — July 3, 2009 @ 3:45 am
Muchas gracias
Comment by sun — July 4, 2009 @ 6:27 am