War, Cattle, and Cowboys: Texas As a Young State (Primary Source Readers: Texas History)

After Texas joined the United States in 1845, it started to become part of the American South. It depended more and more on cotton production and slave labor. In the Civil War, Texas fought as part of the Confederacy to defend their economic and social interests. During the middle of the 1800s, however, Texas began to form its own identity. This new identity centered on the rise of the Texas cattle industry and the growing legend of the Texas cowboy.