As the Mexican forces advanced to San Antonio, William Travis led the preparation of the Alamo for the anticipated battle against Santa Anna’s men. Travis and his garrison were vastly outnumbered and significant reinforcements were not to arrive in time for the engagement. Nonetheless, Travis led the valiant defense of the Alamo until his death by gunshot during battle.

Discover how William Travis became a Texas hero in the fourth eBook in our Road to the Texas Revolution series. In this eBook, you will read more about:

• The life of William Travis and his actions as the leader at the Alamo

• Joe, a slave of William Travis and one of the few Texan survivors of the Battle of the Alamo

• How the Anahuac disturbances helped precipitate the Texas Revolution

• The Travis Guards, a military unit organized for home protection against the Indians, as well as Camp Travis, a military training camp established after World War I

On March 27, 1836, Santa Anna ordered a mass execution of Texan revolutionary army prisoners, marking the tragic end to the Goliad Campaign of 1836. A total of 342 individuals were killed on these orders, and only a lucky few were able to escape the merciless slaughter. The lasting impact of the event is important, as Santa Anna's international reputation was damaged and United States sympathy for the revolution deepened.

TSHA documents the campaign, the execution, and the individuals involved in the sixth book in our Road to the Texas Revolution series. In the eBook, you will read:

• Eleven biographies on some of the prominent participants of the campaign, including James Fannin, Santa Anna, and José de Urrea

• Six entries from the Handbook discussing the pivotal battles and engagements of the Goliad Campaign

• Three articles from the Quarterly focusing on the Battle of Goliad, John Crittenden Duval, and the Dedicatory Address at the Goliad Monument

Perhaps the most well-known battle of the Texas Revolution, the Battle of the Alamo was a major turning point in the war. Although the Texans suffered a major defeat after a thirteen-day siege, the bravery of the garrison stationed at the Alamo served as inspiration for the remaining Texan volunteers in their fight against Mexico. Today, we honor those that gave their life defending the San Antonio de Valero Mission as we “Remember the Alamo” in this eBook.

In the third eBook in the Road to the Texas Revolution series, you will read more about:

• Prominent leaders and participants in the battle, such as Davy Crockett, William Travis, and Santa Anna

• The myth and mystery of the de la Peña diary

• Tejanos involved in the Siege and Battle of the Alamo

The victory of the Texans at the Battle of San Jacinto is one of the most important events in Texas history. In just eighteen minutes, the revolutionary army overwhelmed the Mexican forces. The next morning, the Texans captured Santa Anna. Less than a month later, Santa Anna and ad interim president David G. Burnet agreed to the Treaties of Velasco to effectively end the Texas Revolution and grant Texas her independence.

Discover how these pivotal eighteen minutes changed the world in San Jacinto, the seventh and final eBook in TSHA's Road to the Texas Revolution series. In the eBook, you will find:

• Biographies on several leaders in the Texan army and ad interim government, including Sam Houston, Thomas Rusk, and David G. Burnet.

• An account of the Mexican War, the conflict between the United States and Mexico that soon followed the annexation of Texas.

• The story of the acquisition, use, and loss of the "Twin Sisters" cannons.

• Links to articles from the Southwestern Historical Quarterly and Texas Almanac relating to the Battle of San Jacinto and the survivors of the Texas Revolution.

The host town to the Convention of 1836, Washington-on-the-Brazos was a major political and commercial center in early Texas. It was at an unfinished building in Washington where the Convention’s delegates wrote the Texas Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the Republic of Texas, organized the ad interim government, and named Sam Houston the major general of the Republic’s army.

Discover how this small town of 100 became such an important location during the Texas Revolution in the second eBook in the Road to Texas Revolution series. In this eBook, you will read more about:

• The history and development of Washington-on-the-Brazos

• Who participated in the Convention of 1836 and how it led to the formation of the Republic of Texas

• The framing and adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence

With such a rich and storied history to draw from, it’s no wonder the Lone Star State has more than a few mysterious stories to share. If you have ever wondered what’s down those desolate roads and dark caves, look no further. TSHA has compiled a collection of stories featuring some of the most chilling chapters of Lone Star history. From familiar folk tales such as La Llorona to haunted hotspots like Espantosa Lake, our eBook is full of spooky fun for readers of all ages.

Discover which Texas towns are abuzz with paranormal activity in Lone Star Lore: Myth, Mystery, and Haunted History. In this FREE eBook, you can read about:

• Legendary locales with strange phenomena

• The dark and puzzling histories of famous mysterious figures

• Haunted hotspots full of ghostly fog and unsettled spirits

• And much more!

The nationwide fight for woman suffrage reached a milestone with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, the federal amendment that addressed women's right to vote.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Lone Star State's ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, TSHA is proud to release the eBook, Texas Women and the Vote.

Inside the eBook, you will discover more about the women who played a crucial role in woman suffrage and the longer voting rights movement, including:

• Minnie Fisher Cunningham, leader of the Texas Equal Suffrage Association and founding member of the League of Women Voters
• Juanita Craft, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People leader and civic reformer
• María Ninfa Rodríguez Laurenzo, founder of Ninfa's restaurants and education, health, and voting rights advocate

Find out more about these women, as well as the 29 others profiled in the eBook, by downloading Texas Women and the Vote today!

The coronavirus pandemic has altered the lives of millions of Americans, and the response to treat and contain the spread of COVID-19 is an unprecedented event for the current generation of Texans. Yet, this is not the first time the state’s inhabitants faced a significant public health crisis. In centuries past, the people of Texas endured several pandemics, epidemics, and outbreaks, and these events can provide insight and perspective into the challenges facing the state today.

An understanding of the past provides valuable insight and perspective into society's current affairs, and in many cases, society's questions of the past are influenced by the events of the present. To answer some of these questions, TSHA presents a special digital issue of the Southwestern Historical Quarterly.

Inside An Honest Past, you will find twenty articles from previous issues of the Quarterly documenting several notable events and people from Texas history, with a special focus on the minority communities of Texas. Learn more about the struggle for civil rights, the events that precipitated the civil rights movement in the state, and the role of violence in the history of ethnic and racial groups.

Featured articles include:

• Legislated Love in the Lone Star State: Texas and Miscegenation, by Charles F. Robinson
• Refuting History Fables: Collective Memories, Mexican Texans, and Texas History, by Omar Valerio-Jimenéz
• The Best Bargain…Ever Received: The 1968 Commission on Civil Rights Hearing in San Antonio, Texas, by Ignacio M. García
• The Rise of the NAACP in Texas, by Michael L. Gillette

An important population in Texas, Asian Americans from South and South East Asia, Central Asia and the Pacific Islands continue to contribute their talents and traditions into the unfolding of the Lone Star State’s history. In recognition of our State’s new status as home to the Nation’s third-largest Asian population, and in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, TSHA has packaged a bundle of historical articles, biographies and related resources highlighting the accomplishments and struggles of Asian Texans from the 1870’s to the present day. In this document you will find select Handbook of Texas biographies about two influential Asian women in Texas History and four entries about the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese in Texas.

The Texas Almanac 2020-2021 is a publication of the Texas State Historical Association, an independent nonprofit committed to fostering the appreciation, understanding, and teaching of Texas history. The Almanac provides readers with the facts about Texas that you need to know. In publication since 1857, it is the most reliable source for data on Texas counties, demographics, weather, and much more.

This edition includes interesting articles on the environment of Texas, in addition to its hundreds of full-color photographs, 250+ county and state maps, and pages of important data. In service to TSHA’s mission, we are offering this treasure trove of information as a free eBook download.