Texas is the second-biggest state in the country! With an area of 268,581 sq miles, Texas is beaten in size only by Alaska. Texas is the largest state in the continental United States. Texas also has the second-largest population of any state. Over 29 million people live in Texas.
Texas was notoriously late to the party! Texas was the 28th state to join the Union in 1845. Before that, it was actually its own country, and before that, it was a territory of Mexico. Texas has been home to many Native American tribes.
In the 16th century, the Spanish Explorers Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and Francisco Vásquez de Coronado first came to Texas. However, the Spanish Empire wasn’t really interested in Texas then and returned its attention to the east coast without establishing colonies in Texas.
After the Texas Revolution in 1836, Texas became its own country known as the Republic of Texas. It remained an independent nation for 9 years! General Sam Houston was the first-ever President of independent Texas.