Gone to Texas: A History of the Lone Star State

by Randolph B. Campbell

In Gone to Texas , historian Randolph Campbell ranges from the first arrival of humans in the Panhandle some 10,000 years ago to the dawn of the twenty-first century, offering an interpretive account of the land, the successive waves of people who have gone to Texas, and the conflicts that
have made Texas as much a metaphor as a place.
Campbell presents the epic tales of Texas history in a new light, offering revisionist history in the best sense--broadening and deepening the traditional story, without ignoring the heroes of the past. The scope of the book is impressive. It ranges from the archeological record of early Native
Americans to the rise of the oil industry and ultimately the modernization of Texas. Campbell provides swift-moving accounts of the Mexican revolution against Spain, the arrival of settlers from the United States, and the lasting Spanish legacy (from place names to cattle ranching to civil law). The
author also paints a rich portrait of the Anglo-Texan revolution, with its larger-than-life leaders and epic battles, the fascinating decade of the Republic of Texas, and annexation by the United States. In his account of the Civil War and Reconstruction, he examines developments both in local
politics and society and in the nation at large (from the debate over secession to the role of Texas troops in the Confederate army to the impact of postwar civil rights laws). Late nineteenth-century Texas is presented as part of both the Old West and the New South. The story continues with an
analysis of the impact of the Populist and Progressive movements and then looks at the prosperity decade of the 1920s and the economic disaster of the Great Depression. Campbell's last chapters show how World War II brought economic recovery and touched off spectacular growth that, with only a few
downturns, continues until today.
Lucid, engaging, deftly written, Gone to Texas offers a fresh understanding of why Texas continues to be seen as a state unlike any other, a place that distills the essence of what it means to be an American.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, School, Audiobook, Ancient History, Westerns

512 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2003

About the author

Randolph B. Campbell is Regents' Professor of History at the University of North Texas. He earned his BA (1961), MA (1963), and Ph.D. (1966) from the University of Virginia.

Reviews

[Porter Broyles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing an historical overview requires that the author make some difficult choices on what to include, what to exclude, and how to present what he presents.

To which there are some decisions and presentations that I would not have made, but that I cannot really fault him for. The two biggest examples would be:

1) The ommission of the Brownsville Buffalo Soldier incident. During Teddy Roosevelt's second term, a riot occurred where a unit of Buffalo Soldiers was deployed. The riot resulted in the death of a white person. The locals claimed it was a Buffalo Soldier, but no evidence supported the claim. An investigation was conducted that failed to produce credible evidence. Roosevelt (a Republican) then ordered the shooter to step forward or the whole unit would be punished. When nobody stepped forward, the entire unit was dishonorably discharged. This incident is often cited as the first major breaking point between the Republican Party and Black America.

2) The presentation of the WPA and LBJ. Campbell seems to have an entirely different view of LBJ's motives and effectiveness than does LBJ's principle biographist. Campbell, unlike Caro, flat out states that the WPA was administered in Texas with equity towards blacks that was not found in other states. He also states firmly that LBJ was motivated purely from a non-racial point of view. These views are contradicted in Caro's exhaustive series on LBJ.

Despite these two discrepencies (both of which involve the black Texan), Campbell's book does a very good job covering the major events in Texas history. He also does a very good job at covering the black experience in Texas. He also discusses Texas history from the woman's perspective.

This was a fun straight forward book. It does not pave any unchartered territories, but provides a firm foundation on Texas history.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one started off strong, recounting the details of Texas history from Spanish colonization to the end of the civil war. I always wondered who these towns, streets, and buildings were named after and now I have a much better idea of who these people were and their significance in the history of Texas.

While the rest of the book does give a thorough and important account of civil rights issues, it otherwise turns into a long litany of various state governors and politicians interspersed with economic data from different time periods. While this is important, other significant (and probably more interesting) events such as the space program in Houston and the UT Tower shooting are left out completely.

Given that this book presents itself as an analysis of the reasons so many people have "Gone to Texas", the scant amount of space given to art and culture is completely inexplicable. Politics and economics is important, but how you can you expect to understand the Texas mystique without even uttering names like Bob Wills, Willie Nelson, ZZ Top, and Larry McMurtry? What about things like deer hunting, ice houses, and the Texas two-step? While there is some coverage of the importance of sports in Texas the author gets basic facts wrong such as overlooking two Houston Rockets championships in 1994 and 1995.

The narration of the audiobook also suffers from myriad mispronunciations and editing gaffes, so if these things bug you, it's probably best to stick with the print version.

Ultimately I'm glad I read this, but would have a hard time recommending it to other people. While I feel more like a true Texan after reading it, I also had to fight through many of the book's shortcomings to get there.

[Kelly Terracio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this for a Texas History class and I actually found that it held my attention! I'm not a history buff but this was a good story with factual information that I both learned and enjoyed.

[Kin Pier · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I am somewhat biased as Mike Campbell was one of my graduate professors, this book is generally recognized as the definitive book on Texas history in general. It is not a novel and was not designed as such. It is informative and extremely well-written.

[Kevin Bessey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent read and great overview of Texas history. I really enjoyed the way "Gone To Texas" was laid out and can appreciate many of the questions posed by Campbell.

GTT will be something that I'd like to re-read every year or so, and as a Texas Native could identify with much of what Campbell was writing about. I also enjoyed his cultural perspectives that offered a look at Texans and the Texas mystique.

From a people perspective, I also enjoyed at how Campbell spoke about the state's darker history when dealing with Indians and slaves. We never really got that perspective in school, so it was good to read about what actually happened during those troublesome times of people learning to live side-by-side and adjust to various cultures.

Pros: a great, exhaustive look at Texas history from the earliest Native people to 2011.
Cons: a bit heavy with all of the political changes and people; however I understand how the politics helped shape Texas into what it is today. Just a little hard to get through compared to the other material.
Bottom line: an excellent summary of Texas history for anyone interested in this great state's origins, history, and future.

[Laura Finger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this along with Lone Star: A History Of Texas And The Texans to get an overview of German settlements in Texas. Campbell's work focuses on social history, and this was a good place to get my bearings.

[Eric Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great survey of absolutely everything you would want to know about the history of Texas, with a special focus on the political and social evolution of the state. It's dry at times, but draws the main characters well and left me with loads of knowledge.

[Saffyre Falkenberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

What teacher makes you read a whole textbook for a summer session is my first question.

[Myles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of Texas history. I learned allot about my area that I didn't know!

[Rusty del Norte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gone to Texas is a good resource in trying to get a solid background for research into history of the State of Texas. It covers a large amount of information in roughly 500 pages. From pre-history, Spanish Texas, Mexican Texas, the Republic of Texas, CSA Texas, and the current state of Texas, it helps the reader a bit. The author is honest and tried to provide as much depth as possible without overwhelming the reader.

It has been updated in 2 subsequent editions that do not significantly alter the text. These updates split 2 different chapters from the 1st edition & add on 2 additional chapters relating to sports and post-2001 developments. If you are not concerned with these additions, then the 1st will work just fine.

Overall, good book.

[Emily]

This is taking me forever to read. I think I started it two years ago. I bought it because it covered TX history from the very beginning, when there were no whities on the continent, but now I'm wishing it wasn't so thorough. Interesting, though, of course.

[Ryan Petty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for a grad school class and really enjoyed it. my professor was a student of his, not that that makes much difference, but she was around while he was writing it and that helped us understand him better.

[L'abbe C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily readable but filled with interesting detail. This is intended as a textbook for an undergraduate survey on the history of Texas and it seems fit for purpose. It uses the several thousand year history of immigration to texas as a leitmotif, making it especially relevant today.

[Jorge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Texas history book. I'm reading it slowly, not finished yet.

[Heather Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my textbook for Texas History....it was pretty interesting

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

The absolute best survey of Texas history at this time!

[Rhianon Huot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for lovers of history, and especially for residents of Texas.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this several years ago and look forward to a second close reading to look for interesting tangents to explore in other works.

[Curtis Thetford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dry, but did what I wanted.. gave me a good background in the history of Texas going back to prehistoric times.

[David Chaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quintessential book of Texas history.

[Macen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book on the history of Texas.

[Cammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as 'academic' books are concerned, this one was so interesting to read. Of course, it's informative, but you can almost read it like a story. The story of Texas, that is.

[Katherine B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a well done book, but good grief! It’s so much!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL HISTORY OF OUR 28TH STATE! ALVAR NUNEZ CABEZA DE VACA OF SPAIN WAS THE FIRST EUROPEAN TO STEP FOOT ON THE SOIL OF TEXAS. Anybody that knows rudimentary Spanish will translate his name into "Head of a cow! What a name!

Cabeza de Vaca & his men got lost while exploring Florida, and tried to leave, but couldn't find their ship. THEY MADE RAFTS OUT OF LOCAL TREES AND DEER HIDE, KILLED THEIR HORSES FOR FOOD--- AND AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, THEY LANDED NEAR WHAT IS TODAY GALVESTON, TX.

There were 50 survivors in Cabeza de Vaca's group, but soon almost all of them died of disease, injuries or Indian attacks. Cabeza and two survivors were taken as slaves by the Yguaze tribe. They managed to escape and took an 8 year journey to Mexico City. Once there they reported to leaders that they had discovered no gold. The leaders decided to abandon colonizing TX.

In 1695, 150 years after Cabeza de Vaca had been in TX, a Frenchman, La Salle, set up a fort near Matagorda Bay. He called it Ft St. Louis. In 1687 his men staged a mutiny and murdered him. After that the fort fell into ruins. Word got back to Spain that the French had set up a fort in Texas. (They didn't get the part about it being ruins now.) Anyways, they sent Alonso De Leon and 114 men to force the French to leave.

Alonso De Leon found two survivors among the ruins of Ft. St. Louis. The Spanish stopped worrying about fighting the French, and decided to send missionaries to Christianize the natives. Father Damien Massanet and a group of priests and soldiers came and set up the first settlement in Texas. Soon there were many missions throughout Texas including the Alamo.

In 1719 a Spanish nobleman, the Marques de San Miguel de Aguayo was named the governor of t he province of Texas. He forced out all french and made many more missions around Texas.

In 1782 the census showed the social order of Texans. Here they are top to bottom. Peninsulares were ones born in Spain. Mestizos were 1/2 Spanish and 1/2 Native, Mulattos were 1/2 Spanish & 1/2 Black, and lastly Black slaves. In 1810 father Miguel Hidalgo didn't like how the lower classes were being treated. He especially hated slavery. He planned a revolution, but was quickly executed. A couple of other leaders who tried to carry on Father HIldago work were also executed. Then in 1813 General Joaquin De Arredondo of Spain took control after the bloody battle of Medina River. He became president of what he called Texas--an Independent country. It wasn't really. It became a part of the EMPIRE OF MEXICO.

In 1825 Mexico passed the Colonization Act causing a flood of immigrants from the USA. The act freed settlers from paying 4 years of taxes. Also Mexican land was VERY cheap. In the USA land sold for $1.25 an acre. In Mexico's Texas land sold for 4 cents and acre.

Problems began because the New immigrants wanted slavery and their own schools. Tensions grew. President Jackson offered to buy Texas. Mexico refused. Spain got involved, launching attacks to try to reclaim their territory from Mexico. Gen. Santa Anna fought against Spain and won, becoming an instant national hero. In 1833, he was elected President of Mexico. He wanted to replace Texas's laws and current government. He backed this up with the power of the Mexican Army.

The rebels declared themselves an Independent country, and fought many battles. Soon they were joined with foreign help, including Americans Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett and 150 volunteers from Tennessee. They set up a defense in the old Spanish mission in San Antonio, The Alamo.

The Alamo battle lasted two weeks. All rebels were killed, but this crushing defeat incited volunteers to join the Texas army with General Sam Houston as its leader. Six weeks after the Alamo battle houston and 1000 soldiers attacked Santa Anna near the town of San Jacinto. The defeated them.
Sam Houston was elected the first president of the Republic of Texas and Stephen Austin was Secretary of State.

In 1844 Sam Houston agreed to annex Texas to the USA, and Texas became the 28th state.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lengthy and very comprehensive overview of the history of the area that becomes the state of Texas. It begins in prehistoric times, examining the archaeological evidence and moves forward through the Spanish exploration and annexation of the territory, then moves on to chart the way that the shifting of power in Europe affected claims to ownership of the land. Campbell continues by exploring Mexico's efforts to solidify its claim to the territory which led to the settlement of Texas by Anglo-Americans. It goes on to discuss constitutional issues and shifting politics within Mexico that eventually led to the Texas Revolution. This revolution and the ultimate victory by the Texans was by no means a foregone conclusion and it is quite possible that Texas could have stayed within Mexico if matters had been handled differently.

The author also spends some time pointing out that Texas had been mostly populated by Anglo-Americans who came from the south and that it had a very large slave holding population. He goes through the years of independence and the short time it was part of the U.S. before succeeding with the other southern states. He then gets into detailed discussions of the developing economy over the next fifty years, the struggles over taxation and public schooling, race relations, the century-long near-religious commitment to the Democratic party because the Republicans were the party of Lincoln and abolition. Finally, he goes through modern political developments right into the twenty-first century.

This is a highly detailed book and it takes a lot of time to read and absorb all the information, but it's worth the slog. Texas is quite a unique state in the USA and this book will help you understand why.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Randolph Campbell's history of Texas, having picked up the book from the Lamar University History Department here in the Lone Star State. The book offers numerous great details ranging from the first known Native American inhabitants of Texas through the twenty-first century. The narrative is probably the strongest on economics and politics, as it gives readers a remarkably thorough understanding of the activities that have produced profits over the years (ranging from agriculture, to oil, to the electronics of more recent decades) as well as the politicians who have dominated governance of the state (ranging from conservative Democrats to the conservative Republicans of more recent decades). I thought that in the last portion of the book especially, the narrative focused too heavily on politics. The book went into one election and politician after another, when it could have used more details on the social and cultural dynamics of the 20th and early 21st centuries. There is no mention of NASA and the Johnson Space Center, nor any mention of Texans' service in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But I still learned a great deal and I will enjoy having the book handy should I ever have the chance to teach a survey of Texas history.

[James S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author includes too much, and at the same time not enough. There are lots of political details, but little discussion of larger, gradual changes that would place those details in context. It's also a dry read, with a heavy emphasis on politics.

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I especially liked the first several chapters that detailed the beginning and the indigenous peoples but had a harder time when the history turned to political history and this book became almost too heavy to pick up.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically just a history book, so it's as expected - a bit dry, but full of info. It takes you from prehistoric days through 2001 in under 500 pages, so you just get the basics. It was pretty good for an overview, but there's nothing special in the presentation or writing.

[Donna Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a bunch about Texas history and liked that Campbell did not perpetuate some of the mythology.