U.S. and Texas flags at the Texas Capitol – photo: jmtimages
167 years ago today: Rub your pet armadillo’s belly, slaughter the fatted longhorn, crank up the barbecue pit with the mesquite wood, put Willie Nelson and Bob Wills on the mp3 player, put the “Giant” DVD on the television, and raise your glass of Big Red, Dr. Pepper, or Lone Star Beer (or Pearl, or Shiner Bock, or Llano Wine).
U.S. Flag Code rules urge flying the U.S. flag on the anniversary of a state’s joining the Union — even as much as that will frost the tiny band of desperate Texas secessionists. (Will the secessionists fly the Texas flag at half-staff?)
Texas was admitted to the union of the United States of America on December 29, 1845.
President Polk’s Authorization to Affix the Great Seal to Texas Statehood documents – Texas Memorial Museum, University of Texas at Austin
The text of Polk’s message:
I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to an authenticated copy of “an act to extend the laws of the United States over the State of Texas and for other purposes” approved Dec. 29, 1845 dated this day, and signed by me and for so doing this shall be his warrant.
James K. Polk
Washington, Dec. 29, 1845
Great Seal of the United States of America, affixed to the Texas Statehood Proclamation – image from State Archives Division, Texas State Library
Resources:
- “Annexation – Celebrating 150 years of statehood,” at Humanities Interactive, Texas Council for the Humanities Resource Center (this page is difficult to find if you just go to the Humanities Interactive ste — bookmark it!)
- Teachers Guide from Humanities Interactive
- “Celebrating 150 Years of Texas Statehood,” essay by James L. Haley
- Texas Annexation map activity (with map of U.S. – may be used by classes outside of Texas, too)
- Texas Treasures – Statehood, Texas State Library and Archives Commission
- Texas Statehood Flag, Gallery of the Republic
- Daughters of the Republic of Texas site, with this reminder: Texas Statehood Day [February 19, 1846] (Texas wouldn’t take “yes” for an answer then, either.)
“The legal entry of Texas into the Union was 29 December 1845, but the decade-old Republic of Texas did not formally transfer the authority to the new State of Texas until 19 February 1846.The Texans had until the end of the year in 1845 to accept the annexation as one of the states of the United States of America. They waited until 29 December 1845 to accept the terms, independent to the end. The formal transfer of authority from the Republic of Texas took place 19 February 1846 at the log capitol in Austin with President Anson Jones presiding. On this day we celebrate the end of the Republic of Texas.” - Texas Honor Days (days to fly the Texas flag), Daughters of the Republic of Texas
- Stamp honoring 100 years of Texas Statehood (Arago site)
More:
- Iowa Statehood, December 28, 1846 – Iowans, fly your flags today (timpanogos.wordpress.com)
- White House Petition To Let Texas Secede Reaches Goal (dfw.cbslocal.com)
- Priceless documents from Texas’ early days survive a hurricane and a fire (star-telegram.com)
- Texas’ Independence (stuartwilde.com)
- One more time: No, Texas cannot secede; no, Texas can’t split itself (2012 edition) (timpanogos.wordpress.com)
- Secession petitions grow but without legal weight (mysanantonio.com)
- Can Texas Secede from The Union? (cgpgrey.com)
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
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