Texas History Test Texas History General 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Spanish mission, established in 1718, became the nucleus of present-day San Antonio?
- Mission Concepción
- Mission San José
- Mission San Antonio de Valero (Correct answer)
- Mission San Juan
Correct answer: Mission San Antonio de Valero
Mission San Antonio de Valero, later known as the Alamo, was founded in 1718 alongside the Villa de Béxar.
Question 2: What was the main purpose of Stephen F. Austin's colonization contracts with the Mexican government?
- To establish military forts
- To bring American settlers to Texas (Correct answer)
- To convert Native Americans
- To develop trade routes
Correct answer: To bring American settlers to Texas
Austin's empresario contracts allowed him to recruit and settle American colonists in Texas in exchange for land grants.
Question 3: What year did the Republic of Texas officially join the United States as the 28th state?
- 1836
- 1840
- 1845 (Correct answer)
- 1848
Correct answer: 1845
Texas was annexed by the United States and became the 28th state on December 29, 1845.
Question 4: The cattle drives of the late 1800s transported longhorns from Texas to railheads in Kansas along which famous trail?
- Oregon Trail
- Chisholm Trail (Correct answer)
- Shawnee Trail
- Goodnight-Loving Trail
Correct answer: Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was the primary route used by cowboys to drive millions of cattle from Texas to Abilene, Kansas.
Question 5: Which major oil discovery in 1901 transformed Texas into a leading oil-producing state?
- East Texas Field
- Permian Basin strike
- Spindletop gusher (Correct answer)
- Ranger oil boom
Correct answer: Spindletop gusher
The Spindletop gusher near Beaumont on January 10, 1901, launched the Texas oil industry and the modern petroleum era.
Question 6: During Reconstruction, which constitutional requirement did Texas have to meet before being readmitted to the Union?
- Abolish the poll tax
- Ratify the Fourteenth Amendment (Correct answer)
- Establish a public school system
- Grant women the right to vote
Correct answer: Ratify the Fourteenth Amendment
Texas had to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, guaranteeing citizenship rights, before being readmitted to the Union in 1870.
Question 7: What was the name of the 1836 document that declared Texas independence from Mexico?
- Texas Constitution
- Texas Declaration of Independence (Correct answer)
- Articles of the Republic
- Goliad Declaration
Correct answer: Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed on March 2, 1836, at Washington-on-the-Brazos.
Texas History Test Texas History General 3
Which Spanish mission, established in 1718, became the nucleus of present-day San Antonio?