Texas and Vermont Before Statehood: Republics, Colonies, and Contested Lands

Texas: From Spanish Province to Independent Republic

Timeline of Sovereignty

• 1519–1685, 1693–1821: Spanish colonial territory (New Spain).
• 1685–1689, 1690–1693: Brief French claim (Fort Saint Louis).
• 1821–1836: Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas.
• 1836–1845: Republic of Texas—fully independent, recognized by U.S., France, UK, others.
• 1845: Annexed as 28th U.S. state.

Vermont: The Reluctant Republic

From Grants to Independence

• Pre-1777: Disputed "New Hampshire Grants" claimed by both NY and NH.
• 1777–1791: Vermont Republic—self-declared independent state with own constitution (first to abolish slavery), currency, and postal system.
• 1791: Admitted as 14th state after resolving land disputes with NY.

Key Contrast

Texas was an internationally recognized sovereign nation for nearly a decade. Vermont's republic was a pragmatic survival mechanism in a territorial dispute—never widely recognized abroad, but functionally independent for 14 years.