Bexar County Under Nine Governments - Texas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

A marker in the south lawn of the Bexar County Courthouse tells the history of how it served under nine governmental powers. Some were long rules, some only a few weeks, but for local governments to operate efficiently, the political climate needs to be stable. Considering the turnover in sovereign powers ruling over Bexar County, it has endured well. The nine governments were:
1. Spanish rule (1718-1811);
2. Casas regime (lasted 5 weeks in 1811);
3. Counter-revolutionary Junta of Bexar (brief rule before restoring Spanish rule again by 1812);
4. Revolutionary Army of the North (for 5 months in 1812 until Spainish rule again returned until 1821);
5. First Imperial Government of Mexico (1821 -1823);
6. Republic of Mexico (1824-1835);
7. Republic of Texas (1836-1845);
8. Texas granted statehood as part of the United States (1845-1861);
9. Seceeded to join the Confederate States (1861-1865) but rejoins the United States as the state of Texas after the dissolution of the Confederacy at end of the Civil War. It can get confusing if you try to add in all the times Spain regained power and the second time Texas was part of the United States. That would make more than 9 governments, but the if you think of Spanish rule as the same before and after the first two revolts, it is easier to understand the counting. Same with Texas being part of the US and then leaving and then joining back. Spain, like the US, was the same governmental ruler so it isn't counted multiple times between interruptions.

Marker Number: 400 Marker Text: The administrative government of Bexar County, besides being the oldest in Texas, is distinguished by having served under nine governments. The community served under Spanish rule from May, 1718, until January, 1811, when it was taken over by the revolutionary "Casas regime". Only five weeks later, the "counter-revoluationary Junta of Bexar" overthrew the Casas government and eventually restored Spanish rule. In April, 1812, however, the "Republican Army of the North" deposed the provincial Spanish government and declared independence from Spain. Five months later the Spanish regained control, holding Texas until 1821. The fifth regime, "First Imperial Government of Mexico" was created when Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. The emperor relinquished control to army leaders within two years, however, and the "Republic of Mexico" was established. Texas gained independence from Mexico in 1836, thereby establishing Bexar's seventh government, the "Republic of Texas". In 1845, Texas became the twenty-eighth state of the United States and remained in the Union until 1861, when the southern states seceeded to form the Confederacy. Following the Civil War, U.S. rule returned to Bexar County in 1865. (1967)

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Date Logged Log   12/26/2010 WayBetterFinder visited it