Texas History for Kids

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Today, we’re heading to the coast  where one little boy grew up to shock the world.

👊 His fists were fast.
 🎩 His fashion was fierce.
 💥 And his story? Full of fights, freedom, and fame.

Today, we uncover the wild, true story of Jack Johnson—the first African American heavyweight boxing champion in the world.

References

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/jack-john...

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Today on Texas History for Kids, we explore the legacy of a man who didn’t set out to be a hero—but inherited it…sort of. 
A man who didn’t seek power—but helped build a nation. 

His name is Stephen F Austin and he was in charge of starting a new country, called the Republic of Texas, and making all the rules for it. 

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Anthropologists tell us that long before the Comanches thundered across Texas, they were mountain people—part of the Northern Shoshone of the Great Basin. They hunted, gathered, and traveled on foot.

But sometime in the late 1600s, everything changed.

References

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/comanche-indians

Eshet, D. (2020, December). Teaching American Indian Hi...

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Long before Texas had towns or highways, a group of people lived by the rhythm of the land.
 Not by fences or warranty deeds.
 Not by kings and courts.

They were called the Apache—though that’s not the name they gave themselves. In fact, the word “Apache” came from outside groups and might mean “enemy” in Zuni or Spanish.

References

Eshet, D. (2020, December). Tea...

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The Karankawa were not one single tribe, but several bands that lived along the Texas Gulf Coast, from Galveston to Corpus Christi, who shared similar language and culture. They lived along the Texas coast for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Take a listen as we go back to the 1500s. 

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Today, we’re uncovering the story of the Caddo—the mound builders, farmers, and friends of East Texas.

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, April 10). Caddo. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:17, May 2, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caddo&oldid=1284985302

https://thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/caddo-mounds

https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/...

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This is the real story of 16 brave families from a very tiny group of Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, who left everything behind in 1731 to come to a place called… San Antonio de Béxar.

Sources

Our History - CIDA. (n.d.). Canary Islands Descendants Association. Retrieved January 25, 2025, from https://cida-sa.org/our-history/

Anonymous, “Canary Islanders,” Handbook of Texa...

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Today, we're diving into a world filled with hidden fossils, historic battlefields, prehistoric creatures… all of which  tell the story of  Texas’s past.

FREE RESOURCE

References

https://www.national-park.com/list-of-national-parks-in-texas/

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 Today, we’re headed to a place where strawberries are more than just a snack… they’re a way of life, filled with history, culture, and people. 

 FREE RESOURCE

References

https://www.poteettx.org/834/History-of-Poteet

Linda Peterson, “Poteet, TX,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed April 11, 2025, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/poteet-tx.

Published by the Texas Stat...

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In today's episode, we have a tale that’s so bizarre it’ll have you rethinking what you do with your teeth!

In the small town of Hondo, Texas—a city with a rich history dating back to 1689 when Spanish explorer Alonso De León named the Medina River and nearby creeks. But we’re not traveling that far back. Nope, were just gonna travel to March 2025, when a routine day ta...

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César Chávez was a civil rights leader and labor activist who spent his life fighting for farm workers' rights. Born on March 31, 1927, in Yuma, Arizona, César came from a Mexican American family. When his family lost their farm during the Great Depression, they became migrant workers—people who move from place to place to pick fruits and vegetables on different farms....

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Cynthia Ann Parker’s story is one of the most famous—and heartbreaking—in Texas history. She lived a life caught between two very different cultures: White American settlers and the Comanche Nation. 

FREEBIE

References

Margaret Schmidt Hacker, “Parker, Cynthia Ann,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed March 21, 2025, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/parker-cynthia-a...

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This is the mystery of a secret battalion, a group of soldiers who switched sides—turning against the U.S. to fight for Mexico!

Why would they do it? What happened to them? And why is their story still remembered in two different countries today?  This is the legend of the San Patricios!

FREE RESOURCE

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By December 1835, the Texians captured San Antonio after a fierce battle at the Siege of Bexar, forcing the Mexican army to retreat. But they made a dangerous mistake—they thought the war was already won.

Santa Anna’s Response: No Mercy

It’s February 23, 1836. The defenders of the Alamo—around 150 men—stand on top of  the old Spanish mission’s walls. They have 18 working cann...

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This is the story of the Rosenwald Schools—a group of schools built across the southern parts of the United States in the early 20th century for black children during a time of segregation.  How did these schools come to be? What happened to them? And why does their legacy still matter today?

FREE RESOURCE

References

https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/visit/exhibits/better-l...

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Did you know February 11th is International Day of Women and Girls in Science? In today’s episode we will talk about  a device that changed the way we explore space… A tiny genetic clue that unlocked the mystery of a devastating disease… and the link between roads and connecting people. 
They all have one thing in common—Texan women and science. Today, we’re uncovering ...

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It’s rodeo season in Texas. Well, rodeos are held year-round. But this time of year the bigger ones take-over. Ever wondered why rodeos have bull riding, calf roping, and bronc busting? Or how stock shows became a big deal in Texas? What’s the history behind Texas rodeos? That’s what you’ll find out in today’s episode. 

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The year is 1941 and the world is at war. The waters of the Pacific Ocean are restless and chaos is looming overhead. One man’s bravery changed the tide of history. That man was Dorie Miller. 

References

Whitaker, M. (2007, January 19). Doris (“Dorie”) Miller (1919-1943). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/miller-doris-dorie-1919-1943/

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Today, we’re hitting the road across the mountains, prairies and hills of Texas. This journey takes us to an unusual burial of a special kind of car, a whimsical tiny church and a martian cemetery. 

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