Texas: An American History

Join the UH Center for Public History for presentation by Dr. Ben Johnson (Loyola University, Chicago) on his new book, Texas: An American History.
When Americans turn on their laptops, play video games, go to church, vote, eat TexMex, shop for groceries, listen to music, grill steaks, or watch football, they are, knowingly or not, paying tribute to Texas. Tracing the profound and surprising story of the Lone Star State, Johnson shines new light on why Texas has had such a powerful influence on U.S. history.

Texas is known to outsiders for mob violence, swaggering self-conception, and conservative politics, but Johnson reveals that the state has also been on the forefront of taming frontier violence, establishing LGBTQ rights, and developing modern businesses such as organic food and personal computing.
Johnson offers a balanced and inclusive history of an often contentious and stereotyped region, covering such topics as the persistence of Native Americans, the frontier story of the Alamo, agrarian populism, racial segregation, the state’s porous border with Mexico, and the way historical memory continues to shape the state’s identity.

The reality of Texas, Johnson shows us, is even bigger than we think it is.

Date: Tuesday, April 8
Time: 6:00 PM
Where: 3553 Cullen Boulevard, Agnes Arnold Hall Room 106
Houston, TX 77204-3000

Host or Publisher The UH Center for Public History