The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 57, July 1953 - April, 1954 Page: 54
585 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
54 Southwestern Historical Quarterly
settlers in North Central Texas and those further east and south
can be seen more than a decade later when, despite today's
romantic retrospect, a large number of citizens in the Peters
Colony area were not sympathetic to the cause of the
Confederacy.3
II. Taken as a whole, then, the people of the colony seem to
have been a fairly homogeneous group artificially intruded into a
slightly different cultural environment.34 An attempt at a syn-
thesis of the whole group has resulted from a simple analysis
of the statistics for the group in the preceding paragraphs. A
breakdown of the group into more complex components within
the colony follows.
Homogeneity has been postulated; it may be demonstrated by
presenting the results of an analysis by date of migration which
seems to offer the most logical intragroup separation. An arbitrary
division into two groups was made: (1) those persons who came
to the colony in its early years, and (2) those who came later.
This division was suggested by the fact there seemed to be two
distinct waves of migration. Although the colony was established
by the first contract in August, 1841, few persons settled in the
area before the spring of 1843. Until 1845, migration into the area
was moderately rapid for a frontier region in the midst of Indian
country. Then apparently because of a combination of factors36
into an important town, the region to the west and southwest was still Indian
country and the region to the south of Dallas was just "opening up." Dallas
apparently established itself as a commercial point while situated at the further
edge of an extended arm of settlement. Yet, in this out-of-the-way position, Dallas
managed to thrive when other towns nearer the center and crossroads of the
settled portion of the state lost their advantage. Could it have been the character
of the people? Could it have been the fact that the area around Dallas was settled
by small independent farmers whose land cost them nothing and hence whose spare
cash quickened a lively interest in trade?
ssUnion sentiment in North Texas has been widely noticed, but no attempt has
been made to relate it to the earlier migration into the Peters Colony. See Claude
Elliott, "Union Sentiment in Texas, 1861-1865," Southwestern Historical Quarterly,
L, 449-477.
34It is probably unnecessary to say that the differences between the colonists and
their neighbors were insignificantly small in comparison to the similarities. The
historicity of the differences is alone contended here; supporting rationale (the
ever-present desire of the historian to "explain" society in terms of society's back-
ground) is pointedly conjectural.
3aThese factors included Indian troubles, insufficient supplies (the company's
attempts to establish and supply a company store were failures), the settlers' distrust
of the company, and rumors that if annexation of Texas to the United States were
effected, the company's contracts would be invalidated.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 57, July 1953 - April, 1954, periodical, 1954; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101152/m1/72/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.