Columns & Opinions

In honor of Texas Independence Day, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) read Lieutenant Colonel William Barrett Travis’ famous letter on the Senate floor. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below: “Today is Texas Independence Day, a day for Texans to celebrate our unique history and honor the brave men and women who shaped it.”

He was one of the last presidents of Mexico to rule over Texas and always portrayed as one of the great villains of Texas History. Santa Anna is an overwhelming presence in the history of early Mexico, shaping much of the direction of the country in that time period, and Texas by extension. His role in the history of Mexico is much more complicated. He was president of Mexico on 11 different occasions until being overthrown, he was a constant foe of Texas and the United States, he was responsible for events from chewing gum to the disaster at the Alamo. Santa Anna’s impact on history cannot be denied. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was born in eastern Mexico in 1794, one of seven children. His father was a respected and modestly successful lawyer under Spanish colonial rule. However, his father was often frustrated by the Spanish crown granting political appointments to ambitious Spaniards close to the royal family rather than those colonists born in Mexico. He tried to push his son into a career as a businessman, but his mother managed to get him appointed as an officer in the Spanish army at the age of 16.

Texas once again has topped the list for new and expanded corporate facilities added in a year, according to Site Selection Magazine. With 1,028 new projects in 2022, the state had more than the next two states combined – Illinois and Ohio.