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Descendants of the Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence

Replica of the building at Washington-on-the-Brazos where the Texas Declaration was signed. An inscription reads: "Here a Nation was born".

The Descendants of the Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence – commonly called The Descendants – is a hereditary organization of individuals who have documented their descent from one or more of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico. The official registry of the documented descendants of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence is maintained by the Star of the Republic Museum located at Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site. On March 2, 1836, the elected delegates to the Convention of 1836 at Washington, Texas, (Washington-on-the-Brazos) voted unanimously to declare Texas independent from the country of Mexico; and the Republic of Texas was born.

The Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independnece

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The Texas Declaration of Independence.

The Texas Declaration of Independence set out the grievences that the Texian settlers and the native Tejanos had against the Mexican government officials in general and Santa Anna in particular. The preamble of the Texas Declaration of Independence contains the following language:

When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression.

When the Federal Republican Constitution of their country, which they have sworn to support, no longer has a substantial existence, and the whole nature of their government has been forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism...

Beginning in 2010, the Star of the Republic Museum established a registry of documented lineal descendants of the 60 signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence.[1] 59 of these men were elected delegates to the Convention of 1836. Herbert S. Kimble, though not a delegate to the Convention, signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in his capacity as Convention secretary. The signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence were:

A primary goal of the Society is to educate the public about the role of the Pilgrims in the early history of what would later become the United States of America. There are Mayflower societies in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada.

Today, thousands of Texans and other Americans have at least one ancestor who was among this group of Texas founding fathers.

The History of the Descendants

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Mayflower Society Headquarters (Mayflower House Museum) in Plymouth, Massachusetts in an early 20th-century postcard

Texas historian, Sam Houston Dixon, was the first historian to dedicate an entire history book to the 59 signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Regarding the significance of the Texas Declaration of Independence, Dixon made the following observation:

The instrument proclaiming Texas independent of Mexico was the Magna Charta of the Texas Republic. Excepting the Declaration of Independence proclaimed by the American Colonies in Philadelphia, July 4, 1776, no instrument recorded in the Annals of American history has had more potential influence over the destinies of the people of the United States. It changed the map or the North American continent and plunged two nations in[to] war.

— Sam Houston Dixon, The Men Who Made Texas Free,1924

Sam Houston Dixon dedicated his 1924 book to the descendants of the signers:

“This volume is respectfully dedicated to the descendants of the brave and noble patriots whose deeds of sacrifice, daring and valiant services it presents. This is done as testimonial of the author’s high appreciation of the men and women through whose veins runs the red blood of as brave and patriotic ancestors as ever took part in dethroning tyranny and establishing civilization, liberty and freedom.”

Shortly after the publication of Dixon work in 1924, the Descendants of the Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence was founded. The descendants met for several years and had a role in the Texas Centennial celebration in Dallas. Activities were curtailed by WWII. Louis Wiltz Kemp however had been working on his volume regarding the descendants which was published during the WW II in 1944. The Descendants of the Signers was revived by the Star of the Republic Museum staff in 2010 for the 175th anniversary of Texas Independence when they began documenting the living descendants of the signers, etc.

Get the list of stated reasons for the Descendants of the Signers from the 1930’s

Long range goals of the descendants committee include the education and preservation of Texas history with regard to the Republic of Texas period, the most complete registry of documented descendants ever compiled, the re-establishment of March 2 as a state holiday, and the promotion of the general turn out at the WOB Park for Texas Independence Day culminating with the Bi-centennial celebration of Texas independence in 2036 and the largest gathering of Descendants in one place ever.

Later Louis Wiltz Kemp would make a valiant attempt to locate as many of the descendants of the signers as he could in his book published in 1944

In 1941 the Society purchased the Edward Winslow House in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The mansion home was originally built in 1754 by the great-grandson of Edward Winslow, third Governor of Plymouth Colony. The Society operates the home as the Mayflower House Museum, an 18th-century historic house museum with period decorations and furnishings. The offices and library of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants are located behind the mansion.

Notes

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  1. ^ McGaugh (2011), p. 1.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar Gammel (1898), p. 824.
  3. ^ Gammel (1898), p. 843.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Gammel (1898), p. 838.
  5. ^ Gammel (1898), pp. 882-883.
  6. ^ Gammel (1898), p. 881.
  7. ^ Gammel (1898), p. 841.
  8. ^ a b c Gammel (1898), p. 825.
  9. ^ Gammel (1898), p. 847.
  10. ^ a b Gammel (1898), p. 848.

See also

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Category:Lineage societies

References

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  • Beverly, Trevia Wooster, ed. (June, 1983). "Star of the Republic Museum". Stirpes. 23 (2). Tyler, Texas: Texas State Genealogical Society. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  • Danilov, Victor J. (2002), Museums and Historic Sites of the American West, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press
  • Dixon, Sam Houston (1924), The Men Who Made Texas Free: The Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, Houston: Texas Historical Publishing Company
  • Gammel, Hans (1898), The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897, Volume I. digital images courtesy of Denton, TX: University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History.
  • Kemp, Louis Wiltz (1944), The Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, Salado, Texas: Anson Jones Press
  • Krane, Gene, ed. (Fall, 1999). "Texas Independence Day Celebration Planned at Washington-on-the-Brazos". Heritage. 17 (4). Austin, Texas: Texas Historical Foundation. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  • McGaugh, Anne, ed. (2011). "Fifty-nine for Freedom - Exhibit Opening/The Big Picture! The Rest of the Story". Star of the Republic Museum Notes. 36 (1). Washington, Texas: Star of Republic Museum.digital images
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