1287: "The Six Flags Over Texas"

Interesting Things with JC #1287: "The Six Flags Over Texas" – Six governments. One land. From conquistadors to confederates, Texas has been shaped by a tug-of-war few remember, but every child unknowingly inherits.

• Curriculum

  Episode Anchor

  Episode Title
  The Six Flags Over Texas

  Episode Number
  #1287

  Host
  JC

  Audience
  Grades 9–12, college intro, homeschool, lifelong learners

  Subject Area
  History, Civics, U.S. Studies, Cultural Geography

  Lesson Overview

  Learning Objectives:
  Students will:

  • Define the historical significance of each of the six governing entities that have ruled over Texas.

  • Compare the political, cultural, and territorial impacts of Spanish, French, Mexican, and American rule in Texas.

  • Analyze how geopolitical shifts influenced Texas's path to statehood and involvement in the Civil War.

  • Explain how public memory and symbolism (e.g., theme parks, maps, and state identity) preserve complex histories.

  Key Vocabulary

  • Sovereign (SAH-ver-in) — A nation or ruler possessing supreme power. The Republic of Texas operated as a sovereign country from 1836 to 1845.

  • Annexation (an-ek-SAY-shun) — The act of adding territory to one’s own territory. Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845.

  • Confederacy (kuhn-FED-er-uh-see) — A group of 11 southern states, including Texas, that seceded from the U.S. during the Civil War.

  • Colonial Outpost (kuh-LOH-nee-uhl OUT-post) — A distant settlement or military station established by a colonial power. Spain built such outposts throughout Texas.

  • Historical Footprint (his-TOR-i-kuhl FOOT-print) — The lasting impact or legacy of an event or entity on a region or people. Each ruling power left a distinct historical footprint in Texas.

  Narrative Core

  • Open – “It’s more than a slogan on a theme park sign…” sets the hook by showing how everyday references to "Six Flags" mask deeper historical truths.

  • Info – Background on how six different flags represent six historical governments over Texas, beginning with Spanish control in 1519.

  • Details – Examination of each power's role, from Spain and France to the Republic of Texas and its annexation by the U.S., culminating in the Civil War period.

  • Reflection – The symbolism of “Six Flags” as a layered cultural identity—blending history, pride, conquest, and compromise.

  • Closing – “These are interesting things, with JC.”

  Transcript

  See Transcript Below

  Student Worksheet

  1. What event caused Spain to strengthen its colonial presence in Texas after 1685?

  2. Why did some settlers in Mexican Texas resist the government’s anti-slavery laws?

  3. How did the Republic of Texas operate as an independent country?

  4. What was the connection between Texas’s annexation and the Mexican-American War?

  5. Creative Prompt: Imagine you’re a cartographer in 1836. Draw a flag representing the Republic of Texas and explain its symbols.

  Teacher Guide

  Estimated Time
  1–2 class periods (50–90 minutes total)

  Pre-Teaching Vocabulary Strategy
  Use a Frayer Model or context-based vocabulary map for “annexation,” “confederacy,” and “sovereign.”

  Anticipated Misconceptions

  • That the Six Flags are fictional or only a branding gimmick

  • That Texas was always part of the U.S.

  • Overgeneralization of each flag’s duration or impact

  Discussion Prompts

  • Why do you think symbols like flags are so powerful in shaping historical memory?

  • Should commercial enterprises use historical references in branding?

  • How might Texas’s history differ if France had succeeded in its colony?

  Differentiation Strategies

  • ESL: Provide visuals of each historical flag; offer dual-language handouts.

  • IEP: Use guided notes and graphic organizers for timeline activities.

  • Gifted: Research and present an argument on whether Texas should have remained an independent republic.

  Extension Activities

  • Create a timeline or interactive digital map of Texas under six governments.

  • Analyze the park design of Six Flags Over Texas—how accurate was it in representing the different eras?

  Cross-Curricular Connections

  • Geography: Study changing borders and their modern implications.

  • Economics: Examine how economic motives influenced colonization.

  • Art & Design: Recreate or reinterpret historical flags using period-accurate styles.

  Quiz

  Q1. Which country first claimed Texas in 1519?
  A. France
  B. Spain
  C. Mexico
  D. The U.S.
  Answer: B

  Q2. What was the main reason France’s Fort Saint Louis failed?
  A. Spanish attacks
  B. Disease
  C. Poor planning and leadership
  D. Native resistance
  Answer: C

  Q3. Why did Mexico encourage U.S. settlers to move to Texas?
  A. To spread American culture
  B. To counter French threats
  C. To populate and stabilize the frontier
  D. To develop railroads
  Answer: C

  Q4. Which of the following was not a country that ruled over Texas?
  A. Spain
  B. Germany
  C. Mexico
  D. France
  Answer: B

  Q5. What year did Texas join the United States?
  A. 1836
  B. 1845
  C. 1861
  D. 1870
  Answer: B

  Assessment

  1. How did each of the six governments that ruled Texas leave a unique legacy on its laws, culture, or identity?

  2. Why is it important to understand the real history behind symbols like “Six Flags Over Texas”?

  Rubric

  3 = Accurate, complete, thoughtful
  2 = Partial or missing detail
  1 = Inaccurate or vague

  Standards Alignment

  U.S. Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2 – Determine the central ideas of a historical text and provide an accurate summary.

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.2 – Write informative texts to examine and convey complex ideas about the episode’s historical narrative.

  • C3.D2.His.1.9-12 – Evaluate continuity and change over time and its historical significance.

  • C3.D2.His.16.9-12 – Integrate evidence from multiple relevant historical sources.

  • NCSS.D2.Geo.3.9-12 – Analyze relationships among historical events across geographical spaces.

  International Standards

  • UK History KS4: OCR GCSE History A J410 – “International relations and conflicts” and “Migration, empires, and the people.”

  • IB MYP Individuals & Societies Criterion B – “Investigating historical sources and explaining perspectives.”

  • Cambridge IGCSE History (0470) – Theme C – "The expansion and fall of empires" and use of historical evidence to explore territorial changes.

• Transcript

  Interesting Things with JC #1287: "The Six Flags Over Texas"

  It’s more than a slogan on a theme park sign. For Texans, “Six Flags” is a phrase most children hear before they ever study a history book. It’s printed on maps, taught in schools, and stitched onto souvenirs from Amarillo to Galveston. But behind the phrase is something much heavier—a record of every foreign power that has ruled Texas soil.

  Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, the Confederacy.

  Six governments, each leaving a different footprint.

  Spain was first. In 1519, Spanish explorers claimed the region and began mapping and naming it. For nearly 300 years, Spanish control defined Texas’s early identity. Missions were built, soldiers garrisoned, settlers pushed north from Mexico and the Caribbean. But Spain’s grip wasn’t unchallenged.

  In 1685, France made a brief and chaotic appearance. René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (ruh-NAY roh-BEAR kah-veh-LYAY, syur duh lah SAHL), landed on the Texas coast by mistake, aiming for the mouth of the Mississippi River. He built Fort Saint Louis, but the colony collapsed within three years. Even so, the French intrusion triggered Spain’s urgency to fortify the frontier. Texas wasn’t just land, it was a warning.

  By 1821, Mexico had gained independence and inherited Spanish claims. The new Mexican Republic controlled Texas, and for a time, cooperation seemed possible. Settlers from the United States were invited to populate the region, but cultural and political rifts emerged. Mexico outlawed slavery. Many Texans refused. Rebellions flared.

  In 1836, Texas declared independence. It became its own country, the Republic of Texas. For nearly a decade, it operated as a sovereign nation with embassies, treaties, its own navy, and mounting debt. But it also lived under the threat of war from Mexico and constant instability. Statehood looked safer than solitude.

  So in 1845, Texas joined the Union. That decision lit a fuse. The Mexican-American War began months later. American troops crossed the Nueces River. The U.S. claimed the Rio Grande. A new border, a new state, and a new set of disputes about slavery came with it.

  When civil war broke out in 1861, Texas left the Union and joined the Confederacy. More than 60,000 Texans fought for the South. The state saw few major battles, but it provided men, cattle, and supplies to the Confederate cause. After the war, it was placed under military occupation and readmitted to the Union in 1870.

  So the phrase “Six Flags Over Texas” isn’t just historical shorthand. It’s a layered symbol. In places like Arlington, Texas, actual displays show all six flags flown side by side. It’s a visual reminder of how many hands tried to write Texas’s future. Not all of them succeeded. But each left a mark.

  The slogan has been commercialized, but the meaning behind it is rooted in power, pride, conquest, and compromise. Every Texan grows up hearing it. Not every Texan stops to think about what it means. The theme park “Six Flags Over Texas,” which opened in Arlington in 1961, took its name from this exact history. It wasn’t just clever branding—it was intentional. The original sections of the park were each themed to represent one of the six nations that had governed Texas. From Spanish architecture to Western outposts, the design mirrored the state’s complex past. It was the first park of its kind in the South and helped anchor the “Six Flags” brand as a national chain, but its origin was purely Texan.

  These are interesting things, with JC.

• Show Notes

  This episode of Interesting Things with JC explores the true meaning of “Six Flags Over Texas”—a phrase rooted not in amusement parks, but in the real political history of Texas. By analyzing how Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the U.S., and the Confederacy each governed this land, students gain a deeper understanding of colonialism, independence, and identity. This topic links directly to themes of national sovereignty, statehood, civil conflict, and cultural symbolism, offering students a chance to interrogate how historical memory shapes both personal identity and public life.
  
  Reference

  Bullock Texas State History Museum. (n.d.). The six flags of Texas. The Story of Texas. https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/education/texas-six-flags