The 1936 Texas Centennial marked a defining moment in the state’s efforts to celebrate and codify its history. This session brings together three perspectives on how Texans remembered and represented their past during that transformative decade.
Jason P. Theriot traces the rediscovery of the long-lost Texas Declaration of Independence by Secretary of State Jane McCallum in 1927 and how it inspired a statewide movement to teach Texas history and heritage in schools. Sarah Reveley surveys the physical legacy of the Centennial—monuments, museums, and markers across the state—drawing on years of fieldwork documenting the 750+ memorials created under the Centennial Commission. Clayton Jones examines how Centennial-era cartography turned maps into instruments of identity, showing how organizations used commemorative maps to promote mythic visions of Texas history and culture.
Together, these papers reveal how the Texas Centennial shaped public memory, blending education, commemoration, and art to define how Texans viewed their shared past.
Session Chair: Mark Lambert
