Kay Bailey Hutchison: “Today, as I have done every year I have been in the Senate, I want to especially commemorate the anniversary of Texas…”

“Today, as I have done every year I have been in the Senate, I want to especially commemorate the anniversary of Texas independence. Many know--many do not know--the history of Texas, but I am very proud of the heritage we have. Texas is the only State that came into the Nation as a nation. There was a treaty that was made between the United States and the Republic of Texas for Texas to come into the Union. The freedom the Texans got in 1836 was hard fought and it was a long time coming. They were a part of Mexico. The Mexican Government was becoming more oppressive, and they were taxing the people, they were not giving them religious freedom, and they finally passed a law that said no one could emigrate from the United States into the Texas territory of Mexico. So the people rebelled. They had to fight for their independence, and one of the most famous battles in the history of our country was the Battle of the Alamo. I commemorate Texas Independence Day, which is March 2, every year, by reading the letter from William Barret Travis, that has become very famous, as he was holding down the fort at the Alamo. This was at a time when the convention was meeting at Washington-on-the-Brazos to make the formal declaration of independence from Mexico for Texas. My great, great grandfather was one of the delegates to that convention. He represented Nacogdoches, just as Thomas Rusk did. Thomas Rusk was the first Senator to hold my seat.”