TITLE: Commemorating the 2025 Texas Independence Day celebration of the Sons of the Republic of Texas.

SUMMARY: Commemorating the 2025 Texas Independence Day celebration of the Sons of the Republic of Texas.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The Sons of the Republic of Texas is hosting its Texas Independence Day observance at the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site on March 2, 2025; and WHEREAS, Dedicated to preserving and promoting Texas history, SRT raises awareness of the contributions of early leaders of our state, highlighting such enduring Texas values as freedom, resilience, and self-governance; and WHEREAS, Texas Independence Day celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos, now widely known as the "birthplace of Texas," at the Convention of 1836; Richard Ellis, president of the convention, appointed a committee on March 1 of that year to draft the declaration; historians generally agree that the chair of the committee, George C. Childress, authored the instrument largely unassisted; it was presented to the convention on March 2; and WHEREAS, Echoing the United States Declaration of Independence, the Texas proclamation addresses the proper function of government and enumerates the many ways in which Mexico failed to "protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people"; a recitation of grievances centers on the violation of promises made to Anglo-American colonists regarding such essentials as public education, trial by jury, and freedom of religion; the edict condemns the rise of military despotism under General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, "who having overturned the constitution of his country, now offers us the cruel alternative, either to abandon our homes, acquired by so many privations, or submit to the most intolerable of all tyranny"; and WHEREAS, After the declaration was signed by 59 delegates to the convention, five copies were made and dispatched to the towns of Bexar, Goliad, Nacogdoches, Brazoria, and San Felipe; the printer at San Felipe was instructed to make a further 1,000 copies in handbill form to reach the broader public; and WHEREAS, The residents of House District 12, which includes Washington County, cherish their special connection to the early history of our state and maintain a commitment to preserving our heritage and celebrating the courage and self-sacrifice of those who fought for Texas independence; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas Legislature hereby commemorate the 2025 Texas Independence Day celebration at the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site and extend to the Sons of the Republic of Texas sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable event; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the Sons of the Republic of Texas as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Wharton Burrows Guerra Morales Shaw Alders Guillen Morgan Allen Harless Mu oz Anch a Harris Noble Ashby Harris Davila Olcott Barry Harrison Oliverson Bell of Kaufman Hayes Ordaz Bell of Montgomery Hefner Orr Bernal Hernandez Patterson Bhojani Hickland Paul Bonnen Hinojosa Perez of El Paso Bowers Holt Perez of Harris Bryant Hopper Phelan Buckley Howard Pierson Bucy Hull Plesa Bumgarner Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Cain Johnson Richardson Campos Jones of Dallas Rodr guez Ramos Canales Jones of Harris Romero Capriglione Kerwin Rose Cole King Rosenthal Collier Kitzman Schatzline Cook LaHood Schofield Cortez Lalani Schoolcraft Craddick Lambert Shaheen Cunningham Landgraf Shofner Curry Leach Simmons Darby Leo Wilson Slawson A. Davis of Dallas Little Smithee Y. Davis of Dallas Longoria Spiller Dean Lopez of Bexar Swanson DeAyala Lopez of Cameron Talarico Dorazio Louderback Tepper Dutton Lowe Thompson Dyson Lozano Tinderholt Fairly Lujan Toth Flores Luther Troxclair Frank Manuel Turner G mez Martinez VanDeaver Garcia of Bexar Martinez Fischer Vasut Garcia of Dallas McLaughlin Villalobos Garcia Hernandez McQueeney Virdell Gates Metcalf Vo Gerdes Meyer Walle Geren Meza Ward Johnson Gervin-Hawkins Money Wharton Gonz lez of Dallas Moody Wilson Gonz lez of El Paso Morales of Harris Wu Goodwin Morales of Maverick Zwiener Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 325 was adopted by the House on February 27, 2025, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House