Richard Bruce Winders – författare

The war between the United States and Mexico was decades in the making. Although Texas was an independent republic from 1836 to 1845, Texans retained an affiliation with the United States that virtually assured annexation at some point. Mexico's reluctance to give up Texas put it on a collision course with the United States. The Mexican War receives scant treatment in books. Most historians approach the conflict as if it were a mere prelude to the Civil War. The Mexican cession of 1848, however, rivaled the Louisiana Purchase in importance for the sheer amount of territory acquired by the United States. The dispute over slavery-which had been rendered largely academic by the Missouri Compromise-burst forth anew as Americans now faced the realization that they must make a decision over the institution's future. The political battle over the status of slavery in these new territories was the direct cause of the Crisis of 1850 and ignited sectional differences in the decade that followed. In Crisis in the Southwest: The United States, Mexico, and the Struggle over Texas, Richard Bruce Winders provides a concise, accessible overview of the Mexican War and argues that the Mexican War led directly to the Civil War by creating a political and societal crisis that drove a wedge between the North and the South. While on the surface the enemy was Mexico, in reality Americans were at odds with one another over the future of the nation, as the issue of annexation threatened to upset the balance between free and slave states. Winders also explains the military connections between the Mexican War and Civil War, since virtually every important commander in the Civil War-including Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Grant, McClellan, and Longstreet-gained his introduction to combat in Mexico. These connections are enormously significant to the way in which these generals waged war, since it was in the Mexican War that they learned their trade. Crisis in the Southwest provides readers with a clear understanding of the Mexican War and its relationship to the chain of events that ultimately led to the Civil War.

By 1850, the frontier settlement of San Antonio had seen more than its share of hardships, Indians attacks, rebellions, and repeated military occupations.  These events all marked the towns recent past.  In 1854, though, the editor of the Alamo Star felt confident enough in the town’s progress to announce that the embattled outpost would soon be known as the “Queen of the West.”  The Star, of course, capitalized on the name of the town’s most famous landmark—the Alamo.Although historians have written about the battle and the town, no one has yet adequately explained how they are connected to each other.  A deeper look at the development of San Antonio shows that it was not only the site of the Battle of the Alamo, it was the center of much of the history of Spain, Mexico, Texas, and the United States. Queen of the West: A Documentary History of San Antonio, 1718–1900 takes readers through a series of important writings detailing how San Antonio transformed from an important but threatened outpost to a thriving Edwardian city.  The author, Richard Bruce Winders, provides an introduction to each eye-witness account providing diverse perspectives on the history of San Antonio by the people who  actually lived it.  The author is an internationally noted authority on the topic of the Alamo.  The work will be a valuable resource for students of history and teachers.  The book draws together a body of work that readers would have a difficult time finding on their own.The cover art is by noted artist Don Yena.

Teaching the Texas Story is a dynamic and inclusive curriculum guide developed by The Texas Center at Schreiner University. Designed for K–12 educators, it presents a rich, multicultural narrative of Texas history through the lens of E Pluribus Texas—"Out of many, one Texas." This statewide cultural literacy project aims to: tell the full story of Texas through a diverse and inclusive perspective; Foster civic engagement and a shared identity among Texans; Support educators with accessible, high-quality instructional resource.The guide is accompanied by more than 250 short video episodes (approximately 5 minutes each) that bring Texas history to life. It aligns with TEKS standards, with a particular focus on 4th and 7th grade Texas history.Using a story-driven approach, the curriculum emphasizes the people, places, and cultural intersections that have shaped the state. It promotes civic literacy, encourages critical thinking and historical empathy, and helps students see themselves as part of the Texas story. For educators, it offers engaging tools to make history both relevant and memorable.Useful for Texas natives and newcomers alike, and for school kidsCrafted to be engaging, historically accurate, and accessible, helping students and viewers connect with the people, places, and events that shaped TexasDesigned to tell the full, inclusive story of Texas