News
NEWS RELEASE
WILLIAM JOEL BRYAN CHAPTER #14
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sons of The Republic of Texas
Contact Person: Tom Green, KSJ
Telephone Number: (281) 922-1118
Cell Number: (823) 687-3474
Email Address: TBGreen3@prodigy.net Web Site Address: http://www.srttexas.org
Texas Independence Day Celebration on the steps of Old Harris County Courthouse
On Friday, March 2, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. the San Jacinto Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas (SRT) and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett are co-sponsoring a ceremony on the steps of the Old Harris County Courthouse (301 Fannin Street) to commemorate the 176th anniversary of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
Judge Ed Emmett will welcome everyone and present a proclamation regarding Texas Independence Day. Officials of the Sons of The Republic of Texas will be speaking about the impact the approval and signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence had in shaping modern day Texas. President General Sam Clark will read the famous letter from the Alamo by Col. William Barret Travis calling for reinforcements. We will conclude the ceremony by leading everyone in a toast to all those brave men who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. The toast will be with good old Texas water. After the ceremony we will adjourn to the Houston Club located at 811 Rusk Street for lunch and further remarks from Judge Emmett. Reservations can be made by phoning 713-225-1661. The cost for lunch is $30.00 plus tax and gratuity.
Recognized by state statute as an official state holiday, Texas Independence Day originally began with the approval and signing of the Declaration of Independence by the 56 delegates to the Convention that met at Washington-on-the-Brazos beginning on March 1, 1836. On the first day, Convention President, Richard Ellis, appointed a committee composed of George C. Childress, James Gaines, Edward Conrad, Collin McKinney, and Bailey Hardeman to draft a declaration of independence.
George Childress, the committee chairman, is generally accepted as the author of the Republic of Texas Declaration of Independence, with little help from the other committee members. Since the six-page document was submitted for a vote of the whole convention on the following day, Childress probably already had a draft version of the document with him when he arrived. As the delegates worked, they received regular reports on the ongoing siege on the Alamo by the forces of General Santa Anna's troops.
A free and independent Republic of Texas was officially declared March 2, 1836, when the 56 delegates present—each representing one of the settlements in Texas--- unanimously approving the declaration. The 56 delegates who were present signed the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 3, 1836, and 3 others signed later. After the 59 delegates signed the original declaration, 5 additional copies were made and dispatched to the designated Texas towns of Bexar, Goliad, Nacogdoches, Brazoria, and San Felipe, and 1,000 copies were ordered printed in handbill form. All but the original copy have been lost over the years.
The Sons of the Republic of Texas and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas are 501(c)(3) organizations whose missions are to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the people who achieved and maintained the independence of Texas and to encourage historical research into the earliest records of Texas, especially those relating to the revolutionary and republic periods. The SRT and DRT encourage the preservation of documents and relics, the publication of historical records and narratives, and the celebration of important days in the state’s history. They also encourage the teaching of Texas history in schools and sponsor numerous scholarships. The public is invited to join us at 10:30 a.m. on the front steps (301 Fannin) of the Old Harris County Courthouse to honor those brave men who took that first important step toward making Texas what it is today! For additional details about the celebration, please contact Event Chairman, Tom Green, KSJ at 281-922-1118.
As a local organization of some forty plus members affiliated with the statewide organization our Purpose, Goals and Mission are:
The purpose of the SRT shall be to perpetuate the memory and spirit
of the men and women who achieved the independence of Texas,
set the young Republic upon its high course among the nations of the
world, and finally secured its admission as a state of the United
States.
The SRT’s overall mission includes: encouraging research and
publication of historical records and documents prior to and during
the Republic of Texas; fostering the preservation of historic
documents and artifacts prior to February 19, 1846; participating in
community activities which remind the public of its Republic of Texas
heritage; and organizing, promoting, publicizing and commemorating
the observance of the following historical dates of the Republic of
Texas.
Texas Independence Day March 2
Fall of the Alamo March 6
Goliad March 27
San Jacinto Day April 21
Texian Navy Day 3rd Saturday in September
Battle of Gonzales October 2
Stephen F. Austin’s Birthday November 3
Goals of the SRT include organizing and promoting of public
recognition of dates and places of historical significance to the
Republic of Texas with monuments and other appropriate signage or
events.
We respectfully request that you take an opportunity to utilize some of your space on appropriate dates to make the general public aware of this important event in the history of Texas.
Mervin Peters, Secretary, SRT WJB #14, 979/822-5718, mdptexas@gmail.com
