The History Room
The Rangers were created to protect the Texas Republic.
November 24, 1835: Texas Provincial Government Creates Texas Rangers
A Brief History
On November 24, 1835, the Texas Provincial Government (Permanent Council) authorized the creation of a mounted para-military police force to enforce laws throughout The Republic of Texas and protect its borders.
Digging Deeper
Stephen Austin had first formed the unit under the command of Captain Morris as an unofficial call for volunteers in 1823, while Texas was still the property of Mexico. Texas became an independent republic in 1836, and was admitted as a state in the United States in 1845. Although Mexico had welcomed American settlers to Texas, the Americans insisted on violating Mexican law by keeping slaves. Fed up with the flaunting of Mexican law, Mexico decided to end immigration of Americans to Texas in 1830, triggering a war for independence from Mexico from 1832 to 1836 when Texas became an independent country.
The campaigns of the Texas Revolution
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers developed a reputation for courage and skill, and became known as an elite law enforcement force, fighting criminals, Indians, and anyone that threatened the settlers. Disbanded briefly during reconstruction after the Civil War, Texas quickly reconstituted the force, and today it exists as The Texas Ranger Division of The Texas Department of Safety, not to be confused with the entirely separate Texas State Police.
With as many as 300 Rangers during the War for Independence, the Rangers maintained a small number of men afterwards, around 56 to 150 Rangers at a time. Today, there are only about 150 Rangers, along with 66 support personnel. Such is the reputation for toughness and effective law enforcement that the saying, “One riot, one Ranger.” (stemming from an 1896 Dallas illegal prize fight where only 1 ranger was sent to enforce the law when many seemed more appropriate) has come to symbolize the Spartan like reputation of this agency.
***
Part of the cachet of the Rangers can be traced to the arming of the Rangers with the Walker Colt revolver (1847), a massive .44 caliber handgun that outclassed all black powder repeating handguns in history. In fact, the Walker Colt was the most powerful revolver produced until the introduction of the .44 Smith & Wesson Magnum in 1955! Designed especially for the Texas Rangers by Ranger Captain Samuel Walker and Samuel Colt, the Walker Colt was made to stop an enemy decisively with one shot. Only super gunslingers could wield such a super pistol, and that was the Texas Rangers.
Reply With Quote
