1995 32¢ Texas Statehood
Issue Date: June 16, 1995
City: Austin, TX
Printed By: Sterling Sommers for Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd
Printing Method: Lithographed
U.S. #2968 commemorates 150 years of Texas statehood. On December 29, 1845, Texas became the first independent nation to become a U.S. state. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Texas' statehood, this stamp features one of the great traditional symbols of Texas - a cowboy atop a horse carrying the Lone Star flag. Even the 1845 date and the word "Texas" were designed to resemble the lettering of a branding iron.
With its vast plains, fertile lowlands, and majestic mountain ranges, Texas is the second largest state in the U.S. A wild frontier, once famous for its cowboys and cattle drives, today this prosperous state is known for its agricultural wealth and flourishing industries.
Throughout its colorful history, the flags of six nations have flown over Texas. Claimed as part of Spain, France, and then Mexico, Texas gained its independence in 1836 when American revolutionists defeated Mexican troops at San Jacinto. Settlers, lured by offers of free land, flocked to the new territory, pushing its frontier westward.
Texas remained an independent nation for nearly ten years before becoming the 28th state in 1845. During the Civil War, Texas joined the Confederate States, but was readmitted to the Union in 1870.
In 1901 the discovery of oil transformed the state’s economy, and the development of farmland, mineral resources, and coastal harbors insured its growth and prosperity. Following World War II, manufacturing expanded, shifting the state from a rural farm economy to an urban industrialized economy. Today Texas continues to lead the country in the production of beef, cotton, oil, and natural gas.