You're listening to an airwave media podcast.

Ben Franklin's world is a production of Colonial Williamsburg Innovation Studios.

The idea was that the frontier would be settled by people from the United States and of course

from Mexican people in attempt to defend the region.

So yes, definitely Mexico opened the door to the entry of a population who later on wanted

to remain separate from Mexico. Hello and

and welcome to episode 381 of Ben Franklin's world. Hello and welcome to episode 381 of Ben Franklin's world.

The podcast dedicated to helping you learn more about how the people and events of our early

American past have shaped the present day world we live in. And I'm your host, Liz Covert.

Texas stands large within the United States at 268, 597 square miles, or thereabouts.

Texas physically stands as the largest state

within the 48 contiguous states,

and it's the second largest state

by both physical size and by population. The vast and varied landscapes of Texas

loom large in our American imaginations, as does Texas culture with its barbecue

cowboys and larger-than-life personality. But before Texas was a place that embraced ranching, spaceflight, and country music,

Texas was a place with rich and vibrant indigenous cultures and traditions,

and with Spanish and Mexican cultures and traditions.

Martha Menchaca, a professor of anthropology at the University of Texas Austin,

is a scholar of Texas history and of United States Mexican culture.

She joins us to explore the Spanish and Mexican origins of Texas,

with details from her book, The Mexican American Experience in Texas,

...