Want to explore even more history? Sign up to History Hit, where you will discover history from around the world.

From the American Revolution to prehistoric Scotland, there is plenty to discover. With your subscription, you'll unlock hundreds of hours of exclusive documentaries, with a brand new release every week, exploring everything from the ancient

world to World War II. Just visit history hit.com slash subscribe to bring the past alive.

A rider moves across the wide Texas prairie, hat drawn low, dust rising behind his horse's hooves, rifle close at hand.

Upon his coat pinned to the lapel, a five-pointed star glints in the sun.

He's tired, he's hungry, he's riding alone. But somewhere out there is the

trouble he's been dispatched to find. But whether he finds it or not, almost matters less than

what he represents to us today. That rider and the star he wears is a memory we all carry.

The legend, the myth, the magic of the Texas Ranger.

Greetings all, welcome to American history hit Don Wilde was by name, and today we are back out on the American frontier in the vast unspoiled lands of Texas, Teos, that is, while still well within the borders of sovereign Mexico.

In this land of opportunity and danger emerged a group of men who would rank among the most iconic figures of the Wild West, the Texas Rangers, delivering

Silver Star Justice to a lawless frontier, or so goes the myth. Who were these Texas Rangers?

Defenders of order, or agents of exploitation and violence?

We'll explore it all with Professor Benjamin Johnson of Loyola University, Chicago,

author of several books including Texas in American history,

and Revolution in Texas, how a forgotten rebellion and its bloody suppression turned Mexicans into Americans.

Ben Johnson, great to have you with us. You have a name like a Texas Ranger. Thank you so much. I'm very pleased to be

with you. Our telling of his story begins around 1820, beginnings of Texas, which was known by

the Mexicans and Spanish, who founded the place as Tejas. What's going on in Teos in 1820?

Tejas in 1820 is really kind of on the ropes. It has, you know, long been the claimed by Spain

as the northern extent of its possessions in North America. But, you know, you could say it belongs

to the Comanche more than it belongs to the Spanish. There's been lots of civil unrest and

...