Learn about Texas's history and available records in this
research guide that includes a map and bibliography. 16th-
century Spaniards exploring Texas found indigenous people, but
not the gold they sought. Later Spanish missions, presidios and
villages were the nuclei for modern cities, including El Paso
(1682), San Antonio (1718), and Nacogdoches (1779)—the latter
well situated for trade with the Indians and with Natchitoches,
La. French settlement on the Texas Gulf coast in 1685 was short-
lived. When France ceded greater Louisiana to Spain in 1762,
Texas and Louisiana were under the same crown. In 1803, the
United States tried to claim Texas as part of the Louisiana
Purchase.