The construction of Anglo-American identity in the Republic of Texas, as reflected in the Telegraph and Texas Register.

The Telegraph and Texas Register appeared in the worst of times and the best--the worst in that war plus the natural hazards of the pioneer press made its survival improbable, and the best in that the same war gave it, if it did survive, a rare opportunity for immortality. It not only endured but became a part of the drama of the revolution and the birth of a new nation. Indeed, the Telegraph outlasted by three decades the republic whose birth coincided with its own. (1)

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The Telegraph and Texas Register was the second permanent newspaper in Texas. Its editors and printers were witnesses to the changes throughout the years of the Texas Republic and after. The paper was a faithful mirror of the events, the thoughts, and the attitudes of people. At the same time, it was also an influential molder of public opinion. The editors of the Telegraph and Texas Register brought no practical printing experience to the enterprise. The newspaper survived thanks to the persistence of its publishers, who refused to give up in spite of the various problems of being a pioneer press. The Telegraph has become an essential source to the understanding of the early history of American Texas and the construction of the identity of the people who lived in it. It reflects the most important elements of self-definition. It provides information about the American settlers' motives, expectations, and hopes during the transitional period.

There are many works about the history of the Texas Republic. Yet some aspects of the Anglo-American identity in Texas, and how it emerged during this time, have not been researched. (2) No one has done a close analysis of how the Telegraph and Texas Register both shaped and reflected attitudes of Anglo-Texans. (3) The purpose of this study is to examine the formation of Anglo-American identity in the Texas Republic with the help of a special primary source, the press. As I intend to grasp and convey the attitudes of the Texians as closely as possible, I choose to let the editors speak at length in their own words.

The first issue was published on October 10, 1835, just nine days after the first shot of the Texas Revolution. The Borden brothers, John and Gail, had formed a partnership with Joseph Baker in February 1835 to publish a newspaper. Even though they had no previous experience in printing, they planned to run a weekly, the Telegraph and Texas Planter, at San Felipe de Austin. (4) By the time they started in late fall, however, a couple of changes had occurred. To keep up with changing circumstances, they substituted the word "Register" for "Planter" in the name of the paper. The explanation was clear: "At the time our prospectus was published, the engrossing object was the accumulation of wealth, and consequent aggrandizement of the country.... [Now] the all absorbing question is how to protect ourselves and what we already possess." (5) To serve that aim, John Borden decided to join the army, so his brother Thomas replaced him in the partnership. Luckily, Gall Borden remained the head of the journalistic venture. He was guided by one principle: "Do the best for my country, praise or no praise." (6) He endeavored "to make our paper what its title indicates, the organ by which the most important news is communicated to the people, and a faithful register of passing events." (7) His persistence was one of the key reasons for the survival and success of the newspaper.