The settlement of Dallas, Texas is founded…
November 1841 CE
Preceded by thousands of years of varying cultures, the Caddo people had inhabited the Dallas area before Spanish colonists claimed the territory of Texas in the eighteenth century as a part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.
Later, France also claimed the area but never established much settlement.
In 1819, the Adams-Onís Treaty between the United States and Spain had defined the Red River as the northern boundary of New Spain, officially placing the future location of Dallas well within Spanish territory.
The area had remained under Spanish rule until 1821, when Mexico declared independence from Spain, and the area was considered part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas.
In 1836, Texians, with a majority of Anglo-American settlers, gained independence from Mexico and formed the Republic of Texas.
In 1839, John Neely Bryan, a Presbyterian farmer, lawyer, and tradesman, surveyed the area around present-day Dallas, and established a permanent settlement near the Trinity River named Dallas in 1841.
The origin of the name is uncertain.
The official historical marker states it was named after Vice President George M. Dallas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, this is disputed.
Other potential theories for the origin include his brother, Commodore Alexander James Dallas, as well as brothers Walter R. Dallas or James R. Dallas.
Dallas today is the ninth most-populous city in the U.S. and third in Texas after Houston and San Antonio.
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