I would say the one thing that has surprised me about Texans

(Other than the fact that they DO drive friendly; 'cept for maybe in the "big" cities like El Paso and Del Rio.)

I have had many conversations with proud Texans; ones who have said "WE had to fight fer our independence"
(as though that made them superior.[Esp to Yankees, which they "know" I am, since I typically say "I live in WI." Then they press, and I admit that I'm from NY.], as though the American Revolutionary War didn't matter or count somehow - maybe because it was before Texas was even a gleam in some "settler's" eye? So they didn't have the honor or luck of joining that long, brutal fight? Maybe they don't ... remember it? Wait! The TX school board HAS been in the national news for re-writing history, for teaching weird stuff, and for omitting generally accepted "facts" - maybe they don't teach schoolkids about the fight for "our" independence, you know, from that old colonial power, the United Kingdom?)

In all my conversations with "born and raised" Texans, not one of them has known what years Texas was an independent republic; not one of them has known what year Texas joined the United States. Not even close, in fact. (Guesses have included "1870?" "So after the Civil War then?" "I don't know.")
Of course, Texas, after joining the United States, quickly split and joined the pro-slavery Confederate States - as a slave state. Mexico outlawed slavery, and many of the soon-to-be-"free" negro seminoles who had guided many Americans in the Southwest were soon pursued by American slave traders, lookin' to make money. So they fled to "free" Mexico...
But I digress.

I just figure, if yer gonna be "proud", if yer gonna be condescending and dismissive of others (states, people, political, economic and religious perspectives) then you should at least know about yourself; if not also "the other".
It saddens me that in America even our own history is not deemed wothy of learning. No wonder we, in the form of our "leaders", make statements like "old Europe" and "the Geneva Conventions (on warfare and treatment of prisoners etc) are quaint". Really? How historically ignorant, offensive - and leading to immoral and illegal behavior on OUR part. I thought we were supposed to be "better", "a shining city on the hill"? Guess not. And the lamest thing is that most Americans don't even know it. Ignorant and happy? I don't know. Americans seem more like "fat and angry". Well, that is, if you read and believe in statistics.

TX "won" its independence from Mexico in 1836. It joined the United States in 1845. It left the United States in 1861. TX and the Confederate States lost the Civil War and thus rejoined/remained part of the United States.

Time to ride our bikes through Del Rio. Wish us luck!