Steven Monticelli

After their rebellion against Mexico, Texans wanted to become part of the United States, but they were forced to spend almost a full decade as an independent republic because of well-founded suspicions held by American abolitionists that the Texas Revolution was a part of a plot to add a slave state to the Union.

In 1860, construction workers carelessly tossed matches into a pile of wood in Dallas during a hot, drought-ridden summer. The blaze that resulted destroyed much of what was then only a village. Immediately suspecting that enslaved arsonists had set the fire as part of a planned revolution, whites in Dallas tortured and whipped almost every enslaved person in the county in search of scapegoats.

In 1860, construction workers carelessly tossed matches into a pile of wood in Dallas during a hot, drought-ridden summer. The blaze that resulted destroyed much of what was then only a village. Immediately suspecting that enslaved arsonists had set the fire as part of a planned revolution, whites in Dallas tortured and whipped almost every enslaved person in the county in search of scapegoats.

In 1860, construction workers carelessly tossed matches into a pile of wood in Dallas during a hot, drought-ridden summer. The blaze that resulted destroyed much of what was then only a village. Immediately suspecting that enslaved arsonists had set the fire as part of a planned revolution, whites in Dallas tortured and whipped almost every enslaved person in the county in search of scapegoats.

Eventually, they hanged three African Americans and set off what would become known as the Texas Troubles. Fires broke out across the state, and each got blamed on black suspects and their supposed white abolitionist instigators, often men from northern states. As one historian put it, white Texan enslavers decided it was better to, quote, hang 99 innocent men than to let one guilty pass.

Eventually, they hanged three African Americans and set off what would become known as the Texas Troubles. Fires broke out across the state, and each got blamed on black suspects and their supposed white abolitionist instigators, often men from northern states. As one historian put it, white Texan enslavers decided it was better to, quote, hang 99 innocent men than to let one guilty pass.

Eventually, they hanged three African Americans and set off what would become known as the Texas Troubles. Fires broke out across the state, and each got blamed on black suspects and their supposed white abolitionist instigators, often men from northern states. As one historian put it, white Texan enslavers decided it was better to, quote, hang 99 innocent men than to let one guilty pass.

Acting on little evidence, mobs lynched as many as 80 enslaved African American men and 37 accused white abolitionists by the time the panic burned out in September.

Acting on little evidence, mobs lynched as many as 80 enslaved African American men and 37 accused white abolitionists by the time the panic burned out in September.

Acting on little evidence, mobs lynched as many as 80 enslaved African American men and 37 accused white abolitionists by the time the panic burned out in September.

As oil millionaires and billionaires built their wealth over the 20th century, they became a force in conspiratorial far-right politics in Texas. Starting in the 1930s, they mobilized against Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, which they insisted was a part of an international communist plan to overthrow capitalism around the planet.

As oil millionaires and billionaires built their wealth over the 20th century, they became a force in conspiratorial far-right politics in Texas. Starting in the 1930s, they mobilized against Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, which they insisted was a part of an international communist plan to overthrow capitalism around the planet.

As oil millionaires and billionaires built their wealth over the 20th century, they became a force in conspiratorial far-right politics in Texas. Starting in the 1930s, they mobilized against Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, which they insisted was a part of an international communist plan to overthrow capitalism around the planet.

Anti-communism, anti-Semitism, and hostility to the post-World War II African American civil rights movement blended seamlessly in the conspiratorial imaginations of the far right in the Lone Star State, ideas that reached a national audience in large part because of oil money.

Anti-communism, anti-Semitism, and hostility to the post-World War II African American civil rights movement blended seamlessly in the conspiratorial imaginations of the far right in the Lone Star State, ideas that reached a national audience in large part because of oil money.

Anti-communism, anti-Semitism, and hostility to the post-World War II African American civil rights movement blended seamlessly in the conspiratorial imaginations of the far right in the Lone Star State, ideas that reached a national audience in large part because of oil money.

Rather than earning him scorn, Beatty's virulently hateful anti-Jewish rants won him a large following. His book, Iron Curtain Over America, went through nine printings by 1953. The Public Affairs Luncheon Club, a women's organization, adopted a unanimous resolution backing Beattie in requesting that SMU investigate alleged communist influence on the university's faculty, politics, and values.

Rather than earning him scorn, Beatty's virulently hateful anti-Jewish rants won him a large following. His book, Iron Curtain Over America, went through nine printings by 1953. The Public Affairs Luncheon Club, a women's organization, adopted a unanimous resolution backing Beattie in requesting that SMU investigate alleged communist influence on the university's faculty, politics, and values.

Rather than earning him scorn, Beatty's virulently hateful anti-Jewish rants won him a large following. His book, Iron Curtain Over America, went through nine printings by 1953. The Public Affairs Luncheon Club, a women's organization, adopted a unanimous resolution backing Beattie in requesting that SMU investigate alleged communist influence on the university's faculty, politics, and values.

Beattie taught at SMU until his retirement in 1957, two years after a panic over allegedly red art, during which the conservative Dallas Patriotic Council accused the Dallas Museum of Art of intentionally promoting, quote, subversive artists who were ostensibly part of communist front groups connected to the Soviet Union.