Columbia (now West Columbia) was the capital of Texas on October 22nd, 1836. On that day, Sam Houston, the first president of the new Texas Republic, gave his inaugural address on the steps of the original Capitol. The inauguration had been scheduled for December, but ad interim president David Burnet resigned unexpectedly, leaving Houston just two hours to prepare his speech. Maybe the lack of prep time actually helped; his words dripped with drama and emotion: “We were a little band, contending for liberty; they were thousands, well appointed, munitioned, and provisioned, seeking to rivet chains upon us, or extirpate us from the earth.” This site is now home to a replica of the original Capitol building and a park with a path connecting a series of monuments that commemorate the history of this area.

Watch our Texas: The Republic Era video to learn more about the history of Texas Independence. This video was produced for inclusion in our Texas: Forged of Revolution mobile tour found in our Texas Time Travel Tours mobile app. Download the app for more videos and travel information: