Shipbucket

Sweet!

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Nobody expects the Imperial Inquisition!

Realy nice work Redhorse i love that Colt pistol.

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Best Regards,
Aart.

Projects:

The Kingdom of Rochfort in FD

Great additions.

Nice work esp. the rifle

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best regards
Martin

~~Normerr~~FD stuff~~

Republic of Texas, 1870-79

I. Introduction

Texas continued its economic recovery in these years. But, despite new railroad lines and industrial growth in the state, Texas remained a largely agrarian-based economy. Slave labor was replaced with the sharecropping system, which kept African Americans in poverty and subservience to white male landowners for years to come. Old conflicts with Native Americans – marginally contained during the US Civil War — boiled over with new violence. A series of wars pushed the remaining tribes in Texas off of their land, and ended in death, imprisonment or surrender for a series of Native American leaders. Both the Apaches and Comanches were expelled from the Republic.

During this period, in the western counties, the range cattle industry developed. The first large-scale cattle drives to the north began in 1866. The greatest drive in this period took place in the spring of 1871, when 700,000 Texas cattle arrived in the United States. The postwar years also saw an expansion in the sheep industry, with a steady growth in herds and the sale of wool. In 1870 the census indicated 1,272,000 sheep in the country. By 1874 the estimate was 1,632,971. With cotton, wool became a major export. The postwar years brought about a small expansion in manufactures, but not enough to challenge agricultural domination of the economy. The firms that did appear generally processed farm products.

The period also saw steady urban growth. Cities were the center of an active economic and cultural life. Two cities had surpassed a population of 10,000 by 1870. Galveston, the principal city, had 13,818 people, and San Antonio had 12,256. Other towns were becoming cities, including Houston, Austin, and Jefferson.

Displaced American Southerners and former slaves saw Texas, with its extensive public lands, as a place of opportunity. Immigrants, both white and black, flooded into the country. Some European immigrants came, mostly Germans, but Irish, French, English, Austrians, Czechs, Scots, Swedes, and Swiss continued to arrive. Their appearance added to the diversity of Texas culture. The greatest social change involved the state's black population. In 1870 the census reported 253,475 blacks in the country. They were free but not accepted as integral members of society. They were excluded from traditional avenues for social and economic advancement. Mexican Americans in Texas remained along the Rio Grande frontier for the most part. Some Texans hated them and expressed contempt for their culture.

Despite their difficulties and lack of change, most Texans expressed a remarkable optimism and the continued belief that their nation had a destiny to fill.

II. Geography

• a. Area
  • • Total Area: 268,581 mi2/696,241 km2
    • Land: 261,866 mi2/678,835 km2
    • Water: 6715 mi2/17,406 km2
  b. Country Comparison to the World: 40
  c. Land Boundaries
  • • Total: 2845 mi/4552 km
    • Countries: United States, Mexico
  d. Coastline: 367 mi/591 km
  e. Climate: The size of Texas and location at the intersection of multiple climate zones gives it highly variable weather.
  f. Terrain: Gulf Coastal Plains, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, and Basin and Range Province.
  g. Natural Resources: timber, arable land, coal, gypsum
  h. Natural Hazards: thunderstorms, tornados, and hurricanes

III. People and Society

• a. Ethnic Groups: White Texans; American, German, Irish and English Immigrants; Free Blacks, and Mexicans
  b. Language: English
  c. Population: 818,759 (1870)

IV. Government

• a. Type: Unitary Federal Republic
  b. Capitol: Austin
  c. Administrative Divisions: 30 Congressional Districts; 157 counties and 2 land districts, expanded to 159 counties by 1879

V. Economy

• a. Budget (1870-79 average)
  • • Revenues: $4,378,774 TXD
    • Expenditures: $4,334,986 TXD
  b. Agriculture Products: cotton, corn, sugar cane, wheat, beef cattle, horses, sheep,
  c. Industries: iron
  d. Exports: cotton, hides, lumber
  e. Imports: iron, manufactured goods

VI. Transportation

• a. Roads: 3 stage coach lines
  b. Railways: 1066 mi/1705.6 km among 7 incorporated companies
  c. Waterways: 5 navigable rivers (Sabine, Trinity, Colorado, Brazos, Rio Grande)
  d. Ports: Galveston, Sabine Pass, Lavaca, Indianola, Brazos Santiago

VII. Military and Security

• a. Military Branches:
  • • Regular: Army (2700 personnel), Navy and Marines (1400 personnel)
    • Militia (37,992 available for service)
    • Rangers (irregular number of 56-100-man volunteer companies mustered for 6 months’ service)
  b. Military Service Age and Obligation: compulsory militia enrollment for all white males between the ages of 18 and 45
  c. Military Expenditures: $1,724,977 TXD (average 1870-79); 39% of Budget Expenditures

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Redhorse

Current Projects:
Republic of Texas Navy
FD Scale F-14s

The Texas Navy continued to suffer the effects of the 1865 economic crisis. Government revenues did not fully recover until 1876, and the Navy was forced to cancel all new ship construction and refits for six years. Ship deployments were severely curtailed from 11 months at sea to only six months at sea per ship. Vessels declared unseaworthy were sold off or beached and burned to reclaim any metal in the hulls for re-use. What had been rapid expansion had turned into a steep decline.

New construction did not resume until 1871, when there were sufficient funds to begin replacing absent ships (though it took Congress three years to pay it off.) The Brazos class design, with its iron frames and wooden hull, was reviewed and updated for newer machinery. The end result was the Comal Class:



They were 165 feet long between perpendiculars with a 30 foot beam and a 12 foot draft. Armament was a pair of 5-inch and 6 4-inch Armstrong RBLs. They did away with the Brazos' complex lifting propeller and replaced it with a clutch system to engage and disengage the it. It turned freely when not under power.

Four were built: Comal, Concho, Frio, and Guadalupe. One of the three was constructed by the Galveston Drydock Company, the first Texas Navy ship built by a contractor.

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Redhorse

Current Projects:
Republic of Texas Navy
FD Scale F-14s

The next vessels built in this decade were the two Independence Class composite frigates, scaled-up Comals with heavier armament and different sail arrangement.



They were 220 feet between perpendiculars, 35 feet on the beam with a 14 foot draft. Armament was a pair of 7-inch RBLs and six 5-inch guns (the primary armament for the corvettes). They were capable of 14-15 knots under combined full sail and steam power. They were also the first sea-going ships with armor plate - 4 inches protected the machinery spaces above the waterline.

A high measure of interchangeability was introduced. Masts, spars, yards, and sails were interchangeable which also served to reduce operating costs.

Independence was commissioned in 1879. Austin, her sister ship, would commission the following year.

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Redhorse

Current Projects:
Republic of Texas Navy
FD Scale F-14s

The Texas Navy in 1879, with ships that did not serve through the decade:



The Navy introduced an identification system in 1879. Colored funnel bands would distinguish individual ships. The lead ship of any class carried no stripe, the second ship a red strip, the third a white stripe, the fourth a blue stripe. Green and yellow were reserved for fifth and sixth ships, but were not immediately used.

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Redhorse

Current Projects:
Republic of Texas Navy
FD Scale F-14s

The Army replaced obsolete and worn out small arms in the 1870s:







The newer weapons were designed for metallic cartridges instead of modified for them. The rolling blocks were robust enough to be usable after the development of smokeless powder.

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Redhorse

Current Projects:
Republic of Texas Navy
FD Scale F-14s