Texas Legation

A Texas Legation (a type of embassy) was maintained by the Republic of Texas in Washington D.C., London, and Paris from 1836 through 1845.

In a bid to protect itself from almost certain invasion by forces from neighboring Mexico, the government of the republic sought to foster international ties. It did this by also opening the Texas Legations in London and Paris. Their opening is believed by some academics to be less an attempt by Texas to enter the international stage as an independent country and more a maneuver to prompt officials in the United States to worry that an independent Texas might allow British and French soldiers to mass on the south border of the U.S.

When Texas sought to join the United States in 1845, the British Empire supported keeping it independent. The British even offered to guarantee Texas's borders with both the States and Mexico. Texas was a tactical ally of Britain acting as a counterweight to the United States. Nonetheless an independent Texas was probably inviable for financial reasons, and when the Republic became a state in 1845 the embassy was shut down.

The Texas Legation in London was located on St. James Street near St. James's Palace in a building that also houses "Berry Brothers and Rudd", a wine merchant's firm that has been at that site since 1730. On the north side of the building is a plaque marking it as the site of the legation.

The Texas Legation in Paris was located not far from the Tuileries Palace at "1 Place Vendome 75001", where there is today a plaque testifying to its authenticity.

The Texas Embassy cantina is a restaurant near Trafalgar Square named to commemorate the Texas Legation. At one time, the location of the restaurant had been the offices of the White Star Line, owners of the RMS Titanic.

External links

* [http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/theopenrecord/archives/25 Texas Legation Records come home…]
** [http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/news/legation.html Texas Legation Records (1836–1845)]
* [http://www.jjfox.co.uk/static/19%20St%20James/stjames_history6.htm A History of St James’s] (with a Texas Legation plaque)