The French flag is considered one of the six
flags of Texas because Rene'-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle attempted to form a colony
near Matagorda Bay in 1685. They built a fort called Fort St. Louis but the
fort was short lived. It was destroyed by the Indians that lived nearby and the
colonists were either killed or moved on. There wasn't much immigration in Texas by
other French settlers until after the Texas Revolution.
When Texas won its independence from Mexico and was attempting to survive as its own
country, the Texas government opened up Texas for colonization. Henri Castro was one
of several French who took this opportunity to bring French settlers into Texas. He
founded the town of Castroville, west of San Antonio with 2,000 French Alsatians.
Another group from France that had a big impact on Texas was the French missionaries.
They helped to rebuild the Catholic Church in Texas after the Texas revolution.
Many Texans were opposed to the Catholic Church because they related it to the
Mexican government. These missionaries established schools, hospitals, and churches
across the state.
The Alliance Francaise is an organization in Texas that works to preserve the French
traditions. They celebrate Bastille Day, preserve spoken French, and prepare French
foods so people in Texas will remember the French influence on the Texas Heritage.
