Texas – an enormous territory occupying key space between North and Central America. A place so big, even in modern times, it takes over a day to drive across. The five major geographical corners of the state nearly making the points of a star, it is a place steeped in the struggle for autonomy. It stands prominently among its other 49 sister states - a bright, lone star of independence.
This proud republic did not come by its freedom easily. Multiple nations laid claim to her or aspired to hold her from the 1500s up through the 1800s and had varying success at times.
The man that ultimately helped foster the reality of a free Texas was named Lorenzo de Zavala, a Mexican national who strongly espoused the idea of a democratic representative government (like that of the fledgling United States at the time) and worked to secure Mexican independence from Spain in 1824. Not many years later, Zavala was instrumental in drafting the Republic of Texas’ constitution and establishing Texas’ independence from Mexico in 1836 after becoming a critic of Santa Anna’s rule of Mexico.
In addition to drafting the constitution for the Republic of Texas, Zavala also designed a flag for the new country. However, he left no description or record of its design. Subsequent discussion about the flag’s design at Texas’ constitutional convention included multiple additions and variations to Zavala’s unknown design. In fact, we don’t know with certainty what Zavala created. This is a shame given his historical importance to Texas.
It is understood in research circles that what we know today as the Zavala Flag is a romanticized version from a well-intended Texan who was a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas in the early 1900s. Even though today’s Zavala Flag may not have come from Zavala directly, what better way to honor the man that did so much to give us the Texas we know today but by crafting a flag after his name? In fact, the blue field with a lone star and the letters T E X A S arrayed around the points nearly matches part of the flag the Republic of Texas adopted when it became first its own country and later a US state. The Zavala Flag certainly borrows from the Bonnie Blue Flag appearance, long known as a symbol of independence and defiance across the southern states.
With one of our Zavala Flag patches and vinyl decals, you have the opportunity to display your love of the Lone Star State and honor one of its founding citizens with a nod to the crossroads of its unique history.
