This 1977 educational film traces the settlement of Texas and the United States’ expansion into the Southwest. The film begins with the history of colonial Texas, chronicling and dramatizing Spanish exploration of the region, Mexican independence, and Stephen F. Austin’s Anglo-American settlements. Next, it details the Texas Revolution and the border disputes that followed. Last, the film debates the issues surrounding the United States’ annexation of Texas, from concerns about the expansion of slavery to the morality of the Mexican-American War.