WHAT MAKES TEXAS "TEXAS" by Linda A. Thornton
TeXas TalK: FAMOUS SLOGANS & THEIR STORIES
Texas is a stimulating place, full of the off-beat, the intriguing, and so much to pique our curiosity. Whether you're a native or a new Texan, you may have had a hankering to slow down and smarten up about the Lone Star state. It's important for us to make sure we know just what we are talking about, so we can regale family and friends with the stories behind what some of Texas’ famous slogans really mean.
COME AND TAKE IT When Texans refused to return the cannon that Mexico had loaned them for protection against Native Americans, it ignited the Battle of Gonzales in 1835, the start of the Texas Revolution against Mexico. Leave it to two young women from Gonzales to get Texas’ strong verbal point across. Caroline Zumwalt and Eveline DeWitt decided to create a flag as a symbol of defiance. The white flag with a black star, a black cannon in its center and the words “Come and take it” flew over the cannon and instigated the Mexican attempt to regain the cannon, using military force. The original flag was lost in the battle, but replicas can be seen at the Texas State Capitol, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and at Gonzales’ annual Come and Take It festival, where the original cannon is said to also be on display. It seems now that Gonzales wants to take back “Come and take it.” This motto of Texas’ independence, has been adopted by everyone from fast food chains to all sorts of movements and they are critical of those that utilize it without understanding its true meaning of independence, rebellion, and freedom.
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