Just So You Know, Texas Cannot Secede From The United States

It's a belief that many hold but it isn't true.

Many peeps, Texan or not, believe that Texas is the only state in the union that can legally secede from the United States of America. Every now and then, based on the political climate, some people even start clamoring for it.

Sorry folks, for the record, Texas does not have that ability.

The belief that we could give big government the big finger probably stems from our one-time status as a "republic" and the number of flags that have flown over Texas. 6 in total: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States of America and the USA.

Many also point out the fact that Texas has its own power grid. That wasn't created to allow for separation though, there were other reasons. All these things lend themselves to the belief that we didn't ask to join the Union, we were invited in and given special status to get us to agree.

Things were cool until the Civil War broke out and we did secede along with several other states. Following the Civil War, Texas was readmitted to the Union but under the same terms as all the other states. It's kinda like being in the Mafia; once you're in...you're all in.

One more thing that may have fostered this belief is the fact that the ability does exist for Texas to be divided into 5 smaller states. All of which would remain "states" though.

During an interview, in 2006, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia summed it up this way:

"If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede. (Hence, in the Pledge of Allegiance, ‘one Nation, indivisible.’)” - texastribune.org