‘Father of Texas’ Under Fire in the City Named for Him

The war on history continues in Texas. An agency in the city of Austin recently released a memo suggesting renaming numerous streets and roads, removing statues, and generally eliminating references to the Confederacy.

But the recommendations from Austin’s Equity Office didn’t stop with Confederate figures.

Perhaps most absurdly, the memo suggested renaming Austin because Stephen F. Austin, the “Father of Texas” for whom the city is named, owned several slaves and accepted the existence of slavery in the 1820s.

A rather ridiculous and highly inaccurate report from Newsweek, which has not been corrected as of publication of this piece, says Austin was a “former Confederate leader” and founded the city of Austin in 1839.

Both of those “facts” are untrue.

Austin died in 1836 and was not the founder of the city. He never was associated with the Confederacy, which came into being in 1861.

Though these are likely just sloppy factual errors, the labeling of Austin as a Confederate is an illuminating example of where this debate over historical statues and memory is going.

The distinction between “defensible” Founding Fathers and “indefensible” Confederates is blurring as anyone who in any way represents ideas or values not accepted in modernity must not only be denounced, but eradicated from public life.

Austin was a key figure in leading Texas to its independence, and eventually annexation by the United States, cementing his reputation as the Father of Texas (although Sam Houston also bears that honor).

In the struggle, Austin suffered enormously for his people and rotted in prison after Mexican authorities captured him. Eight months after Texas gained its independence in April 1836, he died of pneumonia and sheer physical exhaustion at age 43.

If Austin goes, what about Washington, D.C.? Or Washington state?

The truth is, the proposal to change the Texas city’s name is as preposterous as it would be costly.

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