Texas Independence Day: March 2, 1956...?

As many of you may know, Texas Independence Day was yesterday. I spent an awesome evening at Love and War in Texas listening to some great music by Brian Burns, Rusty Weir and Billy Joe Shaver in order to pay my respects to the great Lone Star, but while I was there I couldn't help but think...What if Mexico had won? What if General Antonio Lopez de Santana hadn't been defeated...? What if...

Luckily for you, I know a guy who knows a guy, so last night when I got home, I went back in time and whispered a warning to Santana at San Jacinto to create, that's right, an alternate Texas Independence Day 2006. I've obviously righted the situation since all is well, but wouldn't you like to know what this alternate universe looked like...

Below, you'll see North America as you know it now, but soon after the Texians overwhelming defeat at San Jacinto, Santana, full of his pride, his power and homemade tortillas, marched northward.

Don't forget, it was the War with Mexico in which the United States acquired the lands west of Texas and set the southern border of Texas once and for all as the Rio Grande. But this war was initiated over the annexation of Texas into the U.S. So this war never happened right?

Wrong.

Santana, full of himself and his military might marched into the U.S. capturing everything west of Pennsylvania and Georgia. Then without the protection of the American's mighty military Canada soon fell as well.

And Mexico became the most powerful nation on earth.

Soon, however, Santana realized he didn't need that much maple syrup and figured hockey would never take off...so he returned Canada to the Candians and apologized for any inconvenience. They were pretty cool about it.

But what the general did not know was that at this very moment a secret society of surviving Texans had been started. With no resources and no choices the group agreed to never let the spirit of Texas or of the Republic die. They agreed to ensure the dream of Texas lived on.
Almost one hundred years passed.

Then in 1933 in the small town of Abbot, Texas, a revolutionary was born. When young Willie was only 10 years old, his dad passed down the story his dad had passed down to him. He said, "Willie, we must not let the dream that was the Republic of Texas die." To which the young boy replied, "Why is it still dead?"

In 1956, 23 year old Willie Nelson and 19 year old Waylon Jennings, inspired by Willie's dream, gathered a band of miscreants and outlaws and began the second Texas revolution.
With help from other Texan leaders like the transplanted Kinky Friedman and Merle Haggard, and Texan natives like Kris Kristofferson the second Texas Declaration of Independence was drafted in Abbot, Texas on March 2, 1956. General Willie Nelson led the new army of Texians into many battles with the overwhelming Mexican forces led by President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, marching fearlessly while the battle cries "Remember the Alamo!" and "Remember San Jacinto!" echoed throughout the land formerly held by the Texans.

As the Texan army gained speed, reinforcements from the United States gave the Texans the edge needed to defeat the abundant, yet complacent Mexican army. And the Republic of Texas was born in 1958.

Soon after lands were returned to the United States, the California Territory was confiscated by the Texans and then given as a gift to the United States for their help in securing freedom. Most Texans agreed the country was fine just like it was anyway, bordered on the north by the United States and the Red River and on the south by the Rio Grande.

The Texan dream is a dream that could not die. And never will.

My progression through time was beginning to wear me down, so I decided to go back and fix my mess. I headed down to San Jacinto and found the prettiest yellow rose I could and asked if she wouldn't mind entertaining a Mexican general for the cause of Liberty.

She agreed and the rest is history.