Since the 18th century was the 1700's, that would have been France then Spain, but it was not "Texas" then...I can't remember when Mexico won independence from Spain, but I believe it was in the early 1800s (19th Century, not 18th per the question) and Texas became a republic (nation of it's own) on March 2, 1836 and is named after the Tejas tribe of Native Americans. It joined the Union of States in 1845 after only about 9 years as a Republic. When joining the union, it retained the right to coin it's own currency, retain it's own navy, and have a standing army of it's own, and this was not diminished by defeat of the Confederacy. It seceded from the Union as part of the Confederacy in 1861. The money part may become important with the way the US dollar and financial state are headed. :) How about those Long Horns!?...and "Agro-'mericans" (PC for "Aggie", the no longer PC "diminutive" term).