Richard Coke: Texan

Elected governor in 1874, Richard Coke played one of the most crucial roles in Texas history. His leadership of his beloved Texas still resonates today – 150 years after he became governor. Richard Coke: Texan weaves a rich mosaic of real people and events that immerses the reader in the life and times of Richard Coke. Author Rosser Coke Newton, Sr., an indirect descendant of the governor, provides the first comprehensive biography of Coke using with first-person accounts, Coke family records, and Richard Coke’s correspondence, much of which was not publicly available before.

Richard Coke brought Texas out of Reconstruction following the Civil War and is often credited for restoring democracy to the state after this perilous time. Richard Coke: Texan is his story – one in which a young Virginia lawyer emigrates to a Texas frontier village and changes history. It follows Coke as he starts a new life in Waco, Texas, serves in the Civil War, endures the hardships of Reconstruction, and is called into service as governor to rebuild the state and return rights to local government and the people of Texas. The story of Coke and his legislature taking office is one of the more spectacular in Texas history, with Coke’s predecessor, Edmund Davis, engaging armed forces to occupy the Capitol to remain in office. But the true story is the leadership shown by Coke as a committed citizen, an honored soldier, a dedicated governor, then as a respected senator—the results of which still impact the government of Texas today.

In addition to the never-before-seen family records, Newton mined  journals and debates from constitutional conventions, the Secession Convention, and legislative sessions.  These are supplemented by newspaper articles, census records, city directories, and a myriad of other sources of information compiled at the time. Richard Coke: Texan not only delivers a rich history of the era, but it provides a personal look at one of Texas’ most significant leaders.