The city of Austin, Texas, is the state capital and the second largest state capital in the U.S. The area which is now Austin is believed to have been inhabited as early as 9200 B.C. The first English and Spanish settlers arrived until around the late 17th or early 18th century. Texas won independence from Mexico between 1835 and 1836, and was its own country with its own congress and president. Austin became Texas' capital in 1839 and has remained so even after Texas became a U.S. state in 1845. Today, Austin is praised for not only its history but cultural influence. Austin is known as weird Austin and has made an effort to keep local businesses and its music scene around; Austin's motto is "Keep Austin Weird." Austin is home to more than 860,000 residents all which are refereed to as "Austinites." Show All
