During the second half of the 19th century, African descendants and German-speaking immigrants formed the majority of the Central Texas population. Unlike any other region of the United States, the two ethnic groups interacted here continuously from before the Civil War to the Civil Rights era. As a result, the "Heart of Texas" witnessed complex local relationships between white newcomers, black freedpeople and their descendants: although there was racial tension, they also formed political allegiances, built business, and crossed language barriers in ways that were unusual for the time of "Jim Crow". This webpage serves to explore, explain, and remember this part of American history.